Ep 1. Once Upon A Beginning

Garth Marenghi's Dark Place is a satirical comedy-horror television series that parodies low-budget 1980s TV shows. The first episode of season 1, titled "Once Upon A Beginning", follows the bizarre and twisted world of horror novelist Garth Marenghi, as he recounts his experiences as a hospital psychiatrist at Darkplace Hospital.

The episode begins with an introduction from Marenghi himself, who sets the scene for the audience, introducing them to the fictional hospital. Marenghi describes the hospital as "a place of healing" and talks about how the staff are all "like a family". We then meet the show's main character, Dr. Rick Dagless, who is the head of the hospital's psychic ward.

The episode is shot in a intentionally bad quality, with exaggerated camera angles and bad special effects, which is part of the show's running joke. When a bizarre portal opens up in the hospital, Dr. Dagless must navigate the strange and terrifying world beyond it to rescue his patients, including one who has been trapped inside for over two years.

Throughout the episode, we are introduced to the rest of the Darkplace team, including the hospital director, Thornton Reed, and Dagless's colleague, Dr. Lucien Sanchez. We also meet the hospital's resident unqualified doctor, Liz Asher, who is portrayed as a typical "ditz" character and often causes more harm than good.

As the episode progresses, we learn more about the mysterious portal and the horrors that lie beyond it. Dagless and his team have to fight their way through various monsters and creatures, including a giant eyeball and a possessed tree. The episode features a number of surreal and absurdist moments, including a fight sequence in which Dagless takes on a "half-man, half-gorilla" creature with a net, and an encounter with a character who is half-man, half-demon.

Despite the show's focus on horror and supernatural elements, the comedy is what really shines through in "Once Upon A Beginning". The dialogue is often intentionally bad, with characters spouting off cheesy one-liners and obvious exposition. The show's creators intentionally made the sets and props look cheap and tacky, adding to the overall comic effect of the show.

In addition to its parody of low-budget horror shows, "Once Upon A Beginning" also mocks the idea of the "tortured writer", with Garth Marenghi's character often interrupting the main action of the episode to talk about his own creative process and the struggles he faces as an author.

Overall, Garth Marenghi's Dark Place season 1 episode 1 is a hilarious take on cheesy 80s horror shows and the tortured artist stereotype. With its intentionally bad special effects and over-the-top acting, it's a show that's sure to have viewers both laughing and cringing at the same time.