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Black Books

Started by madhair60, May 15, 2020, 11:55:25 AM

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madhair60

taking aside the fact that it was made by the worst person in the world, what do you think of Black Books nowadays?

crankshaft

I love it. It gets better once King Lesbian Defender moves on after season one, and I would have said that even before he revealed himself to be the biggest cunt in the universe. Whilst the characters are hardly deep, the strange parental relationship between Bernard and Manny is hilarious and all the leads are brilliant.

DrGreggles

Yep, it's fantastic.
One of the things that my missus had never heard of and took great delight in being able to ntroduce her to it.
Definitely due a rewatch.

Malcy

Great show. The piano episode is probably my favourite. That and the ep where Manny can't reach a certain temperature because I'm not far off ending up the same as him when it's too warm.

Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse

Oh I watch it over and over. I love Bernard's mad rants.

"We will make a feast for many! This paint! This paint will make a tasty dish. My oven can cook anything! My oven can cook... bits of oven!"

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I always preferred the first series, although that could just be because I watched it a load of times on video before I saw the second series. I've not watched any of it in ages, so maybe I wouldn't notice any difference now.

Noodle Lizard

It holds up pretty well, I think. It hasn't aged as poorly as some of its counterparts (Spaced, for instance) and it inspires a proper nostalgia for that turn-of-the-millennium London where smoking and drinking excessively was all fine, and proper outcasts/oddballs were celebrated. If anything, I think it retroactively benefited somewhat from losing Linehan after season one - you can spot Moran's writing a mile off, and it's often the best element of the dialogue. It's a shame he seems to have abandoned writing for TV - or film, for that matter.

I'm not sure what the consensus is regarding what the best season is, but it was consistently strong throughout. Each of them have a slightly duff episode or two, but nothing appalling, and the final season leads with one of the best episodes (the one with Simon Pegg as the manager of Goliath Books, which may be his best performance).

Yeah it's good.

Pink Gregory

Do people tend to write off Fran because of her odd fit around Bernard/Manny? 

I have a great love for "I do sell a lot of wank, don't I."

checkoutgirl

Quote from: crankshaft on May 15, 2020, 12:10:24 PM
It gets better once King Lesbian Defender moves on after season one

I think the opposite.

Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse

Quote from: Pink Gregory on May 15, 2020, 12:38:35 PM
Do people tend to write off Fran because of her odd fit around Bernard/Manny? 

I have a great love for "I do sell a lot of wank, don't I."
"Hello Sun" is one of my favourites because of Fran's flirtation with yoga. And her inevitable abandonment of same.

"What's wrong with fucking peas? So I told her to stick it up her chakras. And now she's not talking to me. Come on, open the bloody wine!"

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Pink Gregory on May 15, 2020, 12:38:35 PM
Do people tend to write off Fran because of her odd fit around Bernard/Manny? 

I have a great love for "I do sell a lot of wank, don't I."

She has a lot of great moments, but her storylines were rarely the best and often distracted from whatever was going on with Bernard/Manny. The best episodes often involved her being part of their storyline (the piano or holiday ones, for instance), whereas the one with her meeting her extended family really slows down an otherwise good episode.

alan nagsworth

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on May 15, 2020, 12:37:27 PM
the final season leads with one of the best episodes (the one with Simon Pegg as the manager of Goliath Books, which may be his best performance).

Wholeheartedly agree. Every line and every mad physical gesture from Pegg in that episode is spectacular. Even the little bits, like when Evan asks Manny for "a little chat-ette" and Manny responds "fine-a-mundo", Evan gives this impressed little smile/nod in return which I love.

Pink Gregory

Never had to opportunity to name my own login as 'Surf King'

Cuellar

Quote from: Pink Gregory on May 15, 2020, 12:38:35 PM
Do people tend to write off Fran because of her odd fit around Bernard/Manny? 

I have a great love for "I do sell a lot of wank, don't I."

Her saying in a chipper up beat way that quickly fades 'OH Would you just look at these...breasts' while she's on the date with the lol gay man lol is one of those comedy bits that has made its way into my inner monologue.

Pink Gregory

"I'm a giant ear, waiting for your words of niceness..."

magval

Whole first series is on Channel 4 tonight.

One of my favourite shows ever, I think about the two Fran lines mentioned above all the time as well. I've often thought about the fact it's rarely mentioned on here, but never wanted to bring it up in case everyone hated it.

jsgibble

Kind of weird at first, picks up in series 2 and 3 when there's more storylines to do with the book shop / books, so the setting doesn't feel as oddly uninviting as it does initially.

Probably peaks at the first two episodes of series 3. It's not great by any stretch, but it's fine.

alan nagsworth

Quote from: Cuellar on May 15, 2020, 01:53:48 PM
Her saying in a chipper up beat way that quickly fades 'OH Would you just look at these...breasts' while she's on the date with the lol gay man lol is one of those comedy bits that has made its way into my inner monologue.

Ah yes, I was wondering what it was about remembering this show that made me cringe, and it is Fran's plot in this episode. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was problematic but it's just shit. The lolz-worthy antics of a gay man stuck in the closet written badly by two straight men.

SavageHedgehog

First series was great, second was noticeably weaker, third was somewhere inbetween.

Love every episode. My favourite is the one where Bernard gets locked out of the store.

Twit 2

There was a little man!

First season the best, or at least the most quotable.

Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse

Quote from: Pearly-Dewdrops Drops on May 15, 2020, 02:33:09 PM
Love every episode. My favourite is the one where Bernard gets locked out of the store.
"Coke's off! Have some extra chips!"

Pink Gregory

Thecurity, Thecurity, Thecurity.

DrGreggles


Jerzy Bondov

That episode also has Peter Serafinowicz in one of his greatest roles. My friend Fran no doubt wishes I'd never watched this.
Fran?? My God, what are you doing here?
Hey, you look Fran-tastic!

checkoutgirl

Quote from: Pearly-Dewdrops Drops on May 15, 2020, 02:33:09 PM
Love every episode. My favourite is the one where Bernard gets locked out of the store.

Yeah that's a good'un. The bit where he gets specific about the jazz video he's looking for in that shop and the bloke is Finsbury Park off Harry Hill.

magval

Ovverwise the kids start calling the lionth prickth

Pink Gregory

Sorry, I couldn't understand you because of your mincing lisp.

buttgammon

Every time I'm boiling an egg, I think about the bit where Bernard slags Manny off for arranging his toast soldiers in rank order.

Dewt