Black Books

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Fandom
Name: Black Books
Abbreviation(s):
Creator: Dylan Moran & Graham Linehan
Date(s): First Aired September 2000 - April 2004
Medium: Television
Country of Origin: UK
External Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Books
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Black Books is a British sitcom set in a badly-run second-hand bookshop in London. Bernard Black (Dylan Moran), the owner of the shop, is a chain smoking, misanthropic alcoholic who despises the very existence of customers. His friends Manny (Bill Bailey) and Fran (Tamsin Greig) are barely more functional. Much of the series' humour derives from the juxtaposition of Bernard's eternal bitterness and Manny's more innocent eccentricity. While Fran is seemingly the most normal of the three, her awkward reactions to other characters and social situations quickly show that she is strange in her own right, and her drinking and smoking habits are a match for Bernard's own.

Fandom

Black Books is a popular subject of crossover fics, since the strangeness of the characters provides a good comedic foil for characters from almost any other fandom. Crossovers with the Sherlock series are particularly popular, due to a widely shared headcanon that Bernard is the "black sheep" of the Holmes family, a cousin or even a brother to Sherlock and Mycroft.

Good Omens crossovers are also popular, since the angel Aziraphale also runs a second-hand bookshop and shares Bernard's aversion to customers.

Harry Potter crossovers usually assume that Bernard is related to Sirius Black or another member of the Black family.

Example Fanworks

Fanfiction

Meta

Fannish Resources

References

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