Scripted series · Channel 4
Black Books
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Dylan Moran
Bernard
18 eps
Bill Bailey
Manny
18 eps
Tamsin Greig
Fran
18 eps
Keith Allen
Dave 'Mouse Ear' Smith
1 eps
Craig Parkinson
Martin the Tout
1 eps
Jiggy Bhore
Light Holiday Customer
1 eps
Justin Edwards
Poker Customer
1 eps
Su Elliot
Betting Clerk
1 eps
Jane Janovic
American Customer's Wife
1 eps
Steve Lately
Poker Player
1 eps
Huggy Leaver
Poker Player
1 eps
Martin Freeman
Doctor
1 eps
Kevin Eldon
Cleaner
1 eps
Chris Larner
Freddie
1 eps
Omid Djalili
Trebor
1 eps
David Walliams
Customer
1 eps
Sophie Stanton
Policewoman
1 eps
Mark Aiken
Ben
1 eps
Elizabeth Marmur
Sarah
1 eps
Hugh Parker
Gerald
1 eps
Angela Curran
Policewoman
1 eps
Liam Hess
Jimbo
1 eps
Evie Garratt
Old Woman
1 eps
Colin McFarlane
Inspector Norris
1 eps
Terry Bird
Noggsy
1 eps
Peter Serafinowicz
Howell Granger
1 eps
Nick Frost
Security System Man
1 eps
Tony Bluto
Nick Voleur
1 eps
Stephen Boswell
Priest
1 eps
John MacNeill
Policeman
1 eps
Jeillo Edwards
Midwife
1 eps
Michael Parkhouse
Mr. Blackbelly
1 eps
Eamonn O'Neill
Jehovah's Witness
1 eps
James O'Neill
Jehovah's Witness
1 eps
Muriel Pavlow
Old Woman
1 eps
Rupert Vansittart
Rich Guy
1 eps
Jack Pierce
Hooligan
1 eps
Dominic Carter
Hooligan
1 eps
David Cann
Eddie
1 eps
Rhys Thomas
Student
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Black Books actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Black Books reads strongest on Bingeability, Humour and Character Depth.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
The story
What it's about
Black Books centres around the foul tempered and wildly eccentric bookshop owner Bernard Black. Bernard’s devotion to the twin pleasures of drunkenness and wilful antagonism deepens and enriches both his life and that of Manny, his assistant. Bearded, sweet and good, Manny is everything that Bernard isn’t and is punished by Bernard relentlessly just for the crime of existing. They depend on each other for meaning as Fran, their oldest friend, depends on them for distraction.
Black Books is a haven of books, wine and conversation, the only threat to the group’s peace and prosperity is their own limitless stupidity.
The run
Seasons
3 seasons · 18 episodes.
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
200013 episodes
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
20006 episodes
7.7IMDbMeet Bernard Black, a foul tempered and eccentric bookshop owner who loves his books but hates his customers. Manny is Bernard's long-suffering assistant and Fran is the owner of the gift shop next door to Black Books. Black Books explores Manny and Fran's efforts to ensure Bernard has some contact with the outside world and charts the comical consequences of their efforts.
Best episode · S01E05 The Big Lock-Out
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
20026 episodes
7.5IMDbIn season two, Bernard is convinced the Manny is mad; Manny worries about the reliability of his magic hot water bottle and uses his underworld connections to help find Fran a job. Fran struggles to find her inner karma in-between trying to find her cigarettes and making excuses to have another drink. Under the constant threat from the nasty, unfeeling outside world, Bernard, Manny and Fran attempt to maintain the heaven of the bookshop even as their own relentless stupidity pushes them towards mayhem.
Best episode · S02E01 The Entertainer
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
20046 episodes
7.6IMDbBernard Black is back for a third season of his multi-award winning and critically acclaimed comedy. Black Books continues to explore the musing and time-wasting techniques of raddled proprietor Bernard Black, his shy, multi-challenged assistant Manny Bianco and their underachieving friend Fran Katzenjammer.
Best episode · S03E02 Elephants and Hens
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E05
The Big Lock-Out
The shop gets a new security system that no-one can work.
- Directed by Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
- Written by Graham Linehan, Dylan Moran
S03E02
Elephants and Hens
When Bernard holds a children's themed book day in the shop, Fran bets Manni and Bernard they couldn't write a children's book over a weekend, while Bernard bets Fran back that she will have an awful time at her friend's hen party.
- Directed by Martin Dennis
- Written by Dylan Moran, Andy Riley
S01E02
Manny's First Day
After Manny’s help with the tax return Bernard is persuaded to hire him in the shop. Unfortunately he actually sells some books, much to Bernard’s annoyance.
- Directed by Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
- Written by Graham Linehan, Dylan Moran
S01E01
Cooking the Books
Bernard’s dodgy accountant has to go on the run, leaving him ill prepared to fill out his own tax return. In fact Bernard would rather do anything than fill it out.
- Directed by Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
- Written by Graham Linehan, Dylan Moran
S02E01
The Entertainer
Fran decides to take up piano lessons with a very prominent teacher, however all doesn't go to plan and she ends up having to ask Manni for a favour. Meanwhile Bernard asks a girl out and once again Manni is called upon for a favour.
- Directed by Martin Dennis
- Written by Dylan Moran
S01E03
Grapes of Wrath
Bernard and Manny accept a house-sitting job to get away from their new cleaner. They also drink some wine.
- Directed by Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
- Written by Graham Linehan, Dylan Moran
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S00E05
Bernard's Letter
S00E03
Series Three Outtakes
S03E06
Party
- Directed by Martin Dennis
- Written by Dylan Moran, Andy Riley
S03E05
Travel Writer
- Directed by Martin Dennis
- Written by Dylan Moran, Andy Riley
S03E04
A Little Flutter
- Directed by Martin Dennis
- Written by Dylan Moran, Andy Riley
S03E03
Moo-Ma and Moo-Pa
- Directed by Martin Dennis
- Written by Dylan Moran, Andy Riley
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Created by
- Graham LinehanCreator
- Dylan MoranCreator
Executive production
- Nira ParkProducer
- William Burdett-CouttsExecutive Producer
Writing
- Graham LinehanWriter
- Arthur MathewsWriter
- Dylan MoranWriter
- Andy RileyWriter
- Kevin CecilWriter
Direction
- Graham LinehanDirector
- Nick WoodDirector
- Martin DennisDirector
Cinematography
- John RosenbergDirector of Photography
- Andy HollisDirector of Photography
Music
- Jonathan WhiteheadOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- fuboTVStreaming
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