Smell The Cult: Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

	Keywords:
	Horror pastiche Gore Mockumentary style

STARRING:
Matthew Holness -	Garth Marenghi / Dr. Rick Dagless
Matt Berry -	Todd Rivers / Dr. Lucien Sanchez
Alice Lowe -	Madeleine Wool / Dr. Liz Asher
Richard Ayoade -	Dean Learner / Thornton Reed

Season

Transmitted:	Series - January 2004 - March 2004	Seasons:	1
Overall Rating:		Last Updated:	24th November 2009

Man alive, this is entertaining.
The premise: Horror writer Garth Marenghi delved into the murky world of television back in the early to mid eighties (the precise date is unclear) and conceived of Darkplace, a horror series set in a hospital of the same name, in which a gateway to hell is inadvertantly opened up during the first episode. Never transmitted, in these desperate days where TV execs are running out of ideas, Channel 4 suits dust off Darkplace for an airing, reuniting the original cast and crew for the usual talking head soundbites, and treating the viewing public, for the first time, to the majesty that was Darkplace.
And it's absolutely fantastic.
Fusing gore with goffiness, slash with slapstick, quotable lines abound even as the absolute insanity plays out on screen.
Marenghi himself is an inspiration, clearly being a very thinly veiled piss take of Shaun Hutson, humourless horror maestro that he is, but it's the interaction between the characters that is the real showstopper.
Holness is ably supported by Matt Berry as perma-tanned Dr Sanchez, Richard Ayoade as his agent, who also contributes directorial and writing duties in real life as well as Alice Lowe as Dr Ascher, some faces will be familiar to those who follow British alternative TV comedy.
Quite brilliantly getting a handle on the fact that horror is all 'A Little Bit Silly,' this parodies the genre wonderfully, something which can only be achieved by true devotees, in the same way as The League of Gentlemen managed a few years previously.
Silly, funny, sick and clever, this is a comedy gem.

Season 1	Season Rating:

Once Upon A Beginning	Welcome to Darkplace, a hospital in Romford situated over a gateway to Hell itself. Dr Liz Asher arrives to begin her first day at work and, when shaking hands with Dr. Sanchez, experiences horrific visions of violence and gore. Just another humdrum day at Darkplace, then.

Hell Hath Fury	Liz's menstrual cycle unleashes chaos at Darkplace, as inanimate objects take on a life of their own and develop a taste for blood.

Skipper the Eye Child	A terrible genetic experiment gone wrong leaves a giant Eye Child reigning terror on the patient's of Darkplace, it's rampant erection an embarrassment to all. Dagless can't help but think about his dead son, and it's not long before he's replaced him with the Eye Child.

The Apes of Wrath	A hideous infection is being spread through the water supply in the hospital known as Darkplace, a contaminant that turns the infectees into apes. How could they have known about the disease? Aside from the fact that the water was bright green......
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Scotch Mist	A mistake from Rick's past sees a mist descend over Darkplace, a mist that hides a dark secret: a clan of angry Highlanders out for retribution over Rick's racist remarks whilst in a chip shop in Glasgow.....

The Creeping Moss from the Shores of Shuggoth	Sanchez falls head over heels in love with a patient. Only trouble is, she's been contaminated by extra terrestrial spores and is turning into broccoli. She must be boiled.