It has been described as the most original and funniest comedy since Blackadder, and one of the only modern sitcoms acclaimed with the oxymoron 'modern classic'.
Perrier award winner Dylan Moran followed up Simon Nye's impressive comedy drama "How do you want me?" with Black Books in 2000. Co-written with Graham Linehan (Father Ted), Bernard Black is a dysfunctional, miserly proprietor of a Book shop. Lacking in any desire to work, sell and buy books as any conventional entrepreneur would, and lapsing into bouts of behaviour that could only be described as socially anarchic, Bernard's only salvation would be the demon drink. Usually Wine.
Accompanying him in his cathartic craze through humanity, is neighbour Fran Katzenjammer (Katzenjammer being German for 'hangover'); owner of the gadget / nik nak shop, and Manny Bianco (Bianco is Italian for 'white' - Black and white: Subtle); former accountant and malnourished assistant to Bernard, basically treated as a dogsbody dictated to with all the disdain that an Irish Alcoholic intolerant employer would be expected to impart, and if that wasn't enough, Manny gets mercilessly moaned at by Bernard when things don't, as they invariably would in a comedy, work out.
Episode 1 - The Entertainer
An episode to highlight Bill Bailey's talents as a pianist no less. Struggling to improve during her piano lessons with a Blind Russian piano svengali, and whilst she sounds positively terrible, Manny appears to pick it up like a natural. Fran enlists the help of Manny to play for her underneath the piano with spoons in a bid to discharge the services of her teacher. Meanwhile, Bernard falls for an attractive customer, and in a bid to woo her, plays a part in the scam. A great episode in showing Manny's surprise at picking up the classics so easily - the joke being Bailey was classically trained and has played for years.
Episode 2 - Fever
Manny is positively anal about the temperature. Obsessed that if the temperature reaches 99 degrees fahrenheit, it will trigger a condition of his known as Dave's Syndrome. Of course Bernard attempts to encourage this condition as Manny combats the heat. Fran meanwhile finds her flat has shrunk, to make way for a flat 4B as landlord Johnny Vegas can house
another woman. Bernard offers to resolve the problem, but falls for the woman instead. So Fran takes it upon herself to flirt her appartment back from the perverted landlord. Finally, details of Fran and Bernard's relationship are given more detail and closed within a matter of seconds, and the effects of Dave's syndrome are finally revealed. A good opportunity to show some
really funny visual gags, but the premise of the episode was rather odd to say the least.
Episode 3 - The Fixer
Fran, now unemployed, looks for a new job, and is given an opportunity via Manny, who introduces her to tyrannical boss Nugent (the excellent Rob Brydon), not telling anyone what they need to do, and moaning when their results reflect as much. Fran blags her way up the employment ladder to more responsibility, without actually doing anything, except shout. Meanwhile, returning the favour to Gus who passed the opportunity to Manny, Bernard and Manny allow a renowned hardman Danny (Ricky Grover) to do a book reading at the shop. Minor snag, Danny can't read, as the book was Ghostwritten. Therefore they have to teach him to read in time, or lose their thumbs. In a bid to rectify the situation, Manny meets with Gus, "The Fixer" to resolve the problem, but it doesn't go as planned. But when all is lost for Manny and Bernard, Fran saves the day. A good episode, thanks in part to Brydon and Grover, but Grover is really reprising his Bulla character from 11 o'clock show and is a character he does quite often in sketches prior to this.
Episode 4 - Blood
A Parody of Waterstone's/Starbucks type bookstores everywhere, as Manny goes to buy paint, and gets 'directed' into buying books he didn't need and a couple of coffees. Inspired he sets about revamping Black books to follow suit, complete with Information point and Green couch that swallows customers. Fran, with Manny's assistance pursues her genealogical roots, and meets with her local ancestors, who use traditional national customs as an excuse to exploit Fran and her car. Initially Bernard shows contempt for the changes to the shop, but then becomes motivated into exploiting the shop as a restaurant offering evening meals and creating a pastiche of your average Arrogant domineering head chef. Plot-wise a fairly average episode with some great visual gags with stop it from being a completely wasted episode - swallowing couch, tower of
soup.
Episode 5 - Hello Sun
Manny and Bernard's relationship is hitting breaking point for the umpteenth time, whilst Fran has taken to relaxing with yoga with a partner (Jessica Stevenson from Spaced) in order to cleanse herself from all impurities. At Fran's insistence Manny goes to a therapist where he gets to unload his issues, and comes back transformed into this assertive and arrogant
master of his own destiny, no longer overpowered into subservient duties at Bernard's command. Shocked at the change, Bernard visits the therapist himself, and ultimately solves his own problem by doing all the talking. Consequently, he becomes more polite towards Manny, but unfortunately Fran has cracked under the pressure of abstinence from Chocolate, Nicotine
and Alcohol, and undoing the positive vibes of Bernard and Manny's relationship with her own mimicry. Below par episode in terms of laugh-out-loud gags, and generally a more subdued episode with a tenuous plot.
Episode 6 - A Nice Change
Next door is in the process of being redeveloped, and the drilling is driving all concerned in the shop insane. At Fran and Manny's suggestion, they decide to go for a holiday. Bernard is initially his usually dementedly depressed self, but relents as he finds out the work is 24 hour shifts for a fortnight. Consequently, they book over the internet to find a cheap flight. They
succeed, with a drawback of several changeovers; New Zealand, Stanstead being mentioned among others, leaving them a few hours at their destination. As their journey ends, they recount their stories, leading to some hilarious lines when Manny is made a god: "It'll be a long time before I have to sacrifice a monkey again," "We promised we wouldn't talk about Canada!!" As they return, they see the work has finished. To their surprise, next door has been converted into a swanky new bookstore "Goliath Books", which would become a precursor to the first episode of the third series. There are some great sequences here. The in-joke self parody of "Blue Tunes" when they're searching for a film to watch is funny, as is the stuff about the flight. Initially thinking it was a return to form after "Hello Sun", I'll now safely stick with average and solid for the most part.
Extras
The only ones worth mentioning would be the Outtakes, which in a nutshell are: Lines forgot, uncontrollable laughing (mostly from Tamsin Greig), but nothing as interesting as the first series of out-takes, which included showing alternative endings to scenes (changed presumably to censorship).
Film ***1/2
DVD ***
Extras **1/2
Overall: 7.5/10
Worth seeing as an extension of the series, and hilariously funny in parts. I think it was a time of transition, and the dialogue didn't have the same hilarious dark but intelligent style of the first series. Above average to anything other than Black Books itself.
Craig Aston.
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