Black Books

Synopsis

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.

Main Cast

Dylan Moran

Bernard

Age : N/A | Popularity : 2%

Bill Bailey

Manny

Age : N/A | Popularity : 4%

Tamsin Greig

Fran

Age : N/A | Popularity : 14%

Seasons

Season 1

2000 | 6 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.

Season details

Season 2

2002 | 6 episodes

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.

Season details

Season 3

2004 | 6 episodes

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.

Season details

Crew

Department	Role	Name
Crew	Creator	Dylan Moran Graham Linehan
Sound	Original Music Composer	Jonathan Whitehead
	Sound Supervisor	Keith Nixon
Production	Casting	John Connor Jane Davies
	Line Producer	Karen Beever
	Executive Producer	William Burdett-Coutts
	Producer	Nira Park
Art	Production Design	Dennis De Groot
	Property Buyer	Jess Kitley
Costume & Make-Up	Costume Design	Annie Hardinge
Editing	Other	Peter Phillips
Department	Role	Name

Join the discussion