Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace: a ‘lost classic’ that became a cult classic Greetings traveller… It’s hard to believe that Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace first screened on Channel 4 a full 13 years ago. […]

Greetings traveller…

It’s hard to believe that Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace first screened on Channel 4 a full 13 years ago.

Yes, the tape-worn audio and heavy-handed editing gave it an intentionally dated look, but the writing, characterisation and acting amounted to a hilarious, multi-layered spoof.

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The premise was about as meta as they come.

Each episode of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace is introduced by Marenghi himself (Matthew Holness).

A horror writer character lampooning Stephen King with pulpy abandon (although he prefers the term “dream weaver”), he tells us that the show he created and starred in was rejected by Channel 4 due to its “radicality” in the 1980s.

Years later, and due to the “worst artistic drought in broadcast history”, Channel 4 have decided to air restored versions of the episodes.

The “show” is set in Darkplace Hospital, where a portal to hell under the building leads Dr. Rick Dagless, M.D. (also Holness, as Marenghi as Dagless) to fight the forces of evil while coping with the pressures of “day to day admin”.

In an attempt to fool viewers into thinking Darkplace was a real show, none of the actors’ names were used in press material in the run-up to the series, or in the credits.

Richard Ayoade was Dean Learner – Garth’s publisher, who plays Thornton Reed, and has obviously never acted in his life.

Matt Berry took on Todd Rivers as Dr. Lucien Sanchez (a confident womaniser with a lip-sync problem), while Alice Lowe played Dr. Liz Asher, whose psychic abilities were often enhanced by her P.M.S.

A Fringe hit

The origins of Darkplace can be traced back to the turn of the millennium, and the Fringe where Holness, Ayoade and Lowe teamed up on Garth Marenghi’s Fright Knight.

Similar in premise to the TV version that would come later, it performed well in Edinburgh, and was nominated for the Perrier Award. Chortle called it a “splendidly over-the-top spoof gorefest”.

The trio returned the following year for sequel show Garth Marenghi’s Netherhead, which went one further and won the award.

This allowed a transfer to TV, and in 2004, the first episode of Darkplace was broadcast, with Matt Berry now among the central cast.

The graveyard slot

The show was barely publicised by Channel 4 and this – coupled with a late-night scheduling decision that many felt led to the show’s demise – meant the viewing figures were average at best.

Darkplace never survived beyond its first series.

In 2005, rumours that Film 4 had asked Holness and Ayoade for a script got fans excited, but it never came to fruition.

In 2006, Channel 4 broadcast a spin-off called Man to Man with Dean Learner. The spoof chat show featured Ayoade’s much-loved character, with all guests played by Holness – including an appearance from Marenghi himself. But again, it only ran for one short series.

That was to be the end of the Darkplace journey, and despite repeat broadcast deals in the US, the dedicated – if small – fanbase awaits news of a return to this day.

Launching careers

At the time of production, the Darkplace cast was relatively unknown. But despite the show’s poor ratings, its cult status helped most to go on to bigger things.

Richard Ayoade has had arguably the steepest trajectory since Darkplace. Alongside roles in comedies like Nathan Barley and The IT Crowd, he’s directed music videos for the likes of Arctic Monkeys, films like The Double and Submarine, and presents the regular Channel 4 show Travel Man.

The unmistakably voiced Matt Berry has gone on to create another much-loved TV buffoon – Toast of London’s Stephen Toast – and appeared alongside Ayoade in The IT Crowd as sexually overbearing boss Douglas Reynholm.

Alice Lowe has starred in a number of cult British films, including the darkly kooky Sightseers, and the recent comedy-slasher film Prevenge, which she also wrote and directed.

Despite being the driving force behind Darkplace (and playing its central role), Matthew Holness has made sporadic guest appearances in comedies like Friday Night Dinner and Ricky Gervais’ Life’s Too Short.

But while he’ll always be known for his brilliant turn as Garth Marenghi, a future behind the camera beckons for Holness: he’s written and directed a new horror film called Possum.

Darkplace lives on

Despite its lacklustre performance in the eyes of TV executives, Darkplace continues to sustain an enthusiastic following.

It’s easy to see why. Rewatching the series on All4 (where it’s available in full), the offbeat humour is as fresh as ever.

The production of the “lost classic” creeks with deliberate unprofessionalism, but it actually takes great talent to look that bad.

Darkplace serves up an irreverent humour: surreal plot points and visual gags, balanced by dialogue so bad it’s genius.

“Listen up ladies, we’ve got a situation. A little lass has just cracked her nut, and if she croaks, my arse is grass.”

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace is available in full on All4