Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Darkplace is a brilliant, offbeat British comedy that couldn't make it past the initial run of six episodes due to low ratings, but since then gained a cult following and eventually made its way to Adult Swim's growing stable of live-action content. It's a show within a show, the premise being that fake schlock horror writer Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner decided to make a show in the 80's on a shoestring budget. The action takes place in a hospital where many supernatural things happen, and all the mistakes and shortcuts are played up to great comedic effect. The special effects are obviously cheesy, the main character is always making typical hackneyed proclamations, and Learner is a horribly awkward supporting character.

Marenghi's a little full of himself, calling himself a visionary and a dreamweaver in the show's intro. They add little interview segments with the "actors" throughout the program, which add another dimension and plenty of opportunities for more jokes. A lot of the show is just laughing at intentional screw-ups, which can be a little obvious and cheap, but there's way more to it than that. There is plenty of genuinely good wordplay and subtle dialogue that show how smart the makers really are. I have a soft spot for English accents in comedy, and it can be a simple joy just to hear some Brits say funny things for a half hour. If you catch it on late at night, give it a watch.