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Black Books Complete Box Set - £15.97
One of the few genuinely outstanding British comedy shows of the past decade, Black Books unites excellent comedic performances, very funny scripts, and plenty of rewatch value.
The concept is simple enough. Bernard (expertly played by Dylan Moran) runs a bookshop. The only problems are he can't stand people, hates customers, and would far prefer to be barking out cutting remarks and drinking wine. Still, it's after drinking much of the aforementioned wine that he offers Manny (Bill Bailey, again in terrific form) a job. Manny accepts, and finds his daily life involves taking abuse from Bernard, while remaining strangely and resolutely upbeat. Fran (Tamsin Greig) meanwhile also likes her wine, and finds herself stuck between the two of them, with a few odd encounters of her own thrown in too.
So far nothing particularly out of the ordinary, right? Well, mix in some of the creative force behind Father Ted, combine those aforementioned performances, and simmer to the point where episode after episode garners a cocktail of sniggers and belly laughs, and you have something really rather special. Like many of the best shows, the curtain has come down on Black Books after only three series. But the long-lasting legacy are episodes that are set to be enjoyed for a long, long time to come. --Simon Brew
Customer reviews (av rating: 5.0):
Rating: 5:
Should do on your to do list! : Here in Norway they called Black Books 'Ei selsom sjappe', which translates into 'a pequiliar, or weird, shop'. Weird and pequliar it sure was! But also really, really wonderful. Few shows have made me laugh so much recently.
I got into Black Books, not on Norwegian tv, but before it ran there, on DVD from the UK. I knew nothing about it, but I knew plenty about Bill Bailey who plays 'Manny' on the show. Bill's early BBC comedy show 'Is it Bill Bailey?', was shown on BBC Prime, and I really fell for his brand of humour. When he performs as a stand up, he utilises his skills not only with his gob, but also his gift as an accomplished musician. Playing keyboards and guitar, he lays into Chris DeBurgh (the greatest of evil), U2's the Edge and even the BBC news signature tune. A french police siren will never sound the same, after watching Bill Bailey.
Dylan Moran was more of an unknown to me, however, I recognised him from the movie Notting Hill, and I was amused, that he who played a book thief in Hugh Grant's travel bookshop, would go on to play the owner of a bookshop himself. If you love angry, gruff, alcoholic irishmen, then you really need to see this! Dylan have two stand up DVD's out in the UK.
Then there's Tamsin Greig. I knew nothng about her before seeing this, but she really grabs you. Intense and brooding, she is so far removed from any females in any american sitcoms, it's a treat just to watch her. If you can't get enough of her, I really recommend the later series she made in the UK; Green Wing.
If you get this, I can promise you lots of belly laughs, as Bernard Black turns poor Manny into a suffering slave. You'll see customers treated so bad, they would WISH they were stuck in Kevin Smiths Clerks, just so they could have a break. Can't come up with a good reason to open a bottle of cheap wine? Well, there should be enough suggestions on this set of DVD's!
Fans of Simon Pegg's Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, wouldn't want to miss the 3rd season opener, where Manny meets a whole different breed of boss.
So, what are you doing reading this? Click on 'ADD TO CART' now!!!
Rating: 5:
Enter Black Books at risk of hurting yourself laughing too hard!!! : There is a cluster, in want for a better word, of new era comedians in UK. All of wich have their brilliance and to the point timing in common.
Somehow they cross breed and spill into each others shows and universes and it is marvellous!!!
Black Books, the rebellous and sometimes intimidatingly funny brainchild of Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey is a contemporary classic!
The third season also has such talent as Simon Pegg and that bloke from Big Train (sorry, but his name always escapes me!}and they add yet more flavor to the already heady brew, wich is Black Books.
This is the thinking man's and woman's sit-com. Sheer indulgence in litterary reference, and of course utter gibberish, in it's execution!
I love it!!!
Yet, there is nothing excluding or elite about it. You don't have to have A'levels to get great humour.
This is something for everyone. And that isn't always a good line, when used in reviews. (I think thas was written on the case of the Pearl Harbour DVD, bleurgh!!}But in this case it is a great compliment.
After discovering Black Books, I went on to How do you want me?, Spaced and Green Wing. All of wich I liked very much, if for different reasons.
I also gave Shaun of the dead and Hot Fuzz a shot and they are great. And naturally, the many stand-up shows available of Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey, all of wich are far more efficient than Xanax or Prozac, when you suffer from a mild bout of depression.
So the spill over effect rules!
Pleaes, Dylan Moran, can we have a forth season of Black Books? Please, please, please?!!!!
Rating: 5:
VERY FUNNY : Hilarious! Bernard Black is so fowl and Fran is so selfish. The only nice one of them all is Manny. This tv-series is brilliant. You just can't stop laughing. 5 out of 5.
Rating: 5:
brilliant : ...i bought this after my sister recommended it to me. i love green wing and spaced and i found this series to be better than both of these. very funny and well worth the money....
Rating: 5:
Brilliant Black Books! (awesome alliteration too) : Black Books is a work of brilliance unlike many comedies such as Father Ted, incidentaly one of the writers of that co-wrote Black Books, you can watch Black Books again and again. There are some genuinely genius moments such as the 'making of the wine' in series 1 episode 2 and Manny working at the rival book shop in series 3 -and full of laughs in between! Simply put if you enjoy comedies or like the work of the comedienns in this you should definitely buy it!
Buy "Black Books Complete Box Set" now!