Garth Marenghi's Darkplace - Episode 03 - Skipper The Eyechild

Episode 03 : Somewhere on the wards of Darkplace Hospital, a man gives birth to a giant eyeball which brings out paternalistic instincts in Dagless, still grieving for the loss of his half-human, half-grasshopper son. However, the eyeball could be a potential killer. Guest starring Graham Linehan.
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a British dark comedy show made for Channel 4 by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade. Darkplace is presented as a lost classic: a television series produced in the 1980s, though never broadcast at the time. The show parodies numerous aspects of '80s low-budget television, including fashion, special effects, production gaffs, and music.
No copyright infringement intended. All copyright remains under Channel 4. I do not own this show at all. This is the wonderful work of writers and creators Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade.

[@mmmmitch]

I want to start a petition calling for Matt Berry to become the new 007.

[@chanelevoncartiere4347]

love him but it'd be too campy. Richard Ayoade on the other hand... speaking in his normal voice? (sighhhhh). catch his sideways look at the camera at 18:21 - he is a really good looking man.

[@mayechilde2]

Chanele von Cartiere YES he is...

[@JD0x0]

Checkout Toast of London: bonus Ball. in the episode he auditions for James Bond

[@geensloth911]

Dean Learner for 007

[@crankyoldperson6871]

geensloth911 how about dean Learner but dubbed by Matt Berry

[@aranockcooke98]

"Based on melodies originally whistled by Garth Marenghi"

[@stochinblockin]

"I haven't acted since, some would say I DIDN'T act during. But uh, uh those would be unkind people, I did my best."

[@Gunz97x]

〈YellowDevil〉 fizz an.

[@SaikoKujo]

He says good... bye to a phone. HAHAHA

[@BennyTygohome]

I hadn't seen that before, or since

[@Trixiesongzxoxo]

Wait are you the pregnant man in the show ?

[@99baji99]

I used to have a drinking problem. I still do, but a used to, too.

[@videowilliams]

"Other times I copied the plots from dead authors on whose work the copyright had lapsed. [shrug] Bite me." (0:41) ~ Garth Marenghi, Dreamweaver

[@monkeywad8562]

Author, visionary, dreamweaver, plus actor. RIP

[@ml-ws5bz]

haha another fellow fan

[@paxe1]

"He was born half boy, half grasshopper he never had a chance."

[@jesterssketchbook]

"end of"

[@penthehuman]

"I've misjudged the genre like so many." Oh Darkplace how I love you

[@PsykoReaper926]

"Look at that poor man, not only has he just been screwed by a giant eye, he's now giving birth." o_o

[@swine13]

I love Graham Lineham's cameos. He didn't write this show, but you can tell he's really in tune with the style of comedy (as he would be, considering he's probably inspired Richard in some ways). I like this scene in particular because of the stagnant volume and monotony with which he delivers the lines. And the lines themselves are ridiculous. "Look at the size of that thing's rod!" - its just so jarring and shit, which - of course - makes it perfect.

[@WinterS0lstice]

LookAtTheSizeOfThatThingsRod" 😐

[@magior329]

"...you're too hard on her. -I know, I just don't find her physically attractive." haha

[@PotholesInMyLawn]

"she's a good girl..."

[@WinkLinkletter]

"...was a man whom he knew and, until that day, trusted."

[@Esproth]

"I think that scenes beautiful"

[@keithmichael112]

It always makes me laugh that they kept the crew down to tight 10 to 12 people lol

[@JesusPulledMeThrough]

"So just to restate, that IS something we'll never know. You're not going to find out later." haha! I wish television and cinema today would be so kind as to inform the audience of such things.

[@dismissing]

Fun fact: the girl who plays Dagless's wife in the flashback is actually Richard's wife

[@bramsteenhoek2674]

Heard she is Garths wife aswell.

[@PotholesInMyLawn]

That's awesome.

[@elliewuzzup7689]

She also has a Cameo in IT crowd!

