Fed up with being stuck in the dusty old bookshop on a Friday night, and with the hopes of meeting a delectable young lady at a party, Manny and Fran persuaded Bernard to attend a party. After a night of heavy drinking, a very sloshed Bernard has a nasty surprise waiting for him.
Black Books is a second-hand bookshop in London run by an Irishman named Bernard Black. He is probably the planet's least-suited person to run such an establishment: he makes no effort to sell, closes at strange hours on a whim, is in a perpetual alcoholic stupor, abhors his customers (sometimes… More physically abusing them) and is often comatose at his desk. Help comes in the lumpy shape of Manny Bianco, a hairy, bumbling individual who (almost by osmosis) becomes Bernard's assistant. Manny is not exactly great at the job either but he is a million times better than Bernard. Next door is Fran, an anxious, frustrated woman who (in the first series) runs a sort of new-age shop selling the most unlikely bits of arty junk. (In the second, her shop wasn't seen.) Fran is friends with Bernard and, through him, with Manny; together the trio become embroiled in escapades that are sometimes extreme fantastically ludicrous, and always bizarre. The show has won two BAFTA awards and one Bronze Rose award. The show has also been nominated for two British Comedy Awards and an Irish Film and Television Award.
Black Books is a second-hand bookshop in London run by an Irishman named Bernard Black. He is probably the planet's least-suited person to run such an establishment: he makes no effort to sell, closes at strange hours on a whim, is in a perpetual alcoholic stupor, abhors his customers (sometimes… More physically abusing them) and is often comatose at his desk. Help comes in the lumpy shape of Manny Bianco, a hairy, bumbling individual who (almost by osmosis) becomes Bernard's assistant. Manny is not exactly great at the job either but he is a million times better than Bernard. Next door is Fran, an anxious, frustrated woman who (in the first series) runs a sort of new-age shop selling the most unlikely bits of arty junk. (In the second, her shop wasn't seen.) Fran is friends with Bernard and, through him, with Manny; together the trio become embroiled in escapades that are sometimes extreme fantastically ludicrous, and always bizarre. The show has won two BAFTA awards and one Bronze Rose award. The show has also been nominated for two British Comedy Awards and an Irish Film and Television Award.
Black Books is a second-hand bookshop in London run by an Irishman named Bernard Black. He is probably the planet's least-suited person to run such an establishment: he makes no effort to sell, closes at strange hours on a whim, is in a perpetual alcoholic stupor, abhors his customers (sometimes… More physically abusing them) and is often comatose at his desk. Help comes in the lumpy shape of Manny Bianco, a hairy, bumbling individual who (almost by osmosis) becomes Bernard's assistant. Manny is not exactly great at the job either but he is a million times better than Bernard. Next door is Fran, an anxious, frustrated woman who (in the first series) runs a sort of new-age shop selling the most unlikely bits of arty junk. (In the second, her shop wasn't seen.) Fran is friends with Bernard and, through him, with Manny; together the trio become embroiled in escapades that are sometimes extreme fantastically ludicrous, and always bizarre. The show has won two BAFTA awards and one Bronze Rose award. The show has also been nominated for two British Comedy Awards and an Irish Film and Television Award.
Black Books is a second-hand bookshop in London run by an Irishman named Bernard Black. He is probably the planet's least-suited person to run such an establishment: he makes no effort to sell, closes at strange hours on a whim, is in a perpetual alcoholic stupor, abhors his customers (sometimes… More physically abusing them) and is often comatose at his desk. Help comes in the lumpy shape of Manny Bianco, a hairy, bumbling individual who (almost by osmosis) becomes Bernard's assistant. Manny is not exactly great at the job either but he is a million times better than Bernard. Next door is Fran, an anxious, frustrated woman who (in the first series) runs a sort of new-age shop selling the most unlikely bits of arty junk. (In the second, her shop wasn't seen.) Fran is friends with Bernard and, through him, with Manny; together the trio become embroiled in escapades that are sometimes extreme fantastically ludicrous, and always bizarre. The show has won two BAFTA awards and one Bronze Rose award. The show has also been nominated for two British Comedy Awards and an Irish Film and Television Award.
