DVD Review

Details

Black Books : Series 2 (R2)

2 Hours 24 Minutes

Cast

Dylan Moran Bernard Black
Bill Bailey Manny Bianco
Tamsin Greig Fran Katzenjammer

Synopsis

Bernard Black is the owner of Black Books. Trouble is, he has one major draw back when it comes to running a shop - he hates people, especially his customers! 

Film
Bernard Black is a booze hound. He also runs his own bookshop selling both new and used book. It's one of those grubby and damp smelling book shops you find a the back of the town in the low rent area or in quaint tourist areas where loud mouthed American tourists hunt for anything to do with Shakespeare. Trouble is, Bernard is not the best shop keeper in the world as he hates people with a passion. And there's nothing like a customer to really spoil his day and totally cheese him off. His only friends are drink and, if he can call them such, Manny and Fran. 
Manny Bianco is Bernard's hairy assistant. Without him Black Books would have surely gone out of business. But it's not as if Manny really wanted to venture into the book business, but his stressed out office job and a chance meeting with a Bernard during one of his heavier drinking sessions found him working at the book store. Although Bernard remembered nothing about his job offer he begrudgingly sticks with Manny and as often as his intolerable moods cause Manny to resign he always finds his way back to the shop the following day. Manny is the karma to Bernard's otherwise insane world.
Fran Katzenjammer use to own the gift shop next door and her presence in the shop causes both Bernard's and Manny's hormones to rage. Although Fran more than competes with Bernard in the crazy stakes, she at least craves some sort of social life and boyfriend, even if her best efforts usually end up in ritual humiliation. But with her business no more, Fran has more time on her hands to explore her inner self and ably assist Bernard in the consumption of large amounts alcohol.
Black Books Series Two contains the all six episodes from the series:
  • The Entertainer Ever keen to distract herself, Fran takes up piano. Ever keen to delude himself, Bernard falls in love. All Manny wants is a break. But genius finds no rest as Fran lies to a sweet old blind man and Bernard the recluse deceives his adoring public. But only one person can play the piano, and it isn't Bernard or Fran.
  • Fever Fran can’t sleep in the heat. Bernard needs a girlfriend to stop him staring. And Manny can’t say what will happen if it gets to 88 degrees. Bernard helps Fran by brushing up on the law and finds himself a ‘summer bunny’. And Manny is worried about the reliability of his magic hot water bottle.
  • The Fixer Manny uses his underworld connections to find Fran mysterious employment. In return all Bernard and he have to do is educate a psychopath. But will they succeed in teaching dodgy Danny to read? And how does Bernard feel at the prospect of losing his thumbs?
  • Blood Unemployed and restless, Fran takes comfort in the discovery of her exotic new found cousins. In pursuit of Michelin stars, Manny and Bernard transform the infested bookshop into a restaurant. But nothing can stop the creatures taking over the shop and Fran feels the weight of the family sausage.
  • Hello Sun Fran tries to discover her inner karma at the advise of her disapproving vegetarian friend Eva. Bernard finds proof positive that Manny is mad. And Manny discovers a new found confidence and his ‘inner king’.
  • A Nice Change Bernard and Manny can’t hear themselves argue because of the builders working 24 hours a day next door. Fran suggests a holiday. But how will the three of them fare when they attempt to venture abroad together?
The picture quality is a bit of a mixed bag really. Whilst is is of a reasonable quality, with an above average bit-rate throughout and with no problems with artifacting or outlining, I was still expecting something much better than what has been produced for this DVD. Ok, so it's a widescreen presentation and it's slightly better than the television broadcast, but it's still rather washed out and devoid of any real colour depth. Part of the problem could be the studio setting and brighter lighting, especially since the exterior scenes are much better, but I also suspect that the budget played a big part in it to.
Because Black Books is a standard sitcom broadcast on terrestrial television all that is provided here is the standard stereo soundtrack. Never the less, the dialogue is clear and precise and other than that there's nothing of any real note to report.
After getting past the trailer for other Channel 4 comedy series the main menu is pleasantly animated and scored with a strange, but imaginatively created, montage of weird face pulling and slapstick from the series. From the main menu you can then either play all or select an individual episode or access the extras features menu which contains another montage of clips from the series.
Fans of the series are going to be very pleased with extras. As with the first series, each episode is accompanied with a commentary from the cast. Whilst it's not one the most informative audio tracks you'll come across it is still well worth a listen as they all have a good laugh as they ramble their way through each episode.
Whilst certain outtakes sections can be as funny as a kidney stone, the 11 minutes of outtakes are just hilarious (especially the problems with the post-it notes) and it's also just as easy to see how much fun the cast were having during filming. Next up is a rather bizarre, but not particularly out of place for the series, 5 minute Black Dolls feature where the three cast members voice a couple of rag dolls as they venture to the outside world. Definitely one to watch after a visit to the pub.
Although touted as a Photo Gallery this extra is in fact around a minutes worth of pictures presented as a slide show. Some pictures are behind the scenes clips whilst others appear to be just from the series. Not that interesting really. Things are all rounded off with the trailer, although it appears to be the trailer for series one.
Yet again Channel 4 comes up with another home grown comedy to challenge them all. If you enjoyed Spaced and Father Ted has you in stitches, then you're sure to enjoy this series which is a strange and warped cross between the two. Father Ted still has the edge over this series, and to be honest the fresher first series is slightly better than the second, but if you like your comedy to be surreal, or have often wondered about the strange British sense of humour, then you can't go wrong with Black Books.

Extras
  • Audio Commentary
  • Outtakes
  • Black Dolls
  • Photo Gallery
  • Trailer
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Reviewed by: Simon.
DD
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