[@DrunkZergling]

"I think you better go Liz." "I think I better had." "Well, go then" "I'm going." "Bye." "Goodbye."

[@KStriz]

I love the way Dag stops at 7:36, then several seconds later Ayoade comes into view: "Not so fast, mister!" It's the subtle things that make this show amazing.

[@TheOssumPawesome]

Anansi the line delivery of “no” at 19:47 cracks me the fuck up too

[@samm7098]

Hardly subtle

[@bramsteenhoek2674]

@@samm7098 ikr

[@davinci3478]

This is my fifth time watching the show and I read this comment and want to give it a like but I had already liked it

[@swine13]

Another example is the episode with the apes. At one point Dag shoots around a corner and kills two guards with 2 consecutive shots, then it waits 0.5sec, cuts to the two guards standing, waits another 0.5sec then they drop one at a time but with a bigger gap than the bullets are shot at. Their ability to get so many individual elements wrong in every scene is nothing short of remarkable. I love it 😁

[@magimermaid2crazytin]

"Look out, he's got a stick!" ...The beauty of dubbing.

[@rainboweinstein]

"And one day we'll all meet... in Valhalla." Dead. Brilliance.

[@NobodyQuiteLikeMe]

I was seriously not expecting it at all.

[@Ninjat126]

That line always surprises me every time I re-watch this.

[@wheelmanstan]

"You can dissect a heart, but you'll never know what makes it skip a beat" Wow, such powerful writing from the master!

[@lazyhomebody1356]

(That line MAY have been from a book whose copyright has lapsed)

[@GreenEyedDazzler]

@@lazyhomebody1356 so bite me lmao great call back

[@Ninjat126]

"You can dissect a heart, but you'll never find out what makes it Skipper beat."

[@lazyhomebody1356]

@@Ninjat126 You may be a genius

[@zerowastecalifornia]

That's because he's written more books than he's read.

[@leorolando1924]

The flashbacks of him teaching weird karate chops to grasshopper kid just kill me.

[@feliciak9968]

Leo Rolando “daddy don’t forget me” 😫☠️😭

[@TheUncomfortable]

That "Grasshopper Kid" had a name ... he was called ... Skipper

[@Gryffo7]

"How's your head?" "It'll live".

[@markcalcagno676]

I personally love how Garth only had daughters, and the only child Dag had in the show was a literal monster.

[@irwinisidro]

Matt Holness who plays Garth Marenghi said the fly in 8:33 was actually not planned and did land on his nose. There were prop trash bins that everyone ended up using as real trash bins and it apparently attracted flies.

[@gasjebasje99]

Niiice That actually happens in the first indiana jones as well

[@halfling49]

Certainly the 'cherry on top' that adds another layer of that "KEEP ROLLING" spirit that had plagued the poorly-produced media of the 80s that Garth Marenghi's was parodying. I mean granted, film *was* expensive, and reshoots would eat into the budget

[@ianritta]

I'm so glad you said that, because I saw it and thought, "How could they possibly plan that, without hours of reshooting it?". I think the universe has a sense of humor, and I love it.

[@vortexart5587]

i wonder if that fly was intentional for that part of the show (I thought it was a computer or green screen effect) ... and now knowing it was not part of the show make the scene even more amazing how of how the actor matt did not even break character for such a random incident during filming that very scene ...bravo!

[@jackbarnes4048]

Thought it was a Troll 2 shout out.

[@EddieHawkinsII]

Anyone else find Dag's flashbacks, with the awesome music, just a little touching despite how ridiculous the half-grasshopper son was?

[@BMF396]

Absolutely. It's weird, like you've got all these meticulous things these guys put so much work into making intentionally bad, and yet the music somehow still fucking slaps.

[@HeroRaze]

@@BMF396 It's only natural. After all, it was based on melodies originally whistled by Garth Marenghi

[@lazyhomebody1356]

Watch the Sarah Silverman episode where the hippies build a robot son and have to kill him when he turns killer. It manages to be very sad!

