A
pilot for the show was featured in the 1998 Channel 4
sitcom festival in
Riverside Studios. This early version was decidedly darker, revolving around Bernard's, and later Manny's, decision to commit
suicide. It featured Manny (surname Zimmerman in reference to
Bob Dylan) and the Fran character as Valerie, a
philosophy lecturer. The pilot was an original creation of Moran's and the series was his first creation as a writer for a television series. Linehan, co-writer of the earlier Channel 4 sitcom
Father Ted, joined at the outset to co-write the series with Moran at the suggestion of producer William Burdett-Coutts after Linehan saw the pilot and had seen Moran performing in
Dublin. The characters were Moran's original creation, created over a month-long process he calls "spitballing", which is talking spontaneously to each other in character. Manny also states the shop is located "just off
Russell Square". The exterior scenes of the bookshop were filmed outside a real bookshop, albeit a smaller one, called Collinge & Clark, located at 13 Leigh Street, Bloomsbury. The audio commentary for
Shaun of the Dead states that
Black Books is considered by the producers to be a sister show of the 1999 Channel 4 sitcom
Spaced, also produced by Nira Park. The show features several actors from
Spaced, while in one episode Manny is heard speaking to Twist Morgan, a
character from Spaced.
Simon Pegg guest-starred as Bill Bailey's boss in another episode, an inversion of their roles in
Spaced;
Nick Frost appeared at the beginning of the episode "The Big Lockout" to install a new security system for the shop, though lost Manny's attention when he spotted a
Subbuteo player in his hair;
Kevin Cecil, one of the
Black Books writers, appeared in
Spaced playing the leader of "Robot Club";
Jessica Stevenson made an appearance as a friend of Fran's, who was trying to help her live a healthier lifestyle with attempts to change her diet and get her to exercise more;
Peter Serafinowicz played a radio broadcaster whose dulcet tones reading the shipping forecast drove Fran wild with desire;
Omid Djalili appeared in "He's Leaving Home" as an opportunistic photographer;
Rob Brydon appeared in Season 2's episode "The Fixer". Both
Lucy Davis (
The Office,
Shaun of the Dead) and
Olivia Colman (
Peep Show,
Hot Fuzz) appeared in Season 3's episode "Elephants and Hens". == Episodes ==