Black Books? More Like Crack Hooks!

[spectralbovine]

After enjoying The IT Crowd, I decided it was finally time to check out earlier Graham Linehan creation Black Books, which I had heard about for years from Dylan Moran fans foresthouse and dachelle and other Anglophiles. I heard that it was better and less sexist!

Black Books takes place at the titular Black Books, owned by Bernard Black. Bernard hates everything.

Comments

[pica_scribit]

Bernard hates everything. No, seriously, he hates everything.

Not true! He loves alcohol!

I did have some trouble suspending my disbelief at the store's very existence as a financially viable operation, given how Bernard treats his customers and how little he seems to know about running a business.

Have you been in used book stores? I don't know how some of them survive, especially the weird little ones with irregular hours, or that are "by appointment only".

In contrast to Bernard the misanthrope, we have Manny Bianco, who is incredibly cheerful but ludicrously incompetent.

It just this moment occurred to me that Bianco means "white", so Manny is the literal opposite of Bernard Black.

Tamsin Greig gives Fran an awkward likability. It helps that unlike Jen from The IT Crowd, she actually feels like a real person instead of a female stereotype.

I have such a crush on Tamsin Greig after watching this show. What is wrong with me? Her character is totally dysfunctional.

[spectralbovine]

It just this moment occurred to me that Bianco means "white", so Manny is the literal opposite of Bernard Black.
HA!

I have such a crush on Tamsin Greig after watching this show. What is wrong with me? Her character is totally dysfunctional.
Have you seen Green Wing or Episodes?

[pica_scribit]

I have not. Where can I find them?

[spectralbovine]

Torrents? If you can't find Green Wing, I have it all downloaded. It also features a practically unrecognizable Mark Heap. Episodes is on Showtime, and the second season just finished. It's been renewed for a third. Should be easy to find. Both shows are good for feeding a Tamsin Greig crush! (Episodes is a Green Wing reunion of sorts, as it also features Stephen Mangan.)

[sea_of_tethys]

So have you seen Father Ted yet?

[spectralbovine]

No.

[sea_of_tethys]

You might well like it -- there's generally a lot of overlap between people who like Black Books/other Linehan stuff and people who like Father Ted.

[spectralbovine]

I'm not really interested in the subject matter or the cast, so it's not high up on my list, but maybe one day. It does come up every now and then.

[sophia_helix]

That is exactly how we ask for a pickle in my house, with that enraptured giggle. (IMDB is wrong, you are right.)

[notemily]

I died laughing when he swallowed the book and turned into Calm Jesus.

[taraljc]

I ♥ Bernard SO MUCH OMG. And his hair, which is an entity unto itself.

[sophia_helix]

Once I wrote Tris birthday fic about her and Bernard Black. She claims he is her spirit animal.