Customer Reviews

Black Books - The Complete First Series

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Black Books is a charming, absurdist situation comedy series set in a bookshop. "Charming," you ask? "The main character is a nasty, morose, chain-smoking drunk with a neurotic for a best friend and a bearded simpleton for an employee." Ah, but what's what makes it such a gem of writing and acting.

Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey met during the Edinburgh Fringe and were the top two contenders for the Perrier Prize. Moran came out on top, but remembered Bailey a few years later when he was offered his own show. Moran's character of an ill-tempered grouch is matched perfectly by Bailey's good-hearted goof, and their chemistry as Bernard and Manny is what makes Black Books such enjoyable viewing. Tamsin Grieg is a good comic actress, but I found Fran Katzenjammer to be a little grating at times. Her character does develop more in subsequent seasons, so don't discount her performance.

Fans of Father Ted, Spaced, BlackAdder, and Little Britain should adore this show, and if I have to explain that any further then you should go back to watching "According To Jim".

It's rare to find comedies that are as intelligent as funny, and Black Books is a prime example of such shows. Of course it'd never take off in America, but I thought the same thing about The Office. Please, please, please do not remake this as an American sit-com.

For reasons unknown, Comedy Central used to run this early Sunday mornings back in 2001 before dropping it from the roster. I had only caught two episodes before and was distraught at its departure. Cue to last year and its Region 1 release and my frabjous rapture.

Bring on season Two (and Three...)

American "comedy" involving an independent bookstore = that trite, vapid Fox series 'Stacked'. 'Black Books', however, is what excellent comedy should be: witty, biting, satirical, whimsical, and mentally satisfying. God, what a treat. Laugh-out-loud funny. This is not just another BBC/Channel 4 comedy that has taken hold in a slim US market a la Keeping Up Appearances; The Office; Last of The Summer Wine, etc. This is a classic that hopefully will rank up there with Fawlty Towers (perhaps the best comedy ever made).

If you have ever worked for a major chain-bookstore such as B&N, Borders, Indigo, Chapters etc. and are of a cynical and biting state of mind, Bernard Black's little world will a breath of fresh air!

I highly recommend it: 5 stars plus 5 more.

Excellent!

I hate sitcoms. Let me tell you why I hate sitcoms: the viewer is expected to suspect -- for the most part -- all disbelief at otherwise reasonably intelligent characters performing utterly insane activities all for the sake of a laugh. In the end, people of modest know-how are knocked a few pegs down the evolutionary ladder, landing somewhere near the chimpanzee, and I'm supposed to find that laughable.

Enter BLACK BOOKS. Here, a curmudgeon of an intelligent man wears the shell of a drunk with pride as he spits one-liners and trades barbs with the customers and his few friends ... and it works almost perfectly throughout. A knucklehead of an accountant loses his job but finds himself by cosmically happening across this one bookshop desperately in need of a finance specialist ... and it works almost perfectly. The way-too-attractive British lady of the town runs a 'Nifty Gifty' shop, splitting her times between selling trinkets she can't quite figure out and tossing back a bottle of wine with her two friends in the Black Books shop next store ... and it works almost perfectly.

BLACK BOOKS begins its series very strong (don't they all, the really good ones?) with a fall-down laughable performance across the board about how these three lovable souls meet and become friends, and the six-episode run tracks them through their assorted adventures ... whether its sharing a bottle of wine, ruining a bottle of wine, or anything else you can do with a bottle of wine in between ... whether its destroying the Pope's only chance at sipping a centuries old Merlot or spoofing the high-handed television adventure of cop shows ... and it works almost perfectly.

Yes, I said "almost" perfectly, and it's really a minor nitpick for a five-star review: the last episode satirized ... erm ... let's just say it satirized a very specific area of sex trafficking and, while the episode brought a smile to my lips, it really didn't produce that many laughs. Perhaps it was the fact that pornography, in one sense, is such a volatile topic that I don't see the sense in lampooning an evil, corrosive crime ... but, when you're talking about comedy, there really are as many flavors as there are bottles of wine, and I'd like to think that's what they were going for.

Great laughs, great zingers, and great characters make BLACK BOOKS more than should be judged by its cover.

The trailers for the other episodes of Black Books compels me to search for some kind of phrase or word that will help the BBC capitulate like they did for Bottom, and then no one needs to get hurt. I mean this is one of the best series I've seen in ages I'd really like to see two and three please. I guess it wouldn't help to say, " or else " at this point so I'll try please again, Please!

If you like irreverent comedy from England, you'll like this first season collection. In the vein of Little Britain or possibly Father Ted, this comedy has unique and somehow endearing characters. Simply, it is about a book store run by the owner Bernard who does not wish to buy or sell books...ever, he just wants to be left alone to read and drink. It is worth the time to just watch Dylan Moran's portrayal of Bernard Black and a bonus to have Manny and Fran along for the ride. Laugh out loud funny.

Black Books is a must-watch, especially if you are already a fan of British and Irish (check out Father Ted w/Dermot Morgan and Ardal O'Hanlon) humor. The BBC puts out some great comedies! Dylan Moran is a treasure.. just his facial expressions alone make this show worth watching. Bill Bailey has some great ones himself.. especially in episode one when he is still employed as an accountant. The whole cast is perfect together! Watch it and then watch it some more!!!!!

Bernard Black is the drunken, sputtering, misanthropic proprietor of the bookshop "Black Books", known for opening late, arbitrarily closing early, closing for lunch, or any time a bottle needs polishing off. His childlike sidekick, "Manny" is an ex-accountant on the verge of a nervous breakdown who is desperately seeking mellow. Fran - the neurotic slut who runs the neighboring shop - takes Manny under her wing and they all live sloppily ever after. This is a superb comedy. I especially loved the skinhead taunt. The facial expressions are to die for!!

Brilliant, funny and everything you'd expect from the best of British and Irish humor.

Watch it already!

Definitly one of the greatest television shows I've ever seen; it's absolutely to die for. Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey are amazing and together, they're even better. I'd go so far as to say that they're one of the best comic duos of all time, they play off of eachother excellently. It's a pity more people in the States haven't even heard of Black Books.

This series showed briefly on BBC America earlier this year. I caught only a few episodes before it disappeared. This thing is hilarious, and Dylan Moran, who plays the main character, is brilliant. He is a very funny man.

This show is about the bookshop I hope to run someday, once I hit the lotto and no longer have to worry about money - maybe there are customers, maybe there aren't. Maybe you're nice to them - most likely you can't be bothered. Inventory? The books you yourself like to read. And accounting? Chah, add it to the pile, get to it after I drink this lovely merlot.

Sounds perfect.

Dylan plays a chain-smoking, heavy drinking bookshop owner who doesn't like people and hates customers worst of all. He's harsh and funny - and a bit of a train wreck.

The stories, at time, border on the surreal.

Very well worth watching. I hope they release seasons 1-3 (what, all of 18 episodes) over here - they're already available in the UK, but wrong format!