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 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.

Imagine a place between tuseday and purple - between the eighties and chest wigs. Now think back to Saphire and Steel, Deathwatch and certain episodes of Dr Who. Welcome... to Darkplace

Dodgy effects (forgivable - and amusing) and dodgy scripts (unforgivable - and hysterical) ruled the roost shamelessly and here they are aped to the max. I've only seen the first episode (as well as the 'Official' Garth Marenghi website) and I screamed in a miasmous catatony - I gaped shudderously at the incomprehousity of the spectacle - I laughed till I stopped laughing. It's looking good - and I hope it's a short run, as these things can be flogged silly.

As it stands, it is refreshingly sarcastic about nerd orientated broadcasting - and amazingly would stand as a series from the period. Whiffs of Michael Mann, William Friedkin, HP Lovecraft, Starsky & Hutch and hospital based soaps should have folk wincing and laughing till doomsday.

Plot snippets so far: the guy went axe happy in a trout farm. Nuff said.

I'm Garth Marenghi. Author, dreamweaver, visionary, plus actor. You're about to enter the world of my imagination. You are entering my Darkplace. Garth Marenghi is genius, and as Dean Lerner himself said:"Garth is the most significant artist that I have ever worked with, and I have worked with Lulu and four other people.". And when Dean Learner says that. At the beginning of every episode Garth Marenghi reads excerpt from his novels that only further proves his masterful writing abilities (Mike stared in disbelief as his hands fell of from 'Slasher'.). Music by Stig Baasvik, based on melodies originally whistled by Garth Marenghi.

'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace' is fantastic horror and behind the scenes spoof. Probably the best there ever is. It ran only six episodes before the show was cancelled because the low viewer numbers, and it is sad. But on the other hand, the long run would have become repetitive and finally turned stale. Six twenty five minute long episodes is perfect length for such absurdity. The writing is masterfully bad as the acting and directing (all of this is on purpose of course). Constant continuity errors and bad dialogue offers laugh after laugh. But not most of the jokes are on your face, at least half the jokes are very subtle that you notice them on the second (or fourth or even on the sixth) viewing, or when someone points it out for you. TV show inside TV show have never been funnier, and the really funny part about it is that I actually cared about the show and characters Garth Marenghi had created.

Gun doting doctors in hospital constantly plagued by supernatural forces can never be any cooler than in Garth Marenghi's imagination.

glad to see here that I'm not the only one already hooked after just 3 episodes.

I've tried to explain to people why they must watch it, but the only way they will understand is to watch it!

Its hilarious: terrible acting, atrocious script, wobbly sets, appalling dubbing, and some very alarming wigs.

And lots of slow motion (well, its hard to fill a half hour slot with story all the time)

I'm looking forward to saying 'I told you so' to lots of people when they 'discover' this show in 6 months!