Black Books

10 people you almost didn't recognise in Black Books

Nina Conti as Bernard's true love, Green Wing's Julian Rhind-Tutt as the adventurer/author Fran falls for, Peter Serafinowicz's deep voice, Johnny Vegas as the sleazy landlord, or Rob Brydon as Fran's new boss. Did you notice these...?

Bill Bailey reflects on 15 years of Black Books

Not to make you feel old, but Black Books turns 15 today. That's right, every slob and pessimist's hero Bernard Black first emerged on our TV screens back on September 29, 2000 on Channel 4.

James Cary's Top 10 Sitcoms, #8: Black Books

I don't feel that Father Ted is one of 'my shows'. But I'm more possessive about a show in the same vein: Black Books. When I saw trailer for it, I thought 'Yup, I'm going to love that. Dylan Moran is funny. Bill Bailey is very funny. And that Tamsin lady looks like a find. Hoorah.'

I was not disappointed.

Binging: Black Books

I wasn't alone in my Black Books obsession, my best friend Jen was happily stuck right in there with me. We'd not think twice about spending our university days watching the series over and over and over again, only pausing to make more tea and fetch more biscuits.

The double Bafta-winning sitcom from the early Noughties is available in its entirety to watch on Channel 4's on-demand site. Dylan Moran is at his sardonic best as an anti-social bookshop owner, while Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig star as his less misanthropic, equally eccentric friends.

Celebrating Black Books' best episodes

Though it's been absent from our screens since 2004, Black Books remains one of the most memorable comedies of recent years, as much for its wonderful characters as for its endlessly quotable scripts.

Jay Lafferty on her comedy hero Dylan Moran

Why Moran's Bernard Black is 'the poster boy for the manchild'.

Dylan Moran - B4 Black Books

While the idea for the decidedly three-dimensional character of Bernard Black from Black Books (drinking, smoking and reading) came from the genius minds of Moran and Linehan, what many British situation comedy fans may not remember is that Dylan Moran got his first major television role several years prior to Black Books in a series called, How Do You Want Me?

'Black Books': Tube talk gold

Two weeks back, Tube Talk Gold fondly remembered Channel 4's Father Ted - the first big television hit for writer Graham Linehan. But Linehan's contribution to great British comedy didn't end there - in 2000, he teamed with stand-up comic Dylan Moran to unleash another brilliant comic creation...

Graham Linehan Night, More4

Graham Linehan's comedies are wonderfully surreal and self-evidently funny, but it's the warm-heartedness at the heart of Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd that makes them endlessly rewatchable. Of course, it's a quality that makes them a sound choice at this time of recumbent vegetation, and so here More4 does the decent thing and not only screens Black Books - the demented Dylan Moran/Bill Bailey-starring series about despotic bookshop proprietor Bernard Black - but also follows it up with episodes from Linehan's other offerings. More enjoyable madness follows tomorrow.