Black Books - The Complete First Series (2001)

BLACKBOOKS FIRST SERIES

ORDERED ON 15TH SEPTEMBER, 2007, I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS DVD. PLEASE SEND A REPLACEMENT. October 29, 2007

Must Have English Comedy !!!

I love Black Books ! I love most english comedy (some people say British comedy, but english and british are two completely different things !) and while I don't know if I'd put BB up there with Monty Python or Fawlty Towers (my favourite english comedy show) it's definately a very, VERY, close second. This dvd has some of the best commentaries that I've ever heard on a tv show. I would have liked to have some behind the scenes documentaries and longer bloopers (it has a blooper segment, but it's rather short) but this is still a definate pickup for anyone who enjoys english comedy or dry-witted, smart, hilarious Irish drunk guys ! October 7, 2007

as good as seinfeld, but a tad more insane

This is another example of how it's almost never the format that's at fault -- in this case, that old, dead horse: the sitcom -- but simply the imagination of those making it. And it would be hard to find fault with the imagination of the people who made Black Books.

The plots are in a similar vein to Seinfeld: A somewhat inexplicable group of friends (if they could be called that) run into well-chosen guest stars in unlikely roles, or set bizarre challenges for themselves (like turning the book shop into a Michelin-star restaurant that serves "Luxury Pie: the Food of Kings", not on plates, but on books with pictures of plates on the cover), or just basically knock back copious amounts of wine and cigarettes while generally pissing about in the bookshop. (NB: watching Black Books will make you want a glass of wine and/or a cigarette.)

Dialogue is alternately roguishly whip-smart and bafflingly inane, thanks to its rather eloquent stars. Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran are two of the best stand-up comedians in Britain today, and both are known for their ability to roll long-winded, super-intelligent pseudo-nonsense off their tongues in a rather non-chalant manner, a talent used to great effect in Black Books (not to mention Bill Bailey's incredible piano skills, used in one episode to fool a blind piano teacher). And Tamsin Greig (you may or may not know her as Debbie Aldridge from The Archers) rounds out the trio with her neurotic, cynical shopkeeper next door.

In short, this is one of the best British sitcoms ever produced, and therefore high in the running for one of the best sitcoms ever produced. And along with shows like I'm Alan Partridge, Spaced, Peep Show, The Office, and a number of others, it shows that British comedy has refused to rest on its laurels for the last decade or so, with new future classics being minted every year.

In shorter: Buy this.

xx May 26, 2007

Top Notch

This is a great series (as are all 3 Black Books series).
Highlight for me of series 1, is Manny chasing the mugger down the road and then bottling it when the guy turns round to face him. This is the result of Manny overdosing on The Sweeney and Expresso Coffee and then not sleeping. Bill Bailey is very funny in this show and if you've only caught his stand-up show you should watch Black Books without delay.
Bernard is clearly an Irish relative of Basil Fawlty. He hates all customers and has no interest in helping them. Dylan Moran who wrote or co-wrote most of the material plays Bernard and deserves a large amount of credit for creating 3 amazing characters.
Tasmin Greig is fabulous as Fran, a gentle kind hearted woman who is also prone to excessive drinking and on occasions very odd behaviour.
The voice over commentary from the cast on the DVD is nearly as entertaining as the show itself and well worth listening to.
Whilst not quite as laugh out loud as a few of the greatest sit-coms, the occasionally surreal writing and character mix put it very close to the top of the tree.
March 10, 2007

Pacman. It's pronounced Pacman.

Going into the bookselling world, I didn't know what to expect. I haphazardly searched for a guide that would best instruct me on the ways of customer service, marketing, and security. Whilst several video's failed, I knew that I could rely on the help of the BBC to fill the void. Thankfully, those islanders came through with a short series (only three seasons) entitled Black Books in which we are taken out of the office environment (aka the original Office) and into the small-box world of bookselling. The job is simple, sell the books, make the consumers happy, and leave a happy man at the end of the night. That would seem simple enough unless your names are Bernard Black or Manny Bianco, the ill-fated employees of this independent bookstore. Their hobbies include getting smashed off wine, smoking till their blue in the face, and avoiding actual conversations with those that patron their store. They are the direct opposite of what you would expect in your typical American bookstore. They are crass, they are cruel, they are drunk - but, most importantly, they are genuinely funny. While this wasn't as phenomenal as The Office, it did provide some great laughs, some Python-esque moments (we can all recite the words to "Bookshop" can't we?), and a great reason to enjoy the world of customer service.

This first season introduces us to the beginnings of a relationship like those we can only see in the movies, like Pitt and Jolie or Cruise and Holms, there will always be a Bernard and Manny. In the first episode, we learn how they meet and how the two decide to be working companions, and well, even more in further episodes. We see our duo become a set of triplets with the introduction to the "girl next door" Fran Katzenjammer (played by Tamsin Greig) who seems to carry the same philosophy with her that the two shopkeepers do as well. She understands their need for booze, insults, and disgruntled nature, and in fact, she feeds it further. Through the course of the first season, we go from a struggling bookshop, to a friendship, to a need for security, to a snub, all the way to helping a friend by house sitting overnight and sampling his wine. The opportunities seem to mimic the humor in this program - it is endless. The chemistry between the characters is superb as well as the ideas generated by creator Dylan Morgan. The timing is fantastic, providing the viewer with a combination punch of both slapstick and verbal routines.

This was a great show to view, but alas, it is only once that I could find myself sitting through it. I don't mean to change the tables on this review, because I did love what this program offered in the form of obscenely funny retail sales moments, but what started out strongly eventually lost the speed it began with. The first four episodes came out of the gate rather strongly, instituting laughs and originality with character driven scenes and relatable humor, but then with the latter part of episode five and especially episode six (where it seemed to fall into the Chef scenario of getting too much money per episode), we seemed to change gears suddenly. It is extremely noticeable with the final episode entitled, "He's Leaving Home". It was up until this moment that I thought this would have been worth purchasing, but this singular episode soured the entire experience for me. It also lead me into a hesitant viewing of the second season. I would like to restate that I loved so much about this series, but the dramatic change in appearance with the final episodes leaves me with just a regular taste in my mouth.

Overall, Black Books, the first season, is definitely worth a viewing. There is so much to appreciate and enjoy with the characters, stories, and environment that I am surprised it didn't pick up as much "cult" rave as say, The Office did in the states. Bernard Black is hysterical with his drunken raves and slanderish remarks - he will truly inspire anyone that spends time in the retail sector of our great nation. Manny is the perfect patsy with phenomenal facial expressions and an ability to control the physical humor. Manny and Bernard was a great pairing, while Fran seemed to be the anchor between the two. Again, I cannot state that I loved the characters in this series, it just seemed to take a dramatically different course by the end of the first season - a direction I didn't think was one that fit the already standard mold. I would suggest this first season to those that enjoyed Little Britain or The Office, but don't think it deserves any more than a singular viewing.

Grade: **** out of *****
February 16, 2007

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