dylan moran makes me want to smoke and drink red wine out of the bottle at 10am. bill bailey makes me cry with laughter. hide show
dylan moran makes me want to smoke and drink red wine out of the bottle at 10am. bill bailey makes me cry with laughter. each season is a delight and i wish they made more. british/irish humor at its best. my favorite episode is the one where they house sit for a friend. there are a few hilarious allusions in that episode. i want to own a bookstore that has mollusks on the pipes and i want to eat scrambled egg out of a shoe with a comb. if you like bb, you should check out bill's stand up. he is an incredible musician.
A book shop run by Bernard, who is a drunk and non-stop smoking employer. Manny (emloyee) who puts up with Bernard and Fran who just tags along. :D hide show
One of my favourite shows. Awesome use of sattire. I'm a huge fan of Dylan Moran now. :D Have showed my friends and they all love it now! Great idea to have a shop owner that hates customers. Very original.
The first season is definitely the best but the rest are all very good as well. I watched it when i was a kid, and when i recenty rewatched it i fell in love with it, understanding it all lot better now. My friends and i all quote it, eg the little book of calm such as "try something different. Roll up your sleeves or eat an orange."
One major reason this show did so well, and then perhaps the reason for its only 3 series run, was the absolutely brilliant casting of Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Grieg who in the case of the first two are best comics in Britain and Grieg is a great comic actress. But being so good means that they are also busy people and so this is probably why it stopped. No bad thing though as it means the show never tired and ended on a high, like all the best shows shoul, but don't always.
So the basic premise is simple, Bernard Black, played by Moran, owns a book shop called "Black Books" and hires Manny (Bailey) as his shop assistant. Fran (Grieg) is Bernard's best friend I guess, quite possibly his only friend. She used to own the shop next door but that seems to stop and the next 2 series she's just around, and doesn't seem to have a job. Basically this is the background for all the high jinks they get up in this shop.
Anyway, the other reason this show is so good is the writing. It's funny and sharp and the plots, although surreal at times, also seem like they could happen, and that's good comedy, cause we often laugh at what we recognise. (One thing I find is that I've actually been in shops that are simillar to the one in the show for it's chaotic look, so I realte with this.) It is also of course brilliantly executed by the actors.
At less than 9 hours long for the entire series 1-3 it's very easy to watch in a day. So you've got no excuses for not watching this as soon as you can.
Pure brilliance. A classic British sitcom with and Irish lead :D Bernard Black's constant boozing and smoking and somewhat unhinged behavior with his dynamic with Manny switching between that of a married couple and Mother and Son is hilarious. hide show
Spanning 3 series but with only 6 episodes each, Black Books was a brilliant if not short lived series. The dynamics between Bernard Black, Manny and Fran are hilarious and constantly changing. Bernard continues to say and do things that we refrain from due to morals and understanding of social acceptances. And his program really hits the behavior of others that bug us from day today like rude customers, skin heads, Americans, gamblers, book shops next door and more lol.
It's witty, ridiculous and just plain fantastic. You really will be laughing out-loud at the snappy humor, great visual gags and brilliant timing. Definitely one to watch if you're a fan of British comedy.
Classic British sitcom. hide show
This show is definitely one of the best if not the best British comedy's. The Irish main star (Dylan Moran) with his great accent and general boldness makes himself stand out perfectly. The co stars play an excellent part and allow Dylan to really shine. The episodes can viewed many times without the jokes getting old, which is great in a comedy. I believe that the show could make a return and not look like it retired ages ago. The main star is a drunk and always entertains with his antics. A classic British comedy with an odd-couple situation. definitely worth buying on DVD. Which includes many extras.
Kermi
Editor
LMH68
Retired
screenhack
parizada
Metallicar
