Series synopsis
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a British comedy mystery action & adventure sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on Channel 4 on January 29, 2004. It ended on March 4, 2004. It was created by Richard Ayoade, Matthew Holness, Billy Brown. It stars Matthew Holness, Matt Berry, Richard Ayoade and Alice Lowe.
When the Hellmouth opens beneath Darkplace Hospital in downtown Romford, kiddy doctor, Vietnam veteran and ex-warlock Dr. Rick Dagless M.D. is the only man who can close it. Joined by best buddy Dr. Lucien Sanchez, fiery hospital boss Thornton Reed, and woman Liz Asher, Dagless must fight the forces of Darkness while dealing with the burden of day-to-day admin. From the chilling pen of best-selling horror writer Garth Marenghi comes this lost masterpiece of televisual terror. Dare you enter Gart ...
Premise
When the Hellmouth opens beneath Darkplace Hospital in downtown Romford, kiddy doctor, Vietnam veteran and ex-warlock Dr. Rick Dagless M.D. is the only man who can close it. Joined by best buddy Dr. Lucien Sanchez, fiery hospital boss Thornton Reed, and woman Liz Asher, Dagless must fight the forces of Darkness while dealing with the burden of day-to-day admin. From the chilling pen of best-selling horror writer Garth Marenghi comes this lost masterpiece of televisual terror. Dare you enter Garth's Darkplace?
Premise: FROM THE BEST-SELLING MASTER OF DARKNESS
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Matthew Holness as Garth Marenghi / Dr. Rick Dagless M.D.
- Matt Berry as Todd Rivers / Dr. Lucien Sanchez
- Richard Ayoade as Dean Learner / Thornton Reed
- Alice Lowe as Madeleine Wool / Liz Asher
- Kim Noble as Jim
- Stephen Merchant as The Chef
- Julian Barratt as Padre
Guest cast
- Noel Fielding as Monkey Man
- Jonathan Edwards Young as Clive The Temp
- Matt Green as Highlander
- Graham Linehan as Security Guard
- Sarah Kants as Larry's Mother
- Lydia Fox as Rick's Wife
- Lawrence Michelowski as Larry Renwick
- Spencer Brown as Patient
- Richard Thomson as Highlander
- Tina Tutkova as Nurse
- Adrian Sturges as Voice on Answerphone (voice)
- Paul King as Techie
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 19 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 13 | ||
| Season 1 | 6 | January 29, 2004 | March 4, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Darkplace Illuminatum Marenghi, Learner and Rivers recorded over 200 hours of interviews prior to the 2004 re-release of Darkplace. What follows is a selection of the least angry. |
|
| 2 |
The One Scene I Cut Marenghi saw cutting any scene as an admission of weakness. Several episodes of Darkplace were never broadcast because running times would regularly exceed the 9 hour mark. However, it seems that this next sequence was originally intended for inclusion within the 'Scotch Mist' episode. |
|
| 3 |
Easter Egg A set of videos hidden on the DVD release. The first is a video of Learner introducing "Channel Ladykiss", followed by a video of a Darkplace patient frantically reading Marenghi's novels, followed by a hidden interview with Todd Rivers discussing method acting. |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Once Upon a Beginning New doctor Liz Asher is tipped off by a psychic cat that evil lurks in the cooridors of Darkplace. When a patient mysteriously dies, Dr. Rick Dagless M.D. must scalpel-up and close a standard-sized hell-mouth beneath Romford. Contains mild swearing and the naked top-half of a man. |
January 29, 2004 |
| 2 |
Hell Hath Fury The hospital chef is savagely attacked by a ladle and then a fork. Who or what threw one or both of them? And why are objects flying about of their own accord, attacking innocent civillians and disrupting hospital procedure? Meanwhile Dagless has his own problems with a suspicious-looking temp with an attitude problem. |
February 5, 2004 |
| 3 |
Skipper the Eyechild The past is stirring in the halls of Darkplace, and for Dr. Rick Dagless M.D., that means Trouble. With a capital T (the rest of the letters lowercase). A giant eye has been born on 'B' Wing. Winner of the Prix de L'Oeil International Opticians' Television Award for Best New Drama. |
February 12, 2004 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Channel 4 |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 29, 2004 |
| Last aired | March 4, 2004 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | Ended |