Garth Marenghi's Darkplace • Gaming • General Gaming • Eurogamer.net

AnotherMartin 30 Jan 2004 13:21:40 6,229 posts
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Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Anybody watch this last night?

I missed the 1st 5 mins or so, so didn't quite get the set up to it (apart from what was on the advert).

Really don't know if I liked it or not. A couple of bits made me laugh but it was all a bit strange.

One to keep an eye on though and I'll definatly tune in again next week if I remeber that it's on.

Spin_Dr_Wolf 30 Jan 2004 13:36:25 6,170 posts
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I watched most of it. Its very er... well its very er.

AnotherMartin 30 Jan 2004 13:39:46 6,229 posts
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Spin Dr Wolf wrote:
I watched most of it. Its very er... well its very er.

That's pretty much my take on it as well.

There where a couple of bits that made me laugh, the 'Scanners' bit when the guy exploded and the guy firing the shot gun by the grave near the end, also the continuity errors where pretty funny in places.

One to keep an eye on but I'm not sure if the jokes as they are will last a whole series.

pjmaybe 30 Jan 2004 14:17:53 70,666 posts
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I quite liked this. I figured it might make a pleasant change from all the american weirdo shows we've been getting.

Definitely need more british shows like this.

Peej

silentbob 30 Jan 2004 14:35:29 29,527 posts
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Speaking of obscure sitcoms, has anyone seen the BBC2 show 'Still Game'. I saw it a couple of weeks ago and though it was bloody fabulous - after poking about it looks as if its into its second or third series. I'd never bloody heard of it until recently.

I think its on late Saturday night on BBC2 - but my poopy memory could be failing me.

mal 30 Jan 2004 14:42:31 29,326 posts
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I wait to see how if they're going to change the scenario enough to make further episodes really viable.

mal 30 Jan 2004 14:52:46 29,326 posts
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Naked Video begat Rab C. Nesbitt. Halleluah!

Chewing the Fat begat Still Game. Pish. Pish. Pissssh.

Spanky 30 Jan 2004 15:12:42 15,037 posts
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Anybody spotted that tatty Revolver sketch show on the bbc yet, they've wheeled out tons of oldies from Ain't half hot mum, Corrie, On the buses and the Carry on stuff and made them do these contrived sketches. Some are actually funny but theres always the feeling of shame at seeing these institutions degraded(although i'm sure its better than the old folks home and panto).

I wanted to watch The Dark Place but my telewest box went up the spanner for the evening. It was alright this morning though and sporting some nice new features... suspicious.

pjmaybe 30 Jan 2004 15:16:47 70,666 posts
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I think my award for "person in a sitcom deemed biggest sellout and most unfunny person in history" now has to go to Ade Edmonson, currently "starring" in the "Doctors and Nurses" sitcom.

About as funny as shitting a hedgehog...

Peej

Orange 30 Jan 2004 15:19:10 5,170 posts
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I really liked Dark Place, I'm familiar with Garth's stuff from his live comedy/spoof horror show and was looking forward to it.

I agree that it's not certain if it will stay funny or get a bit too repetitive. But I'll definitely be watching next week. Certainly one of the more original and weirdest comedy shows I've seen in a while, and a lot better than ****ing Will and Grace, endless reality tv shows and other such crap.

Shadrach 30 Jan 2004 15:21:21 1,878 posts
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Saw that Revolver thing and was thouroughly bemused by it. it had Cannon and Ball in WW2 and that bird out of Hidi Hi poncing about in a library. Not funny in the slightest, just very confusing.

Thought the Dark Place was pretty cool, very odd, which is what we need more of on telly. Like AnotherMartin said, not sure if they can stretch the jokes over a whole series but I hope so, it made me chuckle quite a lot last night.

mal 30 Jan 2004 15:39:14 29,326 posts
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There was a thread about that Revolver show. Yet another bunch of arse on BBC1. As for Ade Edmonson, well he can't carry on doing Young Ones spinoffs for the rest of his life. Mind you, I only ever catch the end of his new programme because I'm too busy watching Shameless on C4 (which we also had a thread about). I've now taken to sticking with C4 and watching Little Friends instead of those other two.

WoodenSpoon 30 Jan 2004 16:03:51 12,360 posts
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I thought Dark Place was hilarious, but I didn't plan on watching it, only cought the end because I was told to watch Six Feet Under (Which in the end, I did not watch).
The bit at the graveyard had me in stitches!

On a side note, that revolver is completely and utterly dire.
I hate it. Completely.

There is also a hospital program on before it that can be quite funny, it is either piss-yourself-with laughter funny or not funny at all, very mixed.

Anyone remember a comedy on the BBC a while ago about the NHS?
It had the funny German docter that always said:

"It iz an imperfection; and must be REMOVED!"

That was very funny!

silentbob 30 Jan 2004 17:14:06 29,527 posts
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WOPR wrote:
Are you serious? The one where some people slipped on some ice and the canned audience went mad? It made My Family look like Fawlty Towers.

Hmm it sounds like either you didn't see the whole thing or you didn't get it. The audience is real AFAIK.

Oh, and Rab C and Naked Video were arse! Absolutely kicked its comedy butt.

mal 30 Jan 2004 17:33:16 29,326 posts
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Each to their own, but personally I find the humour spoiled when you can actually catch every word, somehow ;-)

I did quite enjoy the gag about the OAP who ended up drinking alcopops with the kids on the street corner because he'd got banned from all the pubs. But overall it just seems like an episode of Chewing the Fat with the funny bits ("Gonnae no dae tha'", and "Can, Can, Can, Caaaant") taken out, wheras Rab C. was the only reliably funny bit of Naked Video (though it did falter in the last two seriesssessessses). I do remember the 'This is your three minute warning of nuclear armageddon...that's except for viewers in Scotland' fake announcement though (from Naked Video).

