Cunk on Earth

2023 - 2 - 1

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Decider"

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Cunk On Earth' On Netflix, Where Fake Expert ... (Decider)

Diane Morgan reprises her role as clueless presenter Philomena Cunk in a new series produced by Charlie Brooker.

Our Take: With mockumentaries that are in the style of Cunk On Earth, you need the person being the dimwitted presenter and interviewer to be both credible-sounding and funny, and you need the willing experts she interviews to have an infinite amount of patience. According to Morgan, she starts the two-hour interviews off with relatively straight questions and then has Cunk go off kilter with her inquiries, and the interviewees have no idea what she’s going to ask. “Did they start at the top and work down or start at the bottom and work up?” And when talking to a Cambridge philosophy professor, she insists that “the brain is full of pipes.” Morgan has been playing Philomena Cunk for a decade now, and it shows in both the segments where we see her walking through different sites around the world and confidently presenting Cunk’s bullcrap to the camera or an interviewee, both with an air of confidence that’s completely unearned. Did we have a branding, like beef or pork?” The archaeologist somehow answers that and the rest of Cunk’s questions with a straight face. Now she’s taking on the history of human civilization in the new series Cunk On Earth.

'Cunk on Earth' Review: Netflix Mockumentary Is a Droll Delight (Hollywood Reporter)

The five-episode 'Cunk on Earth' is a mockumentary about human progress from Charlie Brooker ('Black Mirror') and Diane Morgan ('After Life').

Within the format concept of Cunk being a landmark documentary presenter on a landmark documentary, Cunk on Earth tries occasionally to branch out in style. I’m not sure that Cunk’s Marxist-adjacent skepticism — she’s particularly cynical about the expanding American empire — lines up with the character so much as with Brooker’s worldview, nor do I fully buy Cunk’s existential pain at realizing that Laika, the first dog in space, died while up there, but these are things that give the character nuance and offer a reminder of how good and full a performance Morgan is giving. The series and the character are at their best in Cunk’s interviews with experts, as she politely, if somewhat indifferently, asks various Cambridge and Oxford educators questions like “Why do humans need to believe in something bigger than ourselves? But then, somehow, the character and concept were enlarged upon in a number of half-hour specials, and then in the BBC Two series Cunk on Britain. The writing team, led by Brooker, gives Morgan silly non sequiturs and ridiculous mispronunciations — I’m still giggling at her pronouncing “Bible” as something closer to “Bibble” — but there’s a complicated, often casually tossed-off joke structure to her prattle, like praising the smartphone as “incredibly advanced and yet at the same time so simple a child can make one.” When an interviewee takes the time to show concern about Cunk’s cluelessness, rather than just simmering annoyance or frustration, it’s perhaps more than she deserves, but definitely what we, as viewers, deserve. There’s so much material that Cunk on Earth can’t help but feel a little more superficial than Cunk on Britain, with its hints of exploratory depth. She’s intentionally understated and even bland, but if it’s required by the bit, she’s capable of doing a pratfall down a sand dune or getting whacked in the head by a wooden plank wielded by a Jesus impersonator. Sure, you can go on YouTube and watch most of Philomena Cunk’s previous TV appearances ahead of Cunk on Earth, or you can check them out after Cunk on Earth. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t pleasures in to be had when Philomena Cunk embarks on a journey of exploratory breadth. At five half-hour episodes, Cunk on Earth is a consistently droll, frequently delightful series that mixes high and low comedy at a breakneck pace. The punchlines don’t always land — in part because of inconsistency in the way the character has evolved — but if one observation feels too glib or one target feels too on-the-nose, don’t worry.

Cunk On Earth: 5 Things To Know Before You Watch The Netflix ... (Cinema Blend)

Cunk on Earth follows Philomena Cunk, a character created by comedian and actress Diane Morgan, as she explores the history of human civilization, going all the ...

