Black Books: Season 1

Channel Four Films (2000)

Comedy
 /   / Color / 142 mins
6867441009191 
/     / 
In Collection
#151
8.6

Plot

Black Books is a second-hand bookshop in London run by an Irishman named Bernard Black. He is probably the planet's worst-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 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 runs a sort of new-age shop selling the most unlikely bits of arty junk. Fran is friends with Bernard and, through him, with Manny; together the trio become embroiled in escapades that are sometimes extreme or violent or fantastically ludicrous, and always bizarre.

Cast

Dylan Moran Bernard
Bill Bailey Manny
Tamsin Greig Fran
Rosie Day Rachel
Paul Beech Abbott
Daisy Campbell Julie
Ben Homewood Fourth Customer
Nick Frost Paul
Tony Way Boy
Graham Linehan Book Lover

Crew

Director
Martin Dennis
Nick Wood
Producer Nira Park , Julian Meers
Writer Graham Linehan , Dylan Moran
Cinematography Andy Hollis
Musician Jonathan Whitehead

Trailer

Episodes

Disc 01

1
Cooking the Books
25 mins  29/09/2000
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.

Director:  Nick Wood  / Graham Linehan 

Writer:  Graham Linehan  / Dylan Moran 

Guest starring: Daisy Campbell, Dominic Carter, Jeillo Edwards,  Martin Freeman, John MacNell, Eamonn O'Neill, James O'Neill, Michael Parkhouse, Muriel Pavlow, Jack Pierce, Rupert Vansittart, Tony Bluto

2
Manny's First Day
25 mins  06/10/2000
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.

Director:  Nick Wood  / Graham Linehan 

Writer:  Graham Linehan  / Dylan Moran 

Guest starring: David Decio, Graham Linehan, Rhys Thomas, John Arthur, David Cann, Ben Homewood, Stewart Wright

3
The Grapes of Wrath
25 mins  13/10/2000
Bernard and Manny accept a house-sitting job to get away from their new cleaner. They also drink some wine.

Director:  Graham Linehan 

Writer:  Graham Linehan  / Dylan Moran 

Guest starring: Mark Aiken, Paul Beech, Daisy Campbell, Kevin Eldon, Ben Homewood, Chris Larner

4
The Blackout
25 mins  20/10/2000
A hyper, coffee fueled Manny is mistaken for a policeman.

Director:  Nick Wood  / Graham Linehan 

Writer:  Graham Linehan  / Dylan Moran 

Guest starring: Terry Bird, Angela Curran, Evie Garratt, Liam Hess, Louise Hickson, Colin McFarlane, Wayne Morris,  Elizabeth Marmur, Hugh Parker

5
The Big Lock-Out
25 mins  27/10/2000
The shop gets a new security system that no-one can work.

Director:  Nick Wood  / Graham Linehan 

Writer:  Graham Linehan  / Dylan Moran 

Guest starring: Paul Beech, Steve Bowditch,  Nick Frost,  Peter Serafinowicz,  Tony Way, Graham Linehan, Dick Lunn

6
He's Leaving Home
25 mins  03/11/2000
Manny runs away from the bookshop into the arms of a beard loving photographer.

Director:  Nick Wood  / Graham Linehan 

Writer:  Graham Linehan  / Dylan Moran 

Guest starring: Omid Djalili, Sophie Stanton, David Walliams

Edition Details

Series Black Books
Release Date 19/06/2006
Packaging Keep Case
Screen Ratio Widescreen (16:9)
Subtitles English
Layers Single Side, Single Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes 1

Features

Cast Commentary Out-Takes Photo Gallery Series 2 Teaser Trailer

Images

Poster
Backdrop