Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-03-06 03:36pm

Last night I had the honour of watching three taped episodes of this recently aired series from Channel 4 and was stunned. It was the funniest fucking thing I have watched on TV in ages!

For the uninitiated, it's a 6 part mini that aired every week from 29/1/04 and was in the format of a horror writer called Garth Marenghi who introduced archived episodes of an '80s horror show he created, directed and starred in called "Darkplace". The episode is shown and every now and then it'll cut to one of the cast like a DVD documentary with their comments.

The idea is simple, but damn, as soon as I heard that synthesized '80s action theme, saw the shit acting and lame special effects it was gold.

The best character is very likely Thornton Reed, a black guy (with 'fro) who's the manager of the hospital (which resides in Romford... near the gates of Hell) and can't act for shit to the point that you see him obviously following autocues or saying the most ridiculous things in a hammy voice.

The star, Dr. Rick Dagless, M.D. is a prententious deus ex machina, but then he is the guy who wrote the horror novels and created the show.

Quite simply, you have to see this show to get how funny it is. I'm hoping it'll be shown in the US soon because MST3k is the only thing I can compare this too.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-03-06 03:42pm

Not seen it, as I only watch TV that's Buffy. (time, not wierdness)

But I've heard rave reviews from peeps who do have the time to actually watch TV and know what's on when.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-03-06 03:51pm

It bitchslaps Buffy so much she looks like Judge Judy.

This series is the shiznit and I have to see if someone taped the other three eps. I hope to some fictional deity that it comes on DVD soon and a second series is made.

Incidentally, the first episode, which I missed, likely spoofed Buffy as some guy opened a Hellmouth below the Darkplace hospital in pre-apocalyptic Romford.

It basically summed up every corny '80s TV series to a T and I can't believe this hasn't been done before.

Official site: http://www.garthmarenghi.com/default.htm

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-03-06 04:00pm

Oh, don't compare. I was just saying that I don't watch any TV.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-03-06 04:09pm

InnerBrat wrote:Oh, don't compare. I was just saying that I don't watch any TV.

Nor do I, but that means finding the few nuggets of greatness that warrant watching is even harder. So much crap is on now that there's no way you know what to watch.

Daltonator · Post by **Daltonator** » 2004-03-06 04:15pm

Black Books!

Manny: Yeah well what sort of world is it that you can't go away and leave the front door open without getting robbed?
Bernard: It's this sort of world, Gandalf!

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2004-03-06 08:37pm

Whenever good British TV shows are imported here they're almost always shown on PBS, and since they hardly ever (possibly never) advertise outside their own station, I never know it when they're on.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-03-07 12:11pm

Daltonator wrote:Black Books!

Manny: Yeah well what sort of world is it that you can't go away and leave the front door open without getting robbed?
Bernard: It's this sort of world, Gandalf!

New series starts this Thursday, same slot Darkplace had but has now finished. I've never seen Black Books, but from the quotes on IMDb and a girl I know who has the first two series of DVD, it's good stuff.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2004-03-07 12:24pm

I can't wait got Black Books.

Dark Place is great, I spent an hour last week trying to explain, politely to my mother, that it is not really a re-run of a series from the 80's- though she is convinced she saw it then, poor old dear.