British Comedy: Black Books Stars Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey

Dylan Moran levels a characteristically petulant critique of California and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wherein the Irish comedian demonstrates his personal aversion for “lifting up heavy things”.

You might recognize Moran from the film Shaun Of The Dead. He also starred in a great, lesser-known (in the US) sitcom on Britain’s Channel 4 called Black Books which he co-created with Graham Linehan (who later created the show The IT Crowd).

Black Books ran from 2000 to 2004 and co-starred Tamsin Greig and Bill Bailey. It’s a great show, worth seeking out if you’re looking for a Brit comedy fix (NetFlix has it). You can see clips on YouTube, and if you are in Britain you can watch episodes online (no access from the US).

Bill Bailey has a very different style, he’s a trained musician who incorporates more than a dozen instruments into his routines and parodies the likes of Jean-Michel Jarre and Phillip Glass; he’s also a confirmed nerd who jokes about Doctor Who, LOTR, Star Trek, and hosted a Stonehenge documentary; he’s also fond of making surreal erudite rants with references to literature, science, and philosophy.

Here’s Bailey in action, with a very close reading of the “Acts of God” clause in a car rental agreement…