The Complete Black Books

Deliciously tart and frequently surreal, Black Books is hilarious. Each of the three main characters - misanthropic, vice-riddled Irish bookstore owner Bernard Black (Dylan Moran), his supernally capable and eternally oppressed long-haired assistant Manny (Bernard has an endless array of insulting handles for him, 'Genghis' and 'Lord of the Rings' being just two), and their friend Fran (surname: Katzenjammer), who drinks like a trooper and stumbles from one misadventure to another but by and large does her best to keep up appearances for all of them - is a treat, and the array of mishaps that they bring on themselves and on other people is delightful. A bit of a wish fulfilment show for me, I must say.