My mum had to search high and low to find this on DVD for me when I asked for it for my 21st. 16 years later and it's one of my most prized possessions.
Garth marenghi's darkplace is made around 1984 I think it came out in 2004 but parody 80s tv show I think this show is made in 83 and 84 and got cancelled in 1984 20 year later in 2004 some reruns on channel 4 and that's it because this show was made around 20 year ago aired on tv almost 20 year now so this show is 40 year old by now?
"Since I first came to Darkplace I was strictly solo. You're the first real buddy that I ever had. Buuut if you and he wish to be best buddies again, I won't stand in your way!"
Can we take a minute to appreciate early 2000s British comedy series? Dark place, peep show, Spaced, The Office, IT crowd, Mighty Boosh. The cast lists are fantastic.
My favorite gag in Darkplace is when Sanchez is being introduced in episode one. Todd Rivers isn't only reacting to Dagless's internal monologue as if he can hear it, he's reacting as if it's *HIS* monologue. Just a great layered joke where the punchline is both Marenghi's poor writing and direction, as well as Rivers' overinflated ego and total ignorance of the plot of the show he's in.
The only thing funnier than Darkplace is the director's commentary on the DVD, if you haven't already seen it I urge you to do so as soon as possible, adds a whole new level.
"Like a candle in the wind... unreliable" is a quote I still use today whenever I find someone unreliable. Most underrated line in comedy ever. Every time I watch this, and I've seen it so many times, I see something new that makes me laugh and appreciate all the intentional badness, which ironically take more time and effort to produce than if they'd have just made it normally. The sound mixing and editing are utter genius.
A shame that some people just don't get it, but I think it is a work of genius, and great acting. Thanks for sharing, and highlighting a fantastic series.
My face legitimately hurts from laughing every time I watch it , the name Garth Marenghi is actually a rearrangement of the letters in the phrase "arrgh, nightmares" 🤣 That's how GODDAMN BRILLIANT this series was
Theres so much in the "serious parody" that is spot on. I was sad that Alice Lowe wasnt in everything so to see her cast in Black Mirrors Bandersnatch was beautifully done. Richard Ayoyade is of course a tower of brilliance - the heavy synth including the beautiful credits - the level of cleverness put into the Easter Eggs -:damn and the rap- how could you forget the rap ? Plus Mighty Boosh Fielding & Barrett showing up. If you have this combined with Man to Man with Dean Lerner , its even more gold. A golden period of comedy that will not come again - this , Boosh , Nighty Nighty , Nathan Barley - i could go on ❤
I used to really enjoy Nathan Barley. Unfortunately the way it basically used the media as the butt of the joke meant it was always on thin ice. Some really great comic actors in that.
This show is so packed with jokes you'll never catch them all on a second, third or forth viewing. It's up there with Police Squad. And like Police Squad, I'm honestly not sure I'd go back and uncancel it. It fit the theme perfectly and every single episode is solid gold, with more seasons that could have changed or degraded.
I like how the cast played essentially two characters each, and their interview actor selves are completely different from their show character selves. Rick is a Mary Sue right about everything, while Garth is completely delusional and wrong about everything. Thornton is nervous and uncomfortable, while Dean is sinister and cunning. Lucien is strange and bombastic, while Todd Rivers is a reserved mixture of exasperation and denial.
One gag I never noticed until this clip show was Dr. Rick says he got attacked by a cordless iron, then a clearly visible cord is on the iron as it floats by.
I worked for Channel 4 back in 2012 on a show that ranked their 30 greatest comedies of all time based on an online vote. Darkplace didn't make the original shortlist! I raised it with the then head of comedy, he agreed it was a travesty, and it got added to the vote. It came 11th in the end, pretty good considering how few people saw it when it first aired!
Good on ya mate. Darkplace is legendary. I’m from Germany myself but lived in the UK from 1996-2007 and then again form 2008-2014. I found out about Darkplace a few years after it had originally aired, during a time while I was still living in the UK. In 2024 it will have been 10 years since I left the UK and moved back to Germany but looking back at it, Darkplace reminds of brilliant British humour as well as my time spent in the UK being some of the best years of my life.