[a David Attenborough documentary](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/david-attenborough-what-to-watch-if-you-like-the-legendary-nature-documentary-presenter) crossed with interview segments from The Daily Show, where the seemingly normal interviewer asks a series of preposterous questions to experts in various fields. [Netflix subscription](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/netflix-subscription-the-plans-the-price-and-whats-included). This is due to language, nudity, sex, and other mature topics on display throughout the five-part series. She also wrote the 2018 book Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena, which covered a number of topics. Cunk on Earth follows Philomena Cunk, a character created by comedian and actress Diane Morgan, as she explores the history of human civilization, going all the way back to the “beginnings” of humanity, with a comedic bent. [irreverent comedies](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/hilarious-dark-comedy-tv-shows-and-how-to-watch-them), and one of the streaming platform’s latest additions takes both genres and mixes everything together to give viewers one hilarious, and surprisingly insightful series: Cunk on Earth.

Has Cunk on Earth been renewed for Season 2? Here's what we ... (The Review Geek)

Renewed or Cancelled? The British series Cunk on Earth is a witty and thoroughly amusing account of Philomena Cunk's (played by Diane Morgan) view of different ...

At the time of writing, Cunk on Earth has not been renewed for a second season. Here is what we know about season 2 of BBC’s Cunk on Earth: The British series Cunk on Earth is a witty and thoroughly amusing account of Philomena Cunk’s (played by Diane Morgan) view of different interesting titbits of world history.

'Cunk on Earth' puts a comical twist on history lessons (UConn Daily Campus)

If you're anything like me, history is one of your least favorite subjects. After long, mundane classes full of names and dates, the information goes in one ...

While “Cunk on Earth” may not help you ace your next world history exam, it will entertain and enlighten you on how the world came to be as we know it today. Every video you scroll through provides a brief summation of a certain war or invention, and every video is focused on something different. I would compare the structure of the mini history lessons presented in this series to watching a lot of TikToks that pop up when you enter “history” in the app’s search bar. The first episode focuses on the earliest humans and the development of civilization. For example, thanks to Cunk’s humor, I will always remember that the Great Wall of China cannot actually be seen from space. While the description makes the show sound like an insult to history, it actually works to do the opposite.

Cunk on Earth: Netizens are loving this hilarious mockumentary from ... (Times of India)

News News: Cunk on Earth is a comical, five-part TV docu-series that aired first on BBC and has now premiered on OTT on January 31. If you love humour, ...

As paul2001sw-1 says, “The writing is brilliant, a clever parody of mainstream ‘quality’ television as well as an airing for the character; but Morgan plays the part so well it’s hard to believe she is acting. And if you are the more serious types, then this series may not be your cup of tea. But give the first episode a shot and then decide whether you want to continue watching it, for sometimes, it is good to see history through a refreshing new lens. Cunk on Earth is a comical, five-part TV docu-series that aired first on BBC and has now premiered on OTT on January 31. In the same vein, here is anniewen-09212 who comments, “I don't find it funny at all, neither could I learn anything useful from this. She (has) such a distinguished dead pan delivery that I believe is now a cornerstone of her acting skillset.”

'Cunk on Earth': A Hilarious Mockumentary From 'Black Mirror' Creator (Rolling Stone)

Charlie Brooker and comedian Diane Morgan have brought an irresistible idiot to Netflix whose mockery of history will have you in stitches.

But then in the next breath, she will compare this particular innovation to the release of the first Crash Bandicoot game, and all seems normal again. But the producers ask each subject to be as sincere as possible, and to essentially treat Cunk as a naive child. (The Crusades remind her of that time he got bad diarrhea.) [Brooker has acknowledged](https://youtu.be/uZ-5eOD57Ss?t=503) that Morgan’s been doing it so long that everyone is in on the joke. [Charlie Brooker](https://www.rollingstone.com/t/charlie-brooker/)’s Weekly Wipe. As played by Diane Morgan, Cunk is a naive simpleton who can barely grasp any of the subjects she discusses, filtering everything through an extremely narrow and modern lens.