Comedy

Black Books

8.1(612)

First Aired:September 29, 2000

Seasons:3 seasons

Episodes:18

Status:Ended

Black Books centres around the foul tempered and wildly eccentric bookshop owner Bernard Black. Bernard’s devotion to the twin pleasures of drunkenness and wilful antagonism deepens and enriches both his life and that of Manny, his assistant. Bearded, sweet and good, Manny is everything that Bernard isn’t and is punished by Bernard relentlessly just for the crime of existing. They depend on each other for meaning as Fran, their oldest friend, depends on them for distraction. Black Books is a haven of books, wine and conversation, the only threat to the group’s peace and prosperity is their own limitless stupidity.

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Cast

Dylan Moran

Bernard

Bill Bailey

Manny

Tamsin Greig

Fran

Seasons & Episodes

Meet Bernard Black, a foul tempered and eccentric bookshop owner who loves his books but hates his customers. Manny is Bernard's long-suffering assistant and Fran is the owner of the gift shop next door to Black Books. Black Books explores Manny and Fran's efforts to ensure Bernard has some contact with the outside world and charts the comical consequences of their efforts.

E1Cooking the Books

22m8.0

Sep 29, 2000

Bernard’s dodgy accountant has to go on the run, leaving him ill prepared to fill out his own tax return. In fact Bernard would rather do anything than fill it out.

E2Manny's First Day

23m8.1

Oct 6, 2000

After Manny’s help with the tax return Bernard is persuaded to hire him in the shop. Unfortunately he actually sells some books, much to Bernard’s annoyance.

E3Grapes of Wrath

24m7.8

Oct 13, 2000

Bernard and Manny accept a house-sitting job to get away from their new cleaner. They also drink some wine.

E4The Blackout

24m7.6

Oct 20, 2000

A hyper, coffee fueled Manny is mistaken for a policeman.

E5The Big Lock-Out

24m8.1

Oct 27, 2000

The shop gets a new security system that no-one can work.

E6He's Leaving Home

24m7.0

Nov 3, 2000

Manny runs away from the bookshop into the arms of a beard loving photographer.

In season two, Bernard is convinced the Manny is mad; Manny worries about the reliability of his magic hot water bottle and uses his underworld connections to help find Fran a job. Fran struggles to find her inner karma in-between trying to find her cigarettes and making excuses to have another drink. Under the constant threat from the nasty, unfeeling outside world, Bernard, Manny and Fran attempt to maintain the heaven of the bookshop even as their own relentless stupidity pushes them towards mayhem.

E1The Entertainer

24m7.9

Mar 1, 2002

Fran decides to take up piano lessons with a very prominent teacher, however all doesn't go to plan and she ends up having to ask Manni for a favour. Meanwhile Bernard asks a girl out and once again Manni is called upon for a favour.

E2Fever

24m7.7

Mar 8, 2002

On a scorching hot day, Manni tries to maintain his body temperature so it doesn't go over 88 degrees; Fran has problems with a new neighbour, and Bernard tries to find an appropriate "summer girl".

E3The Fixer

23m7.4

Mar 15, 2002

Bernard and Manni have to deal with a gangster turned writer who plans to hold a reading of his autobiography at the book shop, however he can't read. Meanwhile Fran gets an office job where she isn't quite sure what she is meant to be doing.

E4Blood

23m7.1

Mar 22, 2002

Manni and Bernard try to keep up with modern book shops and in doing so Manni helps Fran get over her boredom by encouraging her to look up her family tree.

E5Hello Sun

24m7.5

Mar 29, 2002

Fran tries to cleanse her lifestyle by taking up yoga and going on a radical diet, while Bernard and Manni receive some books on Freud and their lives descend into his famous theories.

E6A Nice Change

24m7.2

Apr 5, 2002

When construction starts next door to the shop, Manni, Bernard and Fran try to decide what to do while it continues.

Bernard Black is back for a third season of his multi-award winning and critically acclaimed comedy. Black Books continues to explore the musing and time-wasting techniques of raddled proprietor Bernard Black, his shy, multi-challenged assistant Manny Bianco and their underachieving friend Fran Katzenjammer.

E1Manny Come Home

25m7.5

Mar 11, 2004

When Manny defects to Goliath Books after an "incident" with Bernard, his ex-employer's life spirals out of control. Meanwhile Fran returns from holiday only to be greeted by the squalor of Bernard's shop.

E2Elephants and Hens

23m8.1

Mar 18, 2004

When Bernard holds a children's themed book day in the shop, Fran bets Manni and Bernard they couldn't write a children's book over a weekend, while Bernard bets Fran back that she will have an awful time at her friend's hen party.