One of the few genuinely outstanding British comedy shows of the past decade, Black Books unites excellent comedic performances, very funny scripts, and plenty of rewatch value. The concept is simple enough. Bernard (expertly played by Dylan Moran) runs a bookshop. The only problems are he can't stand people, hates customers, .. Read more
| Starring | Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Tamsin Greig |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Dennis |
| Genres | Comedy |
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One of the few genuinely outstanding British comedy shows of the past decade, Black Books unites excellent comedic performances, very funny scripts, and plenty of rewatch value.
The concept is simple enough. Bernard (expertly played by Dylan Moran) runs a bookshop. The only problems are he can't stand people, hates customers, and would far prefer to be barking out cutting remarks and drinking wine. Still, it's after drinking much of the aforementioned wine that he offers Manny (Bill Bailey, again in terrific form) a job. Manny accepts, and finds his daily life involves taking abuse from Bernard, while remaining strangely and resolutely upbeat. Fran (Tamsin Greig) meanwhile also likes her wine, and finds herself stuck between the two of them, with a few odd encounters of her own thrown in too.
So far nothing particularly out of the ordinary, right? Well, mix in some of the creative force behind Father Ted, combine those aforementioned performances, and simmer to the point where episode after episode garners a cocktail of sniggers and belly laughs, and you have something really rather special. Like many of the best shows, the curtain has come down on Black Books after only three series. But the long-lasting legacy are episodes that are set to be enjoyed for a long, long time to come. --Simon Brew
| Starring | Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Tamsin Greig |
|---|---|
| Director | Martin Dennis |
| Studio | CHANNEL 4 DVD |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 27 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 04 Oct 2004 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
"...Simply the most anarchic and funny series on television..."
"...A consummate blend of black humour and giddy farce.."
What can you say about this 3rd (and final) series. It was pure genius. The ideas were as good as with series one, and the actors worked off each another brilliantly.
Deciding to stop at this point has only made the series better, because it went out on a high without the sad decline that so many comedies go through.
Bernard, Fran and Manny have taught us that to have a bottle of wine at anytime of the day is more than just acceptable - it is essential to get through it.
I finally finished off watching the series with what was the best series of the lot. Series 1 was good but a bit disjointed, series 2 I thought was below par compared to the others, but this series is definitely the standout. Very good.