Black Books
Black Books is a British sitcom created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan, and written by Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley, Linehan and Arthur Mathews. It was broadcast on Channel 4, running for three series from 2000 to 2004. Starring Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig, the series is set in the eponymous London bookshop and follows the lives of its owner Bernard Black (Moran), his assistant Manny Bianco (Bailey) and their friend Fran Katzenjammer (Greig). The series was produced by Big Talk Productions, in association with Channel 4.
| Black Books | |
|---|---|
Title screen featuring the front of Black Books. | |
| Genre | Sitcom Surrealism |
| Created by | Dylan Moran Graham Linehan |
| Written by | Dylan Moran Kevin Cecil Andy Riley Graham Linehan Arthur Mathews |
| Starring | Dylan Moran Bill Bailey Tamsin Greig |
| Composer | Jonathan Whitehead |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 18 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | William Burdett-Coutts |
| Producers | Nira Park Julian Meers |
| Editors | Paul Machliss Nick Ames |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company | Big Talk |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 29 September 2000 – 15 April 2004 |
The show was produced in a multiple-camera setup, and was primarily filmed at Teddington Studios in Teddington, London, with exterior scenes filmed on location on Leigh Street and the surrounding areas in Bloomsbury, London. The first episode was broadcast on 29 September 2000 and a total of three series were made, the final episode airing on 15 April 2004.
Black Books was a critical success, winning awards, including two BAFTAs (for Best Situation Comedy in 2001 and 2005) and a Bronze Rose at the Festival Rose d'Or.