I am proud to say that I watched all 6 episodes when they were first broadcast. It was advertised well by channel 4, but few seemed to care. No idea why it wasn't popular at the time.
Probably as unless you knew what it was about it looks like a shit show with the filming and acting. Anyone who skipped channels would skip this. Also no one knew Garth Marenghi because he’s a fictional character so there’s no reason to have wanted to watch it. I feel like the show wasn’t meant to be a commercial success at all on purpose as they knew it would gain a ‘cult following’ in the years to come.
I watched it at the time too, iirc it was on pretty late (like 10:30pm) and was often bumped for other stuff so it was on at inconsistent times and there were weird gaps between episodes, it just never really got a proper go of it really, which would be tough for any show, let alone for a niche meta-comedy. Plus even with the cult popularity it had, it didn't come out on DVD for literally years after (I think because of some rights issue), so if you missed it, there wasn't really a way for people to check it out or stumble across it. I think if it had come along in the days of Streaming and Social media it would have done way better through word of mouth
Yep, me too. I also can’t understand why it wasn’t popular - I thought it was brilliant……..however, with hindsight, I’m glad that it became such a cult series. The only hing I’m sad about is that Matt Holness hasn’t become a massive success in the same way that Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade have.
I was 13 and used to stay up to watch Banzai. Dark Place was hilarious as a kid. Better in my late teens. Even better again in my early 20's and now I'm in my 30's I genuinely think it's the best thing thats been on tv since the turn of the millenium. I urge everyone to watch it. Perfection.
This is great to see! I’ve been watching this show for almost 2 decades. It never stops being funny! I tell people about it, but sadly I don’t think anyone ever checks it out. The other show I like just as much is the first season of The Mighty Boosh. The Song One Track Lover is so awesome.
Darkplace is truly an exception to the "if it's bad on purpose, it sucks" rule. Lots and lots of shows/movies try to be bad on purpose for a joke and it's groan worthy, but the mastery of it with Darkplace flip that on it's head. It's up there with Better Call Saul breaking the "I hate prequels" rule.
Thank you for doing the lord's work in spreading the word on this absolutely fantastic comedy series. Very possibly the best written, acted and directed show ever, I watch it over and over and find new easter eggs every time. Sheer genius.
As a child, I was watching tv late at night and flipped to adult swim at the very moment they walked in to see the eye monster having sex with the man, followed by the birth. I then turned off the tv and it terrifyingly stayed in my memory for many years as my only exposure to it. It wasn’t until I heard about it as an adult that I learned it was a comedy and watched the whole thing. Now it is one of my favorite tv shows ever.
Never heard of this before. It's like a mashup of Mighty Boosh weirdness, with The Office style interviews, half the cast of The IT Crowd, with a sprinkle of The Day Today charm.
It’s funny how Darkplace gets into one’s vocabulary - like the moment the Apeloid exits the hospital, I’ll say “ah - the bike” nearly everytime I see a bicycle. I’ll also say “oh no” like Thornton Reed says the moment Garth realizes the apes have taken over the hospital.
I got the dvd in about 2008, I'd only seen clips on youtube before that but it was so funny. There's loads of extra interviews and stuff. I expect it's all on here now!
Just found this a few weeks back and was so bummed it was only six episodes and some supplemental material. So entertaining and seeing Richard Aoyode as someone other than Moss was fun as well. The level they went to get that early 80s TV feel was top notch. It felt like I was watching some passed over TV gem, which for me it truly is.
Matthew Holness is currently writing novels as Garth and doing book tours, he stays in character the whole time even does Q&A's and signings. Very much worth trying to catch a show.
From the states, I loved the show when it aired on Adult Swim way back and everyone I've managed to sit down to watch this... creation is still quoting it over a decade later. It's even inspired some character writing. It's amazing but I guess it's good it got to bow out with 6 episodes and in top form.
