garth marenghi's darkplace

beardedlamb · Post by **beardedlamb** » August 8th, 2006, 12:38 am

ok, this is easily one of the funniest things i've ever seen.

http://www.scifi.com/darkplace/

i can't find any footage of the show online but i didn't really look too hard. i saw two episodes of it on sci-fi last night flipping through channels and i nearly died laughing. amazing concept, amazing execution. i wish i was english most times. they've really nailed good, short-lived TV.

this is the next the office.

it comes on sci-fi at 11pm on sundays and there's only 6 episodes but they're making a new special on it because it's become so popular.

wow.
and, i'm retarded. i just checked and 13 minutes of the first episode is on the sci-fi page.

kaci_beeler · Post by **kaci_beeler** » August 8th, 2006, 3:46 am

Actually, the whole first episode is up, in two parts.
Jeremy is right, this show is awesome. At first I was skeptical if I could watch the whole thing (I have a short attention span these days, being online so much) but I could and I did and it was funny.

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » August 8th, 2006, 7:58 am

[nerd]I have this from it's original BBC broadcast if yous guys wants a copy. trivia: the dude who plays garth is the annoying IT dude on an episode of The Office[/nerd]

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » August 8th, 2006, 11:37 am

nice use of '80s synthesizer spooge

beardedlamb · Post by **beardedlamb** » August 8th, 2006, 1:35 pm

the episodes i saw were i think 3 and 4 and they were even funnier than what's online. i don't usually but dvds but i would absolutely buy this if it cam out. bob, you have copies of the rest, you say?

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » August 8th, 2006, 1:47 pm

I believe the DVDs are ready to go but have been pushed back a few months to coincide with a sort-of follow up: a chat show with Dean Learner (Garth's editor who also plays his boss on the show [and who is actually played by Richard Ayoade]) called "Man to Man With Dean Learner." That said, the DVDs aren't being released over here (as far as I know) so they'll unfortunately be in the british PAL video format (which don't jive with our NTSC). I've got copies of all 6 episodes in a format that I can put onto a regular DVD that'll play in your player.

I'll try to have it together for this weekend!

John wrote:nice use of '80s synthesizer spooge

The composer was actually nominated for a BAFTA (read: British Emmy) for this score! ...and is being brought back for the Dean Learner chat show.

Some random trivia: Darkplace started out as an Edinburgh fringe show a few years ago, along with other turned-into-tv shows like The Mighty Boosh.

beardedlamb · Post by **beardedlamb** » August 8th, 2006, 2:29 pm

boss trivia, trivia master.

on the matter of the theme, i love that the theme is "based on melodies originally whisteld by garth marenghi."

i'm thinking that because it's on sci-fi here in the states if it gains any momentum it'll come out ntsc for us statesiders. of course i cannot turn down such a gracious present from the trivia master himself.

you are a cut above the waist. or is it rest.

jeremy

Brian Boyko · Post by **Brian Boyko** » August 8th, 2006, 3:11 pm

mcnichol wrote:[nerd]I have this from it's original BBC broadcast if yous guys wants a copy. trivia: the dude who plays garth is the annoying IT dude on an episode of The Office[/nerd]

I want a copy if you have it.

shando · Post by **shando** » August 9th, 2006, 2:46 pm

Brian Boyko wrote: I want a copy if you have it.

Ditto.

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » August 9th, 2006, 3:42 pm

Brian Boyko wrote:I want a copy if you have it.

shando wrote:Ditto.

Done and done.

kaci_beeler · Post by **kaci_beeler** » August 9th, 2006, 5:26 pm

Oh no!
I would like a copy too but I didn't want to overload Bob!
Whenever you ever have the chance Bob...it could be months from now and that would be okay with me. Or when someone else is done and wouldn't mind loaning it out.

deroosisonfire · Post by **deroosisonfire** » August 9th, 2006, 6:03 pm

kaci_beeler wrote:Oh no!
I would like a copy too but I didn't want to overload Bob!
Whenever you ever have the chance Bob...it could be months from now and that would be okay with me. Or when someone else is done and wouldn't mind loaning it out.

ditto.

vine311 · Post by **vine311** » August 9th, 2006, 6:10 pm

deroosisonfire wrote:
kaci_beeler wrote:Oh no!
I would like a copy too but I didn't want to overload Bob!
Whenever you ever have the chance Bob...it could be months from now and that would be okay with me. Or when someone else is done and wouldn't mind loaning it out.
ditto.

What they said.

shando · Post by **shando** » August 9th, 2006, 6:20 pm

And thus a cult is born.

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » August 10th, 2006, 10:05 am

I've knocked out a couple copies so far, more to come.

Maybe this is a signal that we should start a lending library of comedy or something. Or maybe a comedy/tv/video night at the Hideout. or in my backyard.

There's lots and lots of stuff that most of us probably missed when it was originally on, or missed because it was in another country, or because it never aired in the first place....

other stuff that should be seen:
Heat Vision and Jack (which is the closest thing I've seen to Darkplace, and actually predates it)
Exit 57
Lookwell
Not only... But also
The Day Today
CNNNN