Hidden Gems: Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
It feels weird writing a Hidden Gems article about a show that aired on the ever popular Adult Swim lineup. You’d think that pretty much anything they programmed would immediately grab the attention of college students nationwide. Unfortunately Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace isn’t such a show. It failed to make a mark so hard that there still isn’t even a U.S. DVD release of it. If you want to check it out you have to get an all-region player. That’s alright though because Darkplace is so awesome that you’d probably buy a special DVD player for it anyway.
In the 80s all hospital employees were allowed to carry guns at all times. Except for women.
Darkplace is presented as an awesomely terrible 80s relic. The “show†stars Garth Marenghi and Dean Learner as Dr. Rick Dagless and Thornton Reed respectively. Dagless is the lead doctor in Darkplace Hospital, which sits atop the very mouth of hell. Reed is the hospital administrator who has to cover up all of the supernatural crises at Darkplace. Rounding out the team are Drs. Lucien Sanchez and Liz Asher. The twist here is that Darkplace never actually existed and that all of the shows “actors†are also characters played by real life British comedians. The episodes are always introduced by Garth Marenghi a self-described “author, dream weaver, visionary, plus actor†played by Matthew Holness. He gives the back story of Darkplace as being a show that was too controversial for its time and is only now seeing the light of day. The episode then airs, intercut with interviews with the rest of the actors as they give relevant comments on the scenes that are playing out.
This approach is what gives the show most of its charm. Instead of just being presented with a hilariously bad 80s supernatural hospital show we get to see the absolute douchy seriousness of its creators. I defy you not to laugh your ass off when Dean Learner (Richard Ayoade) describes himself as “not putting on an act, but putting on the truth.†The line itself is exactly the kind of thing you’d expect to hear from a typical L.A. type douchebag. The home run comes immediately after where we cut to a scene of Learner giving one of the most wooden line readings in television history. You probably know somebody who does a ton of things creatively and has an endlessly high opinion of himself yet everything he produces is absolute shit. This is pretty much like that except you get to laugh endlessly at it without fear of retaliation.
Another thing that makes this show amazing is the authenticity of it. Every time I’ve watched this with friends over, someone has actually been convinced that it’s an 80s relic. The show is done with almost all cheap practical effects, including an obvious miniature for the exterior of the hospital. It also has an excellent 80s theme song and the kind of cheap Vaseline lens look that a ton of show back then had. It even has the old Channel 4 logo that pops up before each episode. The meticulous attention to detail that went into this is pretty fucking mind boggling. Just watch the opening credits and tell me it doesn’t look completely legit.
Darkplace is an incredibly funny show that unfortunately hasn’t found a wider audience in the states. It definitely has its fans but it’s way too awesome to settle for only a small fan base. The show still sporadically appears on Adult Swim so check it out there. If not then stop being a lazy bitch and get it on Region 2 DVD. If you have seen Darkplace, what do you think of it? Is it the pinnacle of British comedy? Am I a moron who should keep his opinions to himself? Sound off in the comments.