[@lazyhomebody1356]

@@Gloth_Sang I don't like her at all either. Someone smart wrote this episode though. It is excellent

[@Turt3752]

The music is a joke too 😭 as a composer it made me laugh really hard, there’s jokes even in the composition

[@dorndy1]

i just noticed how the height difference changes in the scene at 3:31 very subtle, clever use of forced perspective and/or wooden boxes.

[@kylewindsor199]

I always thought the guard was just being a poor actor but he's actually caught off guard by the height hahaha

[@gregbrenton914]

“A man whom he knew and, until that day, trusted”… that one gets me everytime!

[@keatonkitsune4064]

Straight up just punches Liz, but gently pushes Reed and Sanchez. XD

[@VivaLaDnDLogs]

He also threw another doctor off the roof.

[@MP-fc7qt]

14:32 the helicopter cutting the scene short symbolically represents what happened to Dagless' real son, what true thematic depth.

[@mortemoccasus2412]

That was a toy helicopter 🤣

[@gamermasta525]

His son or his dog because I believe the story is about him adopting A dog to replace his son that he never had.

[@kar12894]

I'm sorry but i do believe the phrase "He was born half boy half grasshopper, he never had a chance." is the funniest thing ever committed to cinema.

[@cksmith08]

What about the other line: "Look Out! He's Got a Stick!"

[@RedLegBlazer]

"I have to close the gate to hell." "But you're overworked already!" "Yeah, it'll be a total hassle."

[@AceAttorny]

The best thing about it is the implication that it just sort of happened by chance.

[@pipster1891]

It's TV, not cinema.

[@augustwest5356]

I love the story in the prelude about his non functional balls that kept dropping lower and lower until they were like "a pair of marbles in a hiking sock." Then he turned 30, and "they winched right up". This whole episode is fucking hilarious.

[@mackdebruin999]

Wow the way you describe shows is amazing, are you related to shows???

[@clipcalhoon]

"you wanna come too?" Noo

[@JAGNFL]

clip calhoon He sounds like he was gonna say something like "no....I wouldn't want to" but just says the noo... part with the same tone haha

[@daedalus4649]

"Whether it be in 'Nam, where I fought for my country" is such an underrated line

[@BretGammons]

"One Track Lover" is so memorable that people often forget Garth Marenghi's other great Darkplace musical moment (13:19): ♪♪ Day draws into nightfall Yonder stars shine bright You can be my baby I hope that is alright “Daddy, don’t forget me” I haven’t, but you’re dead You have a little brother now And one day we’ll all meet In Valhalla ♪♪

[@magdamaluje262]

I love it, it is beautiful. So sad.

[@kholemcrae1100]

“That’s a concussion you just gotta sweat it out” 👌😂

[@SuperNintendawg]

-the NFL

[@SuperNintendawg]

The Star Trek-style fencing outfits had me in tears. Liz is even wearing heels.

[@jordanvroon7400]

the most shameless book plug I've ever seen

[@PALACIO254]

It's quality literature for those with discerning and adventurous taste

[@cptgloriousbeard5559]

"Look out he got a stick" so many damn quotables this episode

[@PotholesInMyLawn]

I love how at 11:07 Dag pulls a Sade Sweetest Taboo move by looking out a rainy window but when they cut back to a close up there a blinds in the window and no rain. Pure genius.

[@TaskerFilms]

"Do you think that eye child took over Dags mind ?" "I don't know, but it took over his heart, for a while at least."

[@DreadfulExMile505]

Dag freakin' kills another doctor ( 16:25 ) and no one mentions it or seems to care XD

[@depolarization]

In the episode before this Liz fucking MURDERS that temp with her psychic powers and it’s played sad but she’s still working there lol

[@anthonypatriarca3190]

Darkplace must have a hell of a surgical staff. The guy was back on his feet and helping out again at 18:04. Good on him. Dedicated to his craft

[@spencersalt9712]

"If I saw him in the street I wouldn't even stop to slap his ass." That just may well be the best behind-his-back evaluation of another human being I've ever heard and I'm going to be using it as often as possible from now on.

