The real comedic genius of the show is its sheer awfulness. The acting is purposely dreadful, the camera shots often stick from hilariously terrible angles that cut off half of people's heads, and firearms (including flame-throwers) appear from nowhere to supply needed explosive action.

What struck me as most humorous was the scripting, with unrealistic lines, bewildering trades of dialogue, and blatant fodder for Marenghi's character and his staggering ego. Plotlines are semi-sensical, stemming from interesting ideas such as telekinetic abilities and alien spores descending through clouds, but executed even worse than a Michael Bay movie.

Jeff Provine, BC Magazine, 22nd June 2008

I was watching [adult swim] on the Cartoon Network before bed the other night and came across a strange 80's style hospital show. I didn't know the name at the time but it seemed interesting for the simple reason that I've studied film and noticed how the editing was atrocious. At first I thought to myself "God, what is this garbage." For some reason instead of nodding off to sleep I kept watching, and eventually sat up in bed shouting YEAH!!! THIS IS GREAT!!!

The Bivouac, 25th February 2008

Darkplace offers a cool dose of unique entertainment value. It's the type of British show that begs for a cult following.

How do you rate a show that's deliberately attempting to be horrible? Yes, production values were low and the settings are bargain basement. Sure, the acting's atrocious on the same scale as a eigth-grade production of The King and I. It's true that you can see the wires holding 'floating' objects in the air. That being said, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace has so many levels of humor that you'll either immediately tune out or you'll laugh yourself unconscious and join the Darkplace cult of the horribly hilarious.

Kyle Braun, UGO, 27th July 2007

Hilariously cheesy effects, poor acting, and continuity so awful that it would have made even Ed Wood weep... Somehow, within six short episodes, this show had done every television "don't". Of course, the creators purposely made everything outrageously crappy, so the low-quality was totally acceptable.

I saw this show a few weeks ago and it has already become one of my top ten favorites. It's one of those shows that you really have to see to understand because, as you may have noticed, it's a real bitch to try and explain.

Annie Wu, TV Squad, 3rd February 2007

It's almost impossible to produce incompetence deliberately. Darkplace is instantly addictive and painfully hilarious. This even though Holness isn't technically doing anything all that new (see also: Benny Hill or Carol Burnett). But Darkplace uses mistakes - miserable line readings and badly drawn characters - as fuel for a sly show business satire. Even better, it also explores 'ego', how popularity, not capability, leads to less than successful entertainment applications.

Bill Gibron, Pop Matters, 31st July 2006

If the premise of the series is not your cup of tea, then you'll likely remain busy while identifying which classic '80s-era TV shows are being spoofed at any given moment or deciding which genre writers Marenghi reminds you of most. No matter which way you go, however, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is certain to tickle your funny bone in one spot or another.

TV Jots, 28th July 2006

Darkplace is an elaborate and brilliantly executed hoax, designed to lampoon 1980s television, horror, sci-fi and the rampant egotism of self-appointed 'mastermind' authors. It was actually made in 2004, but the effect is so convincing that it's genuinely believable as a product of the 1980s. Everything, from the fashion, to the music, to the texture of film stock, to the overly punchy audio quality and dated synthesiser score, is captured with expert aplomb, to the extent that more than a few people have actually been taken in by the scam.

It goes without saying that Darkplace is really, really bad, and intentionally so. The episodes are hilariously incompetent in their execution, with clumsy editing, incompetent framing, laughable special effects, wobbly sets, atrocious writing and, last but not least, staggeringly poor performances, with Learner's monotone 'reading from the page' delivery contrasting with Rivers's ostentatious theatre-like readings.

In something of a twist of irony, the show achieved poor viewing figures when it aired in January and February of 2004. However, it quickly developed a strong cult following, and one would hope that the long overdue release of the DVD will make it available to a wider audience. It may not be for everyone, but Darkplace is, in this reviewer's opinion, absolutely hilarious and required viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in horror and sci-fi, provided they are prepared to take a few steps back and laugh along with the show at the sometimes ridiculous nature of the material.

Michael Mackenzie, DVD Times, 10th May 2006

This spoof of bad 1980s television gets funnier each week. The sets shake, the cuts don't match and the acting is terrible.

But you know what? As deliberately laboured and over-cooked as the plot exposition is, at least the stories actually make logical sense, which is more than you could say for a lot of $150 million Hollywood blockbuster films.

The show prides itself on straight-faced comic delivery, the best of which come in the interview snippets as Garth and the other actors reflect on the artistic virtues of their lost masterpiece.

Jim Schembri, The Age, 20th February 2006

Comic's Corner

The Telegraph published an article written by Matthew Holness in character as Garth Marenghi.

Written by Garth Marenghi. From The Telegraph, 1st February 2004

I hereby vow never to work in TV again

The Guardian published this article in which Matthew Holness, writing in character as star horror author Garth Marenghi, explained how budgetary problems, mysterious deaths and the secret service nearly ruined the (fictional) production of Darkplace.

Written by Garth Marenghi. From The Guardian, 26th January 2004

There's no doubt that Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a clever meta-fictional concept, oh-so ironic and post-modern, but it's also one that emerges as somewhat too clever and cynical for its own good, with that continual sense of being a too-conscious attempt at manufacturing a cult series, whereby flattering the commissioning executives and delivering the right target demographic to advertisers are more important than actually saying anything.

It also leads, alas, to that continual sense of doublethink about the whole exercise, whereby if something is just crap, well that was the intention. We win, you lose, and everything is recuperated within the system, with no possibility of discussion outwith its frame of reference.

Now, don't get me wrong - I liked it better than I thought I would, and found much of it pretty damn funny, but just wished it had been a bit more self-critical and questioning of its audience and institutions.

Keith Hennessey Brown, Eye For Film

When I first got a hold of Darkplace on DVD I didn't have any prior knowledge about the show. I expected it to be a typical British sharp humor show that has some relations with our favorite genre. After watching a couple of episodes I was laughing out loud, all by myself, which doesn't happen to me even when a terrific comedy is on the TV. What is so hilarious about the show is that the people behind it really know their stuff when it comes to stereotyping 80s TV shows and movies.

Evil Dread