8.6/101,131 votesLoading...#1 - Grapes of Wrath
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/13/2000
Bernard and Manny accept a house-sitting job to get away from their new cleaner. They also drink some wine.
Director: Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
Writer: Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan
8.3/10733 votesLoading...#2 - Elephants and Hens
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 3/18/2004
When Bernard holds a children's themed book day in the shop, Fran bets Manni and Bernard they couldn't write a children's book over a weekend, while Bernard bets Fran back that she will have an awful time at her friend's hen party.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
8.2/10910 votesLoading...#3 - The Big Lock-Out
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/27/2000
The shop gets a new security system that no-one can work.
Director: Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
Writer: Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan
8.2/10813 votesLoading...#4 - The Entertainer
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 3/1/2002
Fran decides to take up piano lessons with a very prominent teacher, however all doesn't go to plan and she ends up having to ask Manni for a favour. Meanwhile Bernard asks a girl out and once again Manni is called upon for a favour.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran
8.1/10970 votesLoading...#5 - Manny's First Day
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/6/2000
After Manny’s help with the tax return Bernard is persuaded to hire him in the shop. Unfortunately he actually sells some books, much to Bernard’s annoyance.
Director: Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
Writer: Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan
8.1/10732 votesLoading...#6 - Manny Come Home
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 3/11/2004
When Manny defects to Goliath Books after an "incident" with Bernard, his ex-employer's life spirals out of control. Meanwhile Fran returns from holiday only to be greeted by the squalor of Bernard's shop.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
8.1/10669 votesLoading...#7 - Party
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 4/15/2004
Manny and Fran drag Bernard along with them to a party, but the drunken aftermath dredges up secrets and bitterness.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
8.0/101,163 votesLoading...#8 - Cooking the Books
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/29/2000
Bernard’s dodgy accountant has to go on the run, leaving him ill prepared to fill out his own tax return. In fact Bernard would rather do anything than fill it out.
Director: Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
Writer: Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan
8.0/10885 votesLoading...#9 - The Blackout
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/20/2000
A hyper, coffee fueled Manny is mistaken for a policeman.
Director: Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
Writer: Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan
7.9/10747 votesLoading...#10 - Fever
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 3/8/2002
On a scorching hot day, Manni tries to maintain his body temperature so it doesn't go over 88 degrees; Fran has problems with a new neighbour, and Bernard tries to find an appropriate "summer girl".
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
7.8/10716 votesLoading...#11 - The Fixer
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 3/15/2002
Bernard and Manni have to deal with a gangster turned writer who plans to hold a reading of his autobiography at the book shop, however he can't read. Meanwhile Fran gets an office job where she isn't quite sure what she is meant to be doing.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Arthur Mathews
7.8/10674 votesLoading...#12 - Hello Sun
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 3/29/2002
Fran tries to cleanse her lifestyle by taking up yoga and going on a radical diet, while Bernard and Manni receive some books on Freud and their lives descend into his famous theories.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran
7.8/10671 votesLoading...#13 - A Nice Change
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 4/5/2002
When construction starts next door to the shop, Manni, Bernard and Fran try to decide what to do while it continues.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran
7.7/10799 votesLoading...#14 - He's Leaving Home
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/3/2000
Manny runs away from the bookshop into the arms of a beard loving photographer.
Director: Graham Linehan, Nick Wood
Writer: Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan
7.7/10688 votesLoading...#15 - Blood
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 3/22/2002
Manni and Bernard try to keep up with modern book shops and in doing so Manni helps Fran get over her boredom by encouraging her to look up her family tree.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
7.7/10637 votesLoading...#16 - Moo-Ma and Moo-Pa
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 3/25/2004
Manny's parents visit the shop for the weekend, and the lies he's told them throw Fran and Bernard's lives into chaos.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
7.6/10613 votesLoading...#17 - A Little Flutter
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 4/1/2004
Bernard becomes addicted to gambling and forces Manny and Fran to compete for one job at the shop in order to finance his bets.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
7.4/10607 votesLoading...#18 - Travel Writer
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 4/8/2004
Fran & Manny become enamored with a dashing travel writer giving a talk at the shop, while Bernard contends with a most unorthodox new landlord.
Director: Martin Dennis
Writer: Dylan Moran, Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley
The Best Episodes of Black Books
Every episode of Black Books ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Black Books!
Black Books centres around the foul tempered and wildly eccentric bookshop owner Bernard Black. Bernard’s devotion to the twin pleasures of drunkenness and wilful antagonism...
Genre:Comedy
Network:Channel 4
Best Episodes Summary
"Grapes of Wrath" is the best rated episode of "Black Books". It scored 8.6/10 based on 1131 votes. Directed by Graham Linehan, Nick Wood and written by Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan, it aired on 10/13/2000. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "Elephants and Hens".