[@tabithaprovan957]

I love how they cap off this allegedly emotionally moving episode with some worthless story about Garth seeing a pubic hair, and then it just trainwrecks into some weird political statement.

[@Buy_My_Mixtape]

love how you need to shut the hell up

[@KNadoli]

Tabitha Provan the more i rewatch this, the more i cant help but think that Garth Marenghi is Trump had he been a horror writer

[@thekaiser4333]

The NHS is in a terrible state.

[@mikiecope]

Tabitha Provan LMAO. I love you.

[@guidadiehl9176]

@@KNadoli haha yeah orange man bad😂

[@ajmeyers5661]

richard ayoade looking at the camera at 18:20 is the best bit . i dunno why i loved that so much lol

[@ldap]

I love how Dr. Sanchez says he's going to call Reed at 12:28. He picks up the phone and instantly says, "get me Reed". Then his next line implies that Reed was the person who answered the phone. Why would Reed be answering all the phones? I love this show so much.

[@mogueraguh]

Hahaha it’s definitely a highlight in this episode !

[@sneedler8661]

I'm late to the party, but Holy shit this show is hilarious. It's like a smart version of Kung Pow or someshit. It's great. I've honestly been looking for a good comedy like this for so long

[@andrewmccombs7347]

Richard Ayoade always has that same haircut. That takes real commitment.

[@TheBokkelul]

***** thats just his hair

[@Football__Junkie]

“I’m gonna give you 24 hours to get your sorry ship to shore” I actually love that line and I’m gonna start using it

[@alexs_toy_barn]

thornton reed is actually close to 'acting' in his scene where he's interrogating Dagless. he's really good, at least compared to all his other scenes

[@robkunkel8833]

… a little slow in hitting his mark for the “not so fast” line …

[@TheAndrewj96]

I just noticed that Reed’s line at 16:28 was dubbed in later because they realized Dag’s clearly not wielding a stick until the following shot. Brilliant.

[@JesseWright13]

"Other times I copied the plots from dead authors on whose work the copyright had lapsed. Bite me."

[@sandralear3141]

Don't eat when watching this program. I choked on my pizza.

[@wonderpandimonium]

During what scene?

[@80swoodpanel]

I was eating a cherry at 3:18 and I had to pause.

[@OppirompaMiDotCom]

The lullaby in this episode is the the most emotional audio-visual presentation I've ever experienced in my 41 years on this planet.

[@CheetahsArePrettyCool]

I don't know why the giant puff hat on the monster baby keeps making me lose it but I love it

[@pilbowzortox7730]

21:20 Lips don't move while he's speaking. Absolutely love it.

[@davidgori4500]

"That's a concussion, you just got to sweat it out."

[@PhillipRottingham]

"Maybe not LINKED but they're definitely connected." 😂😂😂

[@basedbattledroid3507]

I love how effortlessly Garth advertises his own novel in the show

[@beseska]

"...author, dreamweaver, visionary, plus actor..."

[@PotholesInMyLawn]

So good...Rick is magically much taller than the Guard at 3:36 when in the rest of the show he is shorter than his wife and Thornton and most everyone else... what a great show

[@DevonPalmer98]

I love how he mispronounces his own name

[@NATESOR]

"The pain shot thru her like a big bullet." Poetry is not dead. Not by a long... shot.

[@suchiuomizu]

Nobody writes like Garth Marenghi, nobody.

[@muimotion]

I love how he punches Liz but shoves the men (and don't harm the other men on the roof) XD

[@sleepCircle]

except for one man who dives straight over the edge and dies (and NOBODY ACKNOWLEDGES HIS CHARACTER KILLED A DUDE, AFTERWARDS)

[@yoursonisold8743]

@@sleepCircle If you pay attention, the same guy who flew over the edge appears again in the hallway fight.

