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Garth Marenghi's Darkplace


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i saw this when it first aired a few years ago, but i got the dvd recently and refell in love with it.

from wiki

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a comedy series made for Channel 4 by Matthew Holness

and Richard Ayoade. It is a parody horror series revolving around the fictional horror author

Garth Marenghi (played by Matthew Holness) and his publisher Dean Learner (played by Richard Ayoade).

The fictional premise is that in the mid-1980s, Garth Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner made

their own low-budget T.V. series. Set in Darkplace Hospital in Romford, East London Garth Marenghi's

Darkplace tells of the adventures of Dr. Rick Dagless, M.D., as he fights the forces of darkness while

simultaneously coping with the pressures of working in a modern hospital. Each episode includes

'present-day' interviews, in which Marenghi and his costars comment on the show-within-the-show.

Much of the humour derives from parodying cliches and motifs from the horror genre, deliberately

poor production (including effects and editing styles typical of that era of British television production),

and sub-par acting in the show within the show.

 

p.s. "fanny" means "pussy"

 

Edited by alive she cried
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  • 2 years later...

Darkplace_DVD_front_cover.jpg

 

this was long overdue, since ASC brought this with him and taught us what new heights of quality could look like.

 

The series' fictional premise is that some time in the 1980s, best-selling horror author Garth Marenghi and his publisher/publicist, Dean Learner, made their own low-budget television series with a single intent: "to change the evolutionary course of Man over a series of half-hour episodes." Set in Darkplace Hospital, "over the very gates of Hell," in Romford, East London, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace shows the adventures of Dr. Rick Dagless, M.D., as he "fights the forces of darkness while simultaneously coping with the pressures of day to day admin." Within this fictional context, Marenghi wrote 63 teleplays from which 50 shows were produced; however, Channel 4 was eventually forced to reject the show due to its "radicality." Though, Marenghi also cites possible government suppression: "MI8, which is actually three levels above MI6, pulled the plug. And they did it because I knew the truth."

 

jax of course does not do well with genuine horror such as this, and did not make it past the second episode. Eamonn & I soldiered on bravely and saw all 6. oh, yes..i should prolly jack wiki's bit on the characters, too.

 

Characters

 

* Matthew Holness as Garth Marenghi, author, dream weaver, visionary, plus actor, who plays Dr. Rick Dagless, M.D.: 'Dag' is a Vietnam and Falklands War veteran and former warlock. He also keeps a Magnum revolver on him at all times.

* Richard Ayoade as Dean Learner, Garth's publisher, who plays Thornton Reed, a camp hospital administrator who bears a trademark shotgun and answers to unseen hospital boss "Won Ton".

* Matt Berry as Todd Rivers, an actor who plays Dr. Lucien Sanchez: Improbably handsome with the disconcerting habit of losing lip-synch, with coiffured hair, and a voice an octave lower than it should be. He generally uses an automatic pistol (with a backup in a leg holster in case his original turns on him).

* Alice Lowe as Madeleine Wool, an actress who plays Dr. Liz Asher: stereotypical fluffy blonde with occasional psychic powers (sometimes exacerbated by P.M.S.). Madeleine Wool has disappeared since the making of the programme. It is implied through the in-character episode commentaries that Dean had something to do with her disappearance.

 

it's hard to play favorites, but i was most fond of Todd and Richard both, though Alice had some of the best lines and of course we'd have nothing were it not for the visionary work of Garth.

oh yeah, ASC: found you a backup avatar, man.

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ah, dug up where ASC did some efforts for this thread preemptively:

 

Matt Berry from his show Snuff Box. The show was hit and miss but when it hit, man did it hit.

 

 

Although Nick and Jax know him better as Dr Lucien Sanchez from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

 

One Track Lover

 

And "the funeral scene" from the same show

 

 

"That's the mother Rick"

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Easily one of the funniest shows ever made, definately up there with the Flying Circus, Simpsons (til season 13), Family Guy (til Season 5 Part1).

Genius truely is the word to describe this show.

 

Don't worry Nick A better quality rip of this will be on the Irish/Britsh culture set of dvd's that I'm sending you.

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It's been awhile since I'd seen this (SciFi channel played this a few years back) I'd forgotten that two of the people from The IT Crowd were in it. Were there only the six episodes, then?

Yep, typical English show.

There was a kind of sequel where Dean Lerner has a chat show. I got it on dvd recently but haven't got around to watching it yet.

 

Doj what's DeanVD?

Edited by alive she cried
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oh my god, the song I'm a one track lover was incredible, especially with the rap breakdown in the middle. class.
bwahaha i just left that on your facebook, that shit's uncanny. i need to make that into a ringtone for you.

 

Included on the dvd will be an extra with the full length version of One Track Lover.

 

p.s.

 

The entire series is now available on youtube (embedding disabled)

 

Episode 1: Once Upon A Beginning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pQXGId_Oe4...laynext_from=SL

 

Episode 2: Hell Hath Fury

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7cc8pVX4pY...laynext_from=SL

 

Episode 3: Skipper The Eyechild

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R6a6X3bEeM...laynext_from=SL

 

Episode 4: The Apes Of Wrath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3VvXQ7h2TY...laynext_from=SL

 

Episode 5: Scotch Mist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-QWypbfPTw...laynext_from=SL

 

Episode 6: The Creeping Moss from the Shores of Shuggoth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLP85IALKXU...laynext_from=SL

Edited by alive she cried
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