Manny Bianco

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Manny Bianco

First appearance	"Cooking the Books"
Last appearance	"The Party"
Created by	Dylan Moran
Portrayed by	Bill Bailey
Information
Gender	Male
Age	35
Occupation	Book shop assistant
Family	Moo-Pa (father), Moo-Ma (mother)

Emmanuel "Manny" Bianco is a fictional bookseller and a central character in the British comedy sitcom Black Books, portrayed by Bill Bailey. In the series, he is the shop assistant and flat-mate to Bernard Black. His character is distinctive by his long, flowing hair and beard, and is frequently bullied in the series by Bernard.

[edit] Personality

Manny is, in many ways, Bernard's complete opposite in nature and character (this contrast being underlined by his surname Bianco, which is white in Italian). Unlike his boss - a surly misanthrope with little interest in selling books - Manny is an extremely competent and helpful salesman, and is well-liked by customers. However, this makes him a target of Bernard's bullying nature; frequently being subjected to mean-spirited insults, cruel and spiteful treatment, and occasionally being subjected to violence. In many episodes, Bernard has refused to even acknowledge Manny by name, instead referring to him by such titles as "Lord of the Rings", "Gandalf", "Thor", "Hawkwind", "Bigfoot", "half Fu Manchu", "Genghis Khan", and "Ming the Merciless"; in reference to Manny's long, unkempt hair and bearded face, and often wishing upon him 'death by beard', most particularly by beard-seeking missile and once even referred to him as a beard with an idiot hanging off of it.

Formerly an accountant, Manny first encountered Bernard Black in the first episode of the series, "Cooking the Books", when purchasing The Little Book of Calm from Bernard's shop on his way to work one morning. In contrast to his demeanor later in the series, Manny is highly stressed and uptight; presumably as a result of his employment as an accountant. Following an unusual series of circumstances, Manny accidentally swallowed his copy of The Little Book of Calm and assimilated the book into his body. For a brief period, he was extremely relaxed, and, with his serene expression and hospital bed-gown, bore an alarming resemblance to Jesus Christ. During this time, he spoke entirely in soothing aphorisms.^[1] Although a violent encounter with skinhead Millwall supporters later cured Manny of his vocal impediment, he was still calm and mild throughout the rest of the series. Manny got a job at Black Books, much to Bernard's dismay and annoyance (he was drunk when he offered Manny the job).^[2]

Manny experiences the most remarkable events of any of the characters, and possesses some remarkable idiot-savant talents, such as the ability to play the piano at concert standard in five minutes. He has also been worshipped as a god by a tribe of savage cannibals in Canada (which Bernard would rather no-one discusses, by mutual agreement)

Because Manny is the only person in the shop who demonstrates any sort of desire to keep the place tidy, Bernard treats him as little more than an indentured servant; to be abused, ordered around and forced to do petty tasks with little reward. His relationship with Fran Katzenjammer, Bernard's best friend, is much better; based on mutual appreciation and numerous shared interests (including celebrity gossip.^[3]) However, Fran is not above exploiting and belittling Manny when it advances her interests.

Manny reacts to such poor treatment in an extremely mild, and at times, even eager fashion. However, he has snapped on numerous occasions throughout the series, usually after Bernard's bullying pushed him too far. In the first series, Bernard's increasingly dictatorial manner forced Manny to leave home, only to sheepishly return following a brief period working as a model for a photographer with a beard fetish.^[3] Manny occasionally demonstrates a steely and assertive persona. Following a brief session with a therapist, Manny stood up to Bernard with such confidence and authority that he reduced Bernard from his usual bullying arrogance to an almost tearful emotional wreck, over the course of a short conversation.^[4] Alcohol sometimes strengthens Manny's resolve, and in the final episode of the series, a drunken Manny was quick to tell Bernard exactly what he thought of him after Bernard made one-too-many sneering comments about Rowena, a woman on whom Manny has a crush.^[5] Although rare, these occasions have the short-lived effect of Bernard acting much nicer and more reasonable in his treatment of Manny.

On numerous occasions throughout the series, Manny has demonstrated that he is talented and well-liked, and that he could have done more with his life if not for the ignorance and apathy of those around him; and his own lack of confidence and his eager-to-help tendencies. He often seems to demonstrate a hidden creative streak, such as by creating various bizarre yet ingenious pieces of equipment around the apartment and shop. One of these items was a helmet with cleaning spray attached, which was operated by pulling a string.^[6]

Manny is artistically talented, capable of drawing an incredibly detailed coloured illustration of children building a sandcastle on a beach in only a few seconds with one pencil.^[7]. He is a talented pianist, capable of picking up numerous complex pieces by ear without any previous lessons (Bailey is himself a talented musician and played all his pieces himself). He quickly decided not to further himself, due to his skills being merely exploited rather than appreciated by Bernard and Fran.^[8]

Although Manny's personal relationships rarely appear on the show, he seems to have more success in romance than either Fran or Bernard. In the final episode, despite his shy and indirect approach to his relationship with Rowena, she appeared to be quite smitten with Manny. This led to a romantic encounter and the possibility of a successful relationship.^[5]