Never really got Absolutely, but I did like a lot of the stuff that came after the Absolutely show, made by the Absolutely company.

silentbob 30 Jan 2004 17:36:29 29,527 posts
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mal wrote:
Never really got Absolutely, but I did like a lot of the stuff that came after the Absolutely show, made by the Absolutely company.

Awww not even the Stoney Town Council Olympic bid video? Brilliant stuff!

I never saw Chewing the Fat - I'll have to hunt it down.

Spanky 30 Jan 2004 17:44:41 15,037 posts
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There was Shadwell, he was my favorite. Naked Video changed the face of scottish comedy, making it ok to be middle class and still think like a scumbag. I spotted Smack the Pony ripping of Morwena Banks wee girl on the couch sketches quite badly. But it is Smack the Pony. Funny i bumped into that doon mckenzie woman in zanzibar, strange.

AnotherMartin 30 Jan 2004 17:56:49 6,229 posts
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silentbob wrote:

mal wrote:
Never really got Absolutely, but I did like a lot of the stuff that came after the Absolutely show, made by the Absolutely company.
Awww not even the Stoney Town Council Olympic bid video? Brilliant stuff!

I never saw Chewing the Fat - I'll have to hunt it down.

It's Vi-day-o!!

Didn't they also have the old guy, that used to say 'arse' all the time as well?

Seem to remeber him chasing pees around the plate and going on about his two teeth?

Whizzo 30 Jan 2004 18:13:48 44,810 posts
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Or is it vi-dough?

It was Stoneybridge by the way and Bert Bastard was always "arse"ing.

Edited by Whizzo at 18:14:56 30-01-2004

minkyqueen 30 Jan 2004 18:42:47 1,880 posts
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Monkey Dust pwnz

silentbob 30 Jan 2004 18:47:59 29,527 posts
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minkyqueen wrote:
Monkey Dust pwnz

"Arse!" - Was the precursor to the (virtually identical) Unlucky Alf (or whatever) from the Fast Show.

And yes, Monkey Dust does 0wn, just in a slightly different way. Besides which, I can't fecking see it cos its gone the way of the digital.

Bru-Man 30 Jan 2004 22:54:33 200 posts
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I had no idea what Dark Place was about and had never heard of Garth Miranguey before - I just happened to be watching when it came on. Spent the first 10 minutes going "Uh?" until my brain slipped into the right gear for it and pissed myself for the rest. Absolute classic stuff! The continuity errors, the 'real' acting of the hospital boss, the dubbing over of their own voices to make it a bit wierder. Excellent. My favourite bit: "You alright?"

Talking about Scottish comedy remember the Baldy Man? It was by the guy who played Rab C Nesbitt taken from the Hamlet adverts (the bald guy (duh) with the combover trying to take his picture in a photo booth). It was basically a silent comedy type thing (similar to Mr Bean) and was the biggest pile of shite I have ever witnessed gracing a television screen in the name of comedy. Even worse than '2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps', and that's saying something.

Orange 4 Mar 2004 23:11:12 5,170 posts
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Thought I'd bring this back because the 6th and last episode of the series was on tonight. Must say I've thoroughly enjoyed the whole lot, so fresh and entertaining. Of course after the impact of the first episode it was never going to be quite as great, but there's so many things they can spoof and do that I think they could easily do another series.

Either way I'm already counting the days until this one is out on DVD.

citizen-erased 4 Mar 2004 23:15:44 6 posts
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Either way I'm already counting the days until this one is out on DVD.

How many days is that?

WoodenSpoon 4 Mar 2004 23:18:01 12,360 posts
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I want to see the first episode again, the other ones never really lived up to that one.

I was on the floor during the bit where Dean Learner (Forget what he's called in the show) and Garth were shooting at the guy in the coffin.

Spin_Dr_Wolf 5 Mar 2004 10:47:52 6,170 posts
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"My arse is grass, and he's got a lawnmower, you dig ?"

WoodenSpoon 5 Mar 2004 10:57:10 12,360 posts
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Heh

When he is reading to you at the start

"...And then a Hell beast ate them."

Edited by WoodenSpoon at 16:14:12 14-10-2006

pjmaybe 5 Mar 2004 11:03:20 70,666 posts
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Naked Video and Absolutely were two of the funniest series ever to grace TV. Shadwell, Weird kid (Morwenna Banks doing that little girl thing, er OK!), the bloke with the very strong lancastrian accent going on about pooing in the back of a taxi..

Oh and the StoneyBridge Olympic Bid...

Funny but less so was the Morwenna Banks show that used to be on late night on Ch4. Basically her and Gordon Kennedy doing a bunch of sketches - the female (Well I think she was female) obsessional Dr Who fan - fucking funniest thing I've seen for a long time...

Sing after me...one choo free...

"You've got to have...(doo doo) Sensible hair"

Peej

catterz 11 Mar 2004 22:29:51 8,763 posts
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Is Dark Place out on DVD yet? I really want it. I missed one or two episodes.

Orange 11 Mar 2004 23:06:38 5,170 posts
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It surely won't be out for a while yet, but Garth's official site notes that it should eventually be out on DVD. I would expect it to be, it's perfectly suited for DVD, cult show and all that.