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Black Books

2000–2004 · Comedy · 3 seasons · ★ 8.1

EndedChannel 4
▶ Watch TrailerWhere to WatchSeasons

Synopsis of Black Books

Bernard Black owns a small bookshop in London that bears his name, in the Bloomsbury neighborhood. He is an aggressive, misanthropic man who would rather smoke, drink and read than serve customers, whom he treats with contempt, and he would let a sale slip away rather than talk to anyone. His assistant, Manny Bianco, is enthusiastic and works hard to keep the business running. On the other side of the wall, his old friend Fran Katzenjammer, a nervous, neurotic woman, runs a gift shop. Created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan for Channel 4, the series follows these three characters as the bookshop struggles to survive and they clash with each other and with an outside world that Bernard loathes.

3seasons
18episodes
28 minper episode
8.1audience scoreTMDB · 652 votes
8.4IMDb rating64,850 votes

Seasons of Black Books

Season 1Season 12000 · 6 ep. · ★ 7.6Season 2Season 22002 · 6 ep. · ★ 7.5Season 3Season 32004 · 6 ep. · ★ 7.6

Cast by Black Books

Dylan MoranDylan MoranBernard18 episodes
Bill BaileyBill BaileyManny18 episodes
Tamsin GreigTamsin GreigFran18 episodes
Ben HomewoodBen HomewoodMonk2 episodes
Daisy CampbellJulie2 episodes
Paul BeechCustomer2 episodes
Graham LinehanGraham LinehanBook Lover2 episodes
Keith AllenKeith AllenDave 'Mouse Ear' SmithEpisode 1
Craig ParkinsonCraig ParkinsonMartin the ToutEpisode 1
Jiggy BhoreLight Holiday CustomerEpisode 1
Justin EdwardsJustin EdwardsPoker CustomerEpisode 1
Su ElliotBetting ClerkEpisode 1
Jane JanovicAmerican Customer's WifeEpisode 1
Steve LatelyPoker PlayerEpisode 1
Huggy LeaverPoker PlayerEpisode 1
Martin FreemanMartin FreemanDoctorEpisode 1
Kevin EldonKevin EldonCleanerEpisode 1
Chris LarnerFreddieEpisode 1
Omid DjaliliOmid DjaliliTreborEpisode 1
David WalliamsDavid WalliamsCustomerEpisode 1
Sophie StantonPolicewomanEpisode 1
Mark AikenBenEpisode 1
Elizabeth MarmurElizabeth MarmurSarahEpisode 1
Hugh ParkerHugh ParkerGeraldEpisode 1
Angela CurranAngela CurranPolicewomanEpisode 1
Liam HessLiam HessJimboEpisode 1
Evie GarrattOld WomanEpisode 1
Colin McFarlaneColin McFarlaneInspector NorrisEpisode 1
Terry BirdTerry BirdNoggsyEpisode 1
Peter SerafinowiczPeter SerafinowiczHowell GrangerEpisode 1
Nick FrostNick FrostSecurity System ManEpisode 1
Tony BlutoNick VoleurEpisode 1
Stephen BoswellStephen BoswellPriestEpisode 1
John MacNeillJohn MacNeillPolicemanEpisode 1
Jeillo EdwardsMidwifeEpisode 1
Michael ParkhouseMr. BlackbellyEpisode 1
Eamonn O'NeillJehovah's WitnessEpisode 1
James O'NeillJehovah's WitnessEpisode 1
Muriel PavlowMuriel PavlowOld WomanEpisode 1
Rupert VansittartRupert VansittartRich GuyEpisode 1

Technical Details

Created by
Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan
Address
Martin Dennis, Nick Wood, Graham Linehan
Writing
Dylan Moran, Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews
Music
Jonathan Whitehead
Photography
Andy Hollis, John Rosenberg
Production
Nira Park
Executive Producer
William Burdett-Coutts
Production companies
Channel 4 Television, Assembly Film and Television, Big Talk Studios
Network or Platform
Channel 4
Country
United Kingdom
Original Language
English
Premiere
September 29, 2000
Last Episode
April 15, 2004 (3x06)
Status
Ended
Type
Fiction
Awards
Won 2 BAFTA Awards; 3 wins and 3 nominations in total.
Links
IMDb · TMDB · Official Website

Trivia about Black Books

The pilot shown in 1998 featured Manny with the surname Zimmerman, a nod to Bob Dylan, and Fran as Valerie, a philosophy professor.
Graham Linehan, co-writer of Father Ted, joined the show after seeing the pilot and Moran performing in Dublin, on the suggestion of producer William Burdett-Coutts.
Moran saw secondhand bookshops as businesses doomed to fail, and that led to the idea of making Bernard their owner.
The exterior shots of the bookshop were filmed in front of a real, smaller bookshop called Collinge & Clark, on Leigh Street.
In Channel 4's poll of The World's Greatest Comedy Characters, Bernard ranked number 19. The show placed 58 out of 100 in the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom poll in 2004.
In 2015, Moran told Digital Spy he flatly ruled out a return of the show and said he would never do a studio-based sitcom again.
After winning the BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy with its first series, two more were commissioned; Dylan Moran chose to end it after the third to keep it at its best.

Sources: Wikipedia (English)

Trailer for Black Books

Black Books Trailer

Where to Watch Black Books

It is currently not available on the major streaming platforms.

Cast of Black Books in other movies and series

Bill BaileyManny
Nanny McPhee and the Big BangMovieSkinsSeriesThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyMovieSpacedSeries
Tamsin GreigFran
ElementarySeriesDoctor WhoSeries
Keith AllenDave 'Mouse Ear' Smith
Kingsman: The Golden CircleMovieEddie the EagleMovieDeath in ParadiseSeriesThe OthersMovieTrainspottingMovie

Top-Rated Episodes

  1. 1x05 The Big Lock-Out ★ 8.1
  2. 3x02 Elephants and Hens ★ 8.1
  3. 2x01 The Entertainer ★ 7.9
  4. 1x03 Grapes of Wrath ★ 7.7
  5. 2x02 Fever ★ 7.7

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many seasons does Black Books have?

Black Books has 3 seasons and 18 episodes in total.

Where to watch Black Books?

Ahora mismo Black Books no está en las principales plataformas de streaming por suscripción (la oferta puede variar según el país). Se emitió originalmente en Channel 4.

Has Black Books ended?

Yes. Black Books has ended, and its final episode aired on April 15, 2004.

Who is in Black Books?

The main cast includes Dylan Moran (Bernard), Bill Bailey (Manny), Tamsin Greig (Fran) and Ben Homewood (Monk).

Who created Black Books?

Black Books was created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan.

How long does it take to watch all of Black Books?

With episodes of about 28 minutes, watching all 18 episodes takes approximately 8 hours.

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