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Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

(Rated TV-14, Comedy, Starring Matthew Holness, Richard Ayoade, Alice Lowe, Where to watch: Syfy)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 15.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Retro horror parody is creepy, not scary.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–18

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    This show is all about the occult, which means that characters can be faced with just about anything, at any time, though the basic theme is that good can overcome evil.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    A fair amount of gory violence (with lots of blood), and a few rather disturbing images. Even though many of the effects (including the blood) are obviously fake, it's still startling.
  • Sex:

    No sex or nudity, but plenty of innuendo.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some smoking and drinking.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Parents need to know that although this creepy show is ultimately a spoof, it has some very disturbing images that are inappropriate for children. Though many of the effects are obviously fake, the copious quantities of blood, the sudden camera angle shifts, and the grating sound effects all combine to create some startling scenes that could give anyone bad dreams.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about ghosts and telepathic powers. Darkplace Hospital is a magnet for the spirit world, attracting all kinds of demons, ghosts, and spirits, many of whom aren't in a good mood. One of the characters possesses strong psychic abilities, which helps the cast battle evil, but also makes her especially vulnerable to the powers of the underworld. Do you believe in spirits and extrasensory abilities? Why or why not? Families can also talk about the nature of spoofs -- is parodying something a form of mockery or a tribute? Or some of each?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Are commonsensemedia completely insane?

    The CSM review of darkplace actually made me feel pretty, darn annoyed... They've take then show into a COMPLETLY different context...Its NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SCARY...its supposed to be corny and cheesy, which it manages well (and is very funny!). The violence is overdone and stupid, which adds to the comedy (in the episode 'scotch mist' a possesed bagpipe attacks the main character...im trembling just thinking about it... -.-) Honestly CSM, if you take the media that your supposed to be reviwing fairly and watch it in a way that its not supposed to be viewed, you're going to get an UNFAIR review. You didnt really state that it was supposed to be funny and the review kept mentioning 'young children being disturbed'. This show isn't meant to be watched by 'young children' so why say that? Its probably on at a time where it is IMPOSSIBLE for 'young children' to watch it...In short, the review by CSM is rubbish and unfair, the show is good, and if you watch it, you'll see what i mean! Thanks for reading...

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