The funniest joke on Darkplace is the one that is never said out loud. That joke is Garth Marenghi's total lack of self~awareness. His massive ego wont let him acknowledge that he is a terrible writer and his 80s show was cancelled because it was dreadful
Truly one of the greatest TV comedies. The following year Channel 4 put out Nathan Barley (another 6 episode masterpiece), and then promptly canceled that. Who were the Genius/Idiots that commissioned these amazing shows, but then didn't have the foresight to keep them on???
@@motioninart Hope you like Nathan Barley. It's the I Ching of hipster culture. I think it didn't play well outside of London at the time, but now that hipster culture is omnipresent, it feels like a work of pure prophecy. (Charlie Brooker is probably the greatest prophet of our era). I've subscribed and hope to see a video on NB - even if you pan it.
There's a book out now that extends the Marenghiverse: Garth Marenghi's TerrorTome. Doesn't quite hit the comedic heights of the series, but it's mildly amusing disposable reading. Funny how Darkplace and Police Squad! both lasted only 6 episodes. When something is too smart, it must be purged.
I truly love Darkplace, its one of those early/mid 2000's British comedies that's bizarre but that humor really resonates. The entire cast is Excellent, Matt Holness absolutely perfects this character, Matt Berry has his amazing annunciation of words and i like alot of his other work aswell but for me the MVP of the show is Richard Ayoade. He is Brilliant as Dean learner (so much so they gave him is own show), i haven't always liked him in other things but I definitely want to check out more stuff with him in it.
Also in a way, because not that many people know about this show it also makes it extra special. I'm glad Garth is making a comeback with his new horror books. I went to a Q&A and got my Dark Place DVD signed. Matthew was a gent.
I've had this on DVD for years and tried to show friends and family it but they just don't get it. I've always loved the bike chase scene. I think there is a audio book of this on spotify. Green Wing was good at the time from Channel 4 too I think and both still crack me up.
I actually first heard of it soon after I moved into student digs at my second year at university in late 2006. Channel 4 did a re-run and I caught the first episode... one of my housemates seemed to know about it. The following summer some of the episodes had been uploaded to RU-vid in 3 parts so I saw them then... strangely I remember the monkey episode only having some of the parts available and I don't remember finding the second episode until later.
My highschool years saw me and my pals in TEARS watching this show. Bloody hilarious - the wit, the gags, the silliness, and excellent writing. And it was the first time I saw Matt Berry and Howard Moon from Mighty Boosh...such an amazing show. Perfect....just a perfect show.
@@junior602002 is not I thought it was the police squad of great Britain because it had 6 episode and no seasons 2 or 3 or 4 it was cancelled I think just like police squad darkplace is fell more like police squad and more like galaxy quest if is not about aliens and star trek (not the 1986 movie) and like the young ones and bottom well police squad did got a movie the naked gun (you know the one) and it's sequels darkplace don't had anything of that because it's cancelled and been forgetting in the public until 2004 when Garth marenghi show it to the public 20 year after it's was cancelled and aired on tv once again I think it was the police squad of horror British shows.
A big factor in its early unpopularity was simply that Channel 4 showed it on the overnight timeslots; think was like 10.30pm on a Thursday or something like that (at a time when when most people didn't have 'catch up' as well). That was fine for me as I was a slacker student at the time haha, but definitely didn't help the show. Happy ending though as Gareth Marenghi is now selling out theatres with his new book tours!
The time between the broadcast and the DVD release, many long years later, was a "dark" time for those who appreciated the show. Bootlegs eventually showed up on eBay. Man To Man With Dean Lerner was a kind-of sequel that did drop without a trace. Matt Berry's whole career is pretty much due to his Sanchez voice.
Man i love this show, absolute masterpiece, I absolutely love One track Lover genuinely good tune I went to order a copy on dvd after watching this and prices begin at £35 for a second hand copy. Thats the signs of a true cult classic
Matthew Hollness made an amazing horror movie called Possum. I think he wrote and directed it. Hollness and Ayoade also wrote another show together called Man to Man With Dean Learner. Very funny also.
if you can get your hands on it, Let the Blood Run Free, an australian show from the late 80s/early 90s, featuring Raymond J Bartholemew, Jean Kittson,.... and other Aussie actors i can't remember. its this before this was a thing. worth hunting down
Man I am SO HAPPY this video popped up in my recommendations. It convinced me to watch this show which I would have never found otherwise. Awesome upload; I'll be back for more!