[@sleepCircle]

@@yoursonisold8743*excellent*

[@jasonpratt5126]

I only just now noticed that the title card reads "presents". Singular. I assume this goes with the running joke about the 'producer' ("Dean Learner") being brought on at the last minute to add a little extra cash, but I always appreciate the subtler jokes. Savor.

[@fardaypu]

this kills stephen kings kingdoms hospital .

[@reallivebluescat]

+fardaypu Riget :D

[@Dr0dd]

Yeah, it's supposed to be more inspired by Riget, but by pure chance King happened to create his own adaption of that just at the same time (both shows premiered just two months apart even). So it became an unintentional parody of Kingdom Hospital too. Much more fitting, anyway.

[@SaikoKujo]

I was JUST watching Kingdom Hospital on DVD and it felt strangely familiar...(deja vue?) It took me a minute to think of THIS shows name (Darth... Garth?..?) and I HAD to come to youtube to see if it was here! (I noticed they came out the same year. I saw this originally on Adult Swim)

[@cormac_bacardi]

Daglass' lullaby and "You know how I feel about Wonton. If I saw him in the street, I wouldn't even stop to slap his ass" might be the best 1-2 punch of jokes in the entire show

[@zerowastecalifornia]

"Daddy don't forget me..."

[@progrocker666]

3:31 - I completely missed Dagless's changing height during the intro scene with Linehan haha

[@teencomment]

I love how this episode is supposed to portray Dagless as the ultimate father but considering he throws a tantrum in the flashback and wrecks the backyard badminton thing it just makes him even more of a petulant child xD To say nothing of him thinking he's going to Valhalla for...some reason.

[@gordondean9189]

His reaction to being bitten by the baby is also a little out of the ordinary 17:52

[@gordondean2165]

a massively underrated production, perfect in every way.

[@danielthompson2467]

"We'll never know." "Just to reiterate, that is something we'll never know, you're not going to find out later."

[@GetenGeten]

The sweet poetry makes me cry. I've misjudged the genre like so many.

[@ChronoKatie]

I think the part where the Eye child bites Rick's hand and he proceeds to brutally murder it is the most I have laughed in months.

[@Beko610812]

It’s the cry that makes me laugh every time! Fuckin hilarious!

[@WaterMusic34]

I can't stop singing "Day Draws Into Nightfall" when I'm by myself and cracking up at the "...in Valhalla" part.

[@dylanmahaffey8920]

The acting in this episode is particularly well done, the pain when Garth is looking out the window is palpable. One can tell that he is able to draw on the pain of his past and bare it all on the screen. I also believe that this episode Mark's when Dean becomes comfortable in his role as actor. The scene on the roof really shows his versatility.

[@phdtobe]

I just realized that the actors playing “Dag” and “Sanch” are wearing hair extensions to make their hair longer in the back.

[@Alia-bc3rc]

"If you want to grab me by the balls, at least have a decency not to wave a piece of paper at the same time." *PRICELESS QUOTE*

[@timatkins4686]

"... they went str.. right back up" That fly gets me every time

[@jonspreadthedread]

Where we learn that you just have to sweat out a concussion.

[@SuperNintendawg]

The NFL hired Dagless as Chief Medical Advisor

[@gunja556]

At least so far they have remember that Liz has psychic abilities and not forgotten about it when the plot calls for it

[@bloodrunsclear]

I love how I keep noticing things, like the fact they have a view of a city off the balcony…which is nowhere near the hospital

[@PotholesInMyLawn]

So seamless the transitions starting at 11:07 from the window having blinds to seeing the rain on the window and no blinds... is pure art in motion.... no matter how many times I watch this show and I watch it almost weekly... I find or see something new. Its stuff like this that makes it art.

[@interestingusername3803]

"Look at the size of that thing's rod!"

[@nomukun1138]

Absolutely disgusting they had to pixelate it. Absolutely disgusting.

[@dipdop9734]

@@nomukun1138 We've all got one. I could have one right now, you wouldn't know...

