Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-08-14
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 426 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review

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

DVD Description

From Graham Linehan, co-writer of 'Father Ted', comes Black Books--a new cult comedy set in a second hand bookshop. Dylan Moran stars as the bohemian--and frequently drunk--owner who has one major problem with his line of work: he hates customers. Help is soon at hand, however, in the form of mild-mannered Manny (Bill Bailey), who proves to be something of a star at selling books, and Fran (Tamsin Greig), who owns the shop next door...

Series 1 episodes: 1. Cooking The Books 2. Manny First Day 3.The Grapes Of Wrath 4. The Blackout 5. The Big Lock-Out 6. He's Leaving Home

Series 2 episodes: 1. The Entertainer 2. Fever 3. The Fixer 4. Blood 5. Hello Sun 6. Nice Change

Series 3 espisodes: 1. Manny Come Home 2. Elephants And Hens 3. Moo-ma And Moo-pa 4. A Little Flutter 5. The Travel Writer 6. Party

Synopsis

The Black Books - Complete Box Set DVD contains every episode from the first three series of Black Books--an hilarious series which follows the adventures of bookshop owner Bernard (Dylan Moran), his assistant Manny (Bill Bailey), and Fran (Tamsin Greig) who works in a new age shop next door. In this entertaining and surreal comedy, Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey make a great double act, delivering the tightly written script (by Moran and Father Ted, co-writer Graham Linehan) with consummate ease. Meanwhile, in the role of Fran, Tamsin Greig does an admirable job of diffusing the tensions which arise between Bernard and Manny.

Customer Reviews

Nowhere near as good as it could/should be
This is quite poor tv. The concept is good but the actual delivery is not.
I had never seen the programme before on tv, I live in Spain and depend on recommendations from others who live in the UK to tell me what is good: This time it was a recommendation from Amazon itself - thanks Amazon!! Actually I view this programme as I would the 'embarassing friend' in a pub, ie -'Please stop'!!!! As another reviewer has said there are a few good jokes and sketches, but that is about it!!!!!

Undeniable, and yet underachieving
I watch Black Books and really want to love it. In fairness it's not that hard, there are some excellent gags with terrific ideas and randomness that makes the characters ever lovable, but when watching the episodes as a whole they often feel disjointed and lack a certain flow of plot that its main comparisons (Blackadder) thrived on.

The Box Set contains series 1, 2, and 3. There are a few extras but arn't really worth concerning yourself with. It is clear, after watching every episode, that Graham Lineham is the main force behind a continued plot from which humor is strung. Addmittedly in the first episode it fells very much like a pilot or a pilot hybrid; a little jerky and a little likes it trying just that bit too hard to stay on its feet. But after this episode, the first series takes off; with hilareous moments and terrific ideas hitting you like an avalanche of books.

Unfortunatly, as far as I am aware, Graham Lineham had little or not input into the latter two series'. Certainly it becomes clear that the flow has been lost, and episodes tend to be a loose string of gags around a rough and often unutilised plot. Some of the episodes (imparticular ones written soley by Dylan Moran) seemed almost boring.
Of course this isn't a gosbal statement. I'm saying the latter two series are not funny (Blood from series two has some excellent character moments, while the first two episode of series three are two of the best) or that the comedy as a whole is bad, in fact it's good (three stars), I just feel that the often jerky episodes and annoying character actions (in particluar Fran - played by Tamsin Greig - gets to be a royal pain in the arse) let it down, and don't make the Comedy quite as great as many people want it to be (and I can understand that; hello, it's got Dylan Morn AND Bill Baily in it!).

But it, it's good, but only buy it if it's less than twenty pound; I honestly can't warrent spending more.

Pefection!
I watched the first episode on youtube and then impulse-bought this (unbelievably good value) boxset! Worth every penny, I watched virtually the whole lot in one sitting! Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Grieg are comedy geniuses.

'Don't you dare use party as a verb in this shop!!'