Great video. But i wanted to add a little information you missed , it wasn’t written these actors it was written by these actors. It was actually based on two stage show they did for the Edinburgh festival. Hope you check out Man to Man With Dean Learner too
Darkplace has been my Happy Place for many years. It is the ultimate in meta-comedy. I think I’ve seen Skippy the Eye-Child at least 50 times 😄 It’s an abhorrent thought that any exec watching an episode of Darkplace and deciding to cancel it, could actually be human! But then again, I suppose, so was Hitl..
er...... what!!?!! Naa mate absolutely brilliant messed up show... just the cut scenes wd have me gut laughing & running out of air, like those chambers they put the Je
There's a sister series to this called Man to Man with Dean Learner, a late night chat show from Dean Learner's 'playboy mansion' with Matthew Holness as a different guest each episode. If you like Darkplace you'll probably love that too.
I absolutely love this show and everyone involved with it. I remember back in the day when I saw that Adult Swim starting airing it I was so happy. Also that song is fucking incredible, Matt Berry is an amazing musician and does a bunch of collabs with people I love like Josh Homme
It genuinely wouldn't surprise me if the biggest joke is that the show wasn't cancelled, but that they deliberately only set out to make six episodes and then pretended it'd been cancelled to gel with its own internal mythos. This is Britain, after all. Short runs of pure genius are sort of one of the few things we do well, so it wouldn't be outlandish for the writers to go completely meta and spoof that concept as much as the idea of show about a cancelled show becoming a cancelled show.
As a parody this is top of the pile. They made the behind-the-scenes at the time of the series. I was watching the BBC Exorcist behind-the-scenes (made 40 years after the release) and you can see how spot on GMD is in regards to style and reminisce- hilarious (not Exorcist, that remains scary).
Can’t believe this came up on my feed am literally watching it right now. One the funniest, irreverent comedies put on tv. Just fantastic. Am howling with laughter rewatching it brilliant
This humor is the kind of humor that should NOT become a standard because it devalues it so much. I as a person living in the 2023 did not see the shows this series is parodying and so I can't enjoy it as much as others can. This is why some things should not be mass produced.
Nitpick: Darkplace wasn't "Cancelled". UK TV shows are only commissioned one seasons at a time, and six episode seasons are normal. So it's quite simple: they wrote six episodes, and six episodes were made. It's not like they had a second series in the works and it got taken away.
My friend I just want to tell you, every video you do is amazing and I wish you had more views and subscribers. Your amazing and keep up the good work!
For years, I legitimately thought this was an Adult Swim production. It has all the energy and vibe of one. Cue my astonishment at realizing that it was a real, actual show that aired on the BBC. Just hilarious to me. _Definitely_ need to add this to my collection!
She's smooth, like ice Cold to the touch and it isn't very nice When you're left, (cold too the touch) alone You let her treat you badly if you're hanging on the phone Take off, (it's hard enough) chuck your loving in the wheels Put your pedal to the floor 'cause your heading for the hills (we should be making love) Got to get away, can't take it anymore Men don't need this, leave her at the door (We should be making love!)
How is that Britain's most unpopular when you have the likes of Brush strokes, Bread and My Family. Don't confused not seen by many with being unpopular. Dark Place is very popular amongst those that have watched it.
In 2016 I went to 'Grimfest', a Darkplace-a-thon in Manchester, and meet Adam Holness and chatted to him before the event, a really nice guy. Halfway through there was a Q and A session, you might be able to track it down on RU-vid. Interestingly, it was filmed on proper expensive film, so they could only afford max three attempts for scene, so they so they had to leave in some accidental mistakes. They had to film beside bins, which is why there are flies in some of the scenes.