[@LucyWest370]

Dip Dop (checks) I’ve not got one now

[@lazyhomebody1356]

I'm glad to know it is pixelated. I've seen this episode unpixelated...you don't want to see that thing! And no, you haven't got one of those!!

[@vegetasolo1221]

Darkplace & mighty boosh are great series

[@jeremytewari3346]

15:00 Unironically amazing delivery

[@friedrichwordsworth7456]

Now that she's gone, I can think about the eyechild.

[@grimreminder5038]

"A man whom he knew and up until that day trusted...I think that seems beautiful" This show's just so gently unhinged, it's fantastic

[@ALookIntoTheEulenspiegel]

7:30 The way he prematurely stops, just to fake a badly made scene... it's just genius!

[@J.L.Media.]

"...whether it be in 'Nam where I fought for me country or right here on the streets of Romford."

[@jamesbailey2377]

My favorite things: (1) "Daddy, don't forget me..." "I haven't but you're dead." (2) "All I know is...the pube weren't mine." (3) "All I'm saying is it involved a hop and the blades of a helicopter."

[@sharkofjoy]

"Now that my cheeks are freshly rouged, I feel like a real human woman again!" 💀💀💀💀💀

[@Beko610812]

This is my favorite episode! I love Richard’s side eye trying not not to laugh. So god dam funny!

[@desalex4683]

“Here’s a pound” he forgot he was playing an American I-

[@LucyWest370]

Des Alex ? No

[@stevencox3930]

"Look out he's got a stick"

[@jackiep594]

I just realized we never met wonton!!

[@DaglessMc]

always great to come back and watch my name sake

[@GetenGeten]

From 13:00 and onwards.. You see the building's shadow against the background or should I say city view. Hahaha. Brilliant. You discover new things about Darkplace everytime you watch it. It's just so brilliantly horrible in a deliberate way.

[@greenman6141]

They continue to get the early-mid 80s UK clothing just right. Liz's fishtail skirt, with wide belt...yup..had those. Plus the mock turtle collar blouse and chunky necklace....I remember those well, though didn't wear them myself, my flat mates looked exactly like Liz.

[@miaouew]

"She's a good girl Dag, you're too hard on her" "I know. I just don't find her physically attractive."

[@nomiddlenamenmn427]

I love how they constantly refer to her as a girl, but then I realize nearly woman is referred to as a girl in 2023 with one notable exception: an underage girl is automatically elevated to young woman status after a wealthy, powerful man is accused of sexually molesting her.

[@twitchybarber]

This is it. This is what I saw on Adult Swim in high school. It's even better than I remembered.

[@gnarlyismymiddlename]

The ADR on Sanchez is incredible lmao

[@DrJuice1]

I wish there was video of them recording the ADR for some of the scenes in this series. I want to watch him say "hey, this cat's got claws" and "get me Reed" LOL. They must have their lips pressed right up against the mic while recording

[@sandwichbreath0]

'like a couple of marbles in a hiking sock'

[@Karleetoh]

"A man he knew and until that day, trusted" ooh :(

[@brianbagnall3029]

How did they get a fly to land on his nose at 8:33?

[@TheOtisUpham]

Brian Bagnall yeah that was incredible.

[@numb3r663]

CGI....they had an enormous budget.

[@nismo267]

looks like it's filmed in reverse. still doesn't explain how the fly got on his nose in the first place though. probably luck and they kept it.

[@McFasty3924]

They answer this is a Q+A video I saw, the staff were actually using the bin props for food waste and so there were flies everywhere. It took them a while to work out why there were so many flies =]

[@SuperNintendawg]

I must have seen this show 10 times by now but I just now noticed that there's blinds on the window at 11:03 but they disappear a moment later in the next shot. They put so much gd effort into making every single shot and line as unprofessional as possible. It's amazing.

[@l0rdapophis]

How they all managed to stay in character/composed during 18:00 - 18:20 is beyond me 😭😭😭😭😭