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I like outside-the-box comedies.
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Matthew Holness, left, and Matthew Berry in a scene from "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace."Amazon
'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'
When to watch: Now, on Amazon.
If you've ever caught a glimpse of "Invitation to Love," the soap opera within the world of "Twin Peaks," and thought, "I mean, I'd watch a few episodes …," try this British comedy that has been stuck in relative obscurity but is now streaming. Created by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade, the show debuted in 2004 but is a parody of a terrible '80s sci-fi horror show, with introductions from that fictional show's star and creator, the revered occult author Garth Marenghi (Holness).
One challenge for entertainment about crummy entertainment is that it has to be both: The stand-up material on "Hacks" has to be hacky; the screamy, dreary sitcom on "Kevin Can ___ Himself" has to be a screamy, dreary sitcom. It's why there's only one "Horsin' Around" special episode of "BoJack Horseman" - it's a parody, sure, but it still needs to land like a real T.G.I.F. sitcom. "Darkplace," the show-within-the-show here, is gloriously, happily terrible, with wigs that cost fives of dollars, purposefully bad audio and lines like: "Broccoli! She's turning into broccoli!"
The bigger a fan you are of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," the more you will like this. And "What We Do in the Shadows" fans will be thrilled to see Matt Berry here, full of puffy absurdity
I like outside-the-box comedies.
Matthew Holness, left, and Matthew Berry in a scene from "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace."Amazon
'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'
When to watch: Now, on Amazon.
If you've ever caught a glimpse of "Invitation to Love," the soap opera within the world of "Twin Peaks," and thought, "I mean, I'd watch a few episodes …," try this British comedy that has been stuck in relative obscurity but is now streaming. Created by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade, the show debuted in 2004 but is a parody of a terrible '80s sci-fi horror show, with introductions from that fictional show's star and creator, the revered occult author Garth Marenghi (Holness).
One challenge for entertainment about crummy entertainment is that it has to be both: The stand-up material on "Hacks" has to be hacky; the screamy, dreary sitcom on "Kevin Can ___ Himself" has to be a screamy, dreary sitcom. It's why there's only one "Horsin' Around" special episode of "BoJack Horseman" - it's a parody, sure, but it still needs to land like a real T.G.I.F. sitcom. "Darkplace," the show-within-the-show here, is gloriously, happily terrible, with wigs that cost fives of dollars, purposefully bad audio and lines like: "Broccoli! She's turning into broccoli!"
The bigger a fan you are of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," the more you will like this. And "What We Do in the Shadows" fans will be thrilled to see Matt Berry here, full of puffy absurdity
