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Black Books - The Complete First Series Review

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 *****

Black Books - The Complete First Series Feature

• 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 Bian

Black Books - The Complete First Series Overview

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.

Black Books - The Complete First Series Specifications

How can the concept of a drunk owning a bookshop be surreally funny? Well, Black Books may be owned by Bernard Black on screen, but off screen it belongs to writer-director Graham Linehan of Father Ted fame, that’s how. His writing partnership with Dylan Moran (Black) produced the strangest situation comedy of 2001, fully deserving its British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award. The almost blissfully vague plotline begins when stressed-out office worker Manny Bianco (Bill Bailey) accidentally swallows The Little Book of Calm. Somehow his beard and Bernard's booze get on well enough for them to work together in the shop. They're ably assisted/distracted/confused by the hormonal interruptions of neighboring storeowner Fran (Tamsin Greig). And that’s about it. But across six episodes, this first year crammed in an enormous amount of insanity and sight gags. Definite highlights include Fran's over-the-radio seduction by Shipping News broadcaster Howell Granger, a good cop/bad cop Sweeney spoof and a cameo by Nick Frost (Mike in Spaced) as a more than slightly over-the-top security system installer. The standout episode is "The Grapes of Wrath," in which Bernard and Manny agree to babysit a valuable wine cellar. No prizes for guessing what happens! Kevin Eldon guest stars as The Cleaner, declaring the shop to be "dirty." Manny already knew that. When he made the appointment he had to confess, "Right now I'm eating scrambled egg with a comb out of a shoe." --Paul Tonks

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