Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

This is a comedy spoofing the best and worst of TV from the 1980's. Garth Marenghi is a horror writer who created a show during the 1980's so deep and meaningful that the networks banished it to storage. Now in 2004 the vaults have been opened unleashing it for the world to enjoy. By taking inspiration from classic shows including "Twin Peaks" and "The A Team" a fantastic show has been created. It centers on a Hospital where the docs carry guns and fight supernatural beings. The scripts are deliberately cheesy, the editing is poor and the acting is very wooden. But that is what makes it so funny. There are even those alwful end tags popular with American shows were the main characters laugh at some rubbish joke. If you lived during the 1980's you must see this!

I wasn't fully sure what to expect and nearly didn't watch it at all, that would have been a mistake. Three episodes in and I'm hooked and I'm slowly working on all my friends too as it would be a shame if this slipped by without getting the audience it deserves. I was a bit concerned after the first episode that the jokes would quickly wear a bit thin but this hasn't proved to be the case. I don't think it will be everyone's cup of tea but well worth trying because if it is you're in for one of the funnier half hours of television you'll see all week.

I watched this show with trepidation expecting it to be another hit and miss, or even plain miss, of a mini-series. I was more then pleasantly suprised when the show proved not only to be hilarious but a much needed break from the vapid 'reality' shows that have come to expunge any palatability from our viewing pleasure. The 'bad acting', or 'showing the truth' as Garth puts it, is amazingly funny. This is especially true in the character of Garth's boss and the chef (The Office's Stephan Merchant). Overall, it can tend to be a bit tedious by the end but at the moment it is hysterical and I can't wait to see where they go from here.

"In the 1980's the horror writing genius and self confessed "sooth" Garth Marenghi penned a ground-breaking series of tele-plays. Of the 64 episodes written, only 50 managed to make it into production during the two-month filming. Marenghi's aim was simple: "To change the evolutionary course of mankind over a series of half-hour episodes". However, Merenghi claims that his series was too ground-breaking, and too shocking for the public, and for the past twenty years direct government intervention prevented the shows from ever seeing the light of day. That is, until now. Channel 4 (and E4) are now for the first time running six episodes from the series, and Garth Marenghi has said he is willing to be personally held accountable to God for the consequences."

Garth Marenghi's Dark Place is a spoof of all horror films, tv and action tv from the 80's. Its set up as if the series was made in the 80's and was banned and is now eventually being shown. Throughout the episodes we get to see the cast and crew's comments on the episode's scenes. This is the best comedy since the office.

9/10 (and I've only seen 3 episodes from the first series so far)

"the pube on the pipe idea came from a real life situation" Garth Marenghi

When The show 'Little Britain' ended, I felt that TV was lacking in any hilarious new comedies. Then I saw an advert for 'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace' so I decided to watch it.

Since then I've been hooked, I have never seen anything like this show before. It is truly amazing. This proves that you don't need clever scripts, great acting or impressive special effects.

Highlights for me include, Episode 4's bike chase, Episode 1's graveyard shootout and well, pretty much the entire show.

This show is pure comic genious.

I'll finish with a quote...

"She was like a candle in the wind ... unreliable"