Garth Marenghi's Darkplace has got a target audience I'm not in. I'm not from the 80's, and when it comes to old-fashioned BBC stuff I mostly watch the bona-fide classics and skip the stuff with a bad rep. But, with that in mind, I can still appreciate the concept: a lost 80's show, featuring general ineptitude alongside a prima-donna writer heavily tampering with every aspect of production.
I'm about to say something I did not expect coming into this show: it would be funnier as a making-of "mockumentary" of the alleged program than in its present form. Dead serious; the funniest parts of the program are the interviews with the cast, and their hilariously understated or overstated reactions and overblown opinions of themselves.
The rest of the show is unfortunately hamstrung by its own premise. I'm sorry, but there's only so many times that cheap-looking monsters, terrible acting, worse writing, and incompetent direction can get a laugh out of me. I should be howling at the inexplicable sudden musical numbers in episodes I guess I won't spoil, and instead I'm just burnt out on Stylistic Suck. It's not a one-joke premise, per se, but it's definitely one-premise joking.
That said... it's actually an interesting and rewarding show even when it's not being funny. While the show itself is a hot mess, there are threads of logic behind the terrible decisions it makes, and as the Bad "Bad Acting" entry shows, behind what makes each distinct cast member a horrible actor in every episode. I especially like the slow, creeping reveal that Dean Learner is actually a dangerous psychopathic murderer, retroactively adding new meaning not only to prior scenes of his admitting to doing awful things without realizing they were wrong, but to his terrible acting since he doesn't feel genuine emotions.
Also, since it's an 80's show, the soundtrack kicks about a thousand times more butt than it has any right to. Even the over-the-top chanting of "Darkplace! Darkplace!" in the credits can't ruin a great synth song.
And that's why I give the show my tentative recommendation, at least to people like me who enjoy analyzing and thinking over things? Just don't expect a lot of comedy and you might be alright.
More Interesting Than Funny
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace has got a target audience I'm not in. I'm not from the 80's, and when it comes to old-fashioned BBC stuff I mostly watch the bona-fide classics and skip the stuff with a bad rep. But, with that in mind, I can still appreciate the concept: a lost 80's show, featuring general ineptitude alongside a prima-donna writer heavily tampering with every aspect of production.
I'm about to say something I did not expect coming into this show: it would be funnier as a making-of "mockumentary" of the alleged program than in its present form. Dead serious; the funniest parts of the program are the interviews with the cast, and their hilariously understated or overstated reactions and overblown opinions of themselves.
The rest of the show is unfortunately hamstrung by its own premise. I'm sorry, but there's only so many times that cheap-looking monsters, terrible acting, worse writing, and incompetent direction can get a laugh out of me. I should be howling at the inexplicable sudden musical numbers in episodes I guess I won't spoil, and instead I'm just burnt out on Stylistic Suck. It's not a one-joke premise, per se, but it's definitely one-premise joking.
That said... it's actually an interesting and rewarding show even when it's not being funny. While the show itself is a hot mess, there are threads of logic behind the terrible decisions it makes, and as the Bad "Bad Acting" entry shows, behind what makes each distinct cast member a horrible actor in every episode. I especially like the slow, creeping reveal that Dean Learner is actually a dangerous psychopathic murderer, retroactively adding new meaning not only to prior scenes of his admitting to doing awful things without realizing they were wrong, but to his terrible acting since he doesn't feel genuine emotions.
Also, since it's an 80's show, the soundtrack kicks about a thousand times more butt than it has any right to. Even the over-the-top chanting of "Darkplace! Darkplace!" in the credits can't ruin a great synth song.
And that's why I give the show my tentative recommendation, at least to people like me who enjoy analyzing and thinking over things? Just don't expect a lot of comedy and you might be alright.