Review: Cunk On Earth (The all show)

How can history be told in a manner that is both entertaining and informative? The main actress, Diane Morgan, accomplishes this feat by portraying the character Philomena Cunk, a fictional journalist.

History

Don’t expect to gain an in-depth history lesson; you might pick up a few tidbits, but the primary objective of the show is to entertain and make you laugh. The character of Philomena Cunk serves as a parody of an out-of-touch journalist who poses the wrong questions and makes misguided assumptions. She conducts interviews with real historians and scientists, exploring general history with questions you’d never anticipate.

The conversations in the show strike a balance between sanity and absurdity. The historians are prepped in advance and skillfully play along, answering the questions with utmost seriousness. The absurdity of the questions often leaves them puzzled but we the spectators love it.

Is It Worth Watching?

“Women had always existed in the background of history, largely being used as human pets for men, tolerated for their magical ability to excrete fresh humans through their front holes“ - Philomena Cunk

The show is a brilliant example of British humor at its finest. The line deliveries of Philomena Cunk are so earnest, making her character even more believable and likable. Her uniqueness comes from her distorted and naive view of the world, which is exacerbated by the interactions with the historians, who were told to treat her as an ‘ignorant child’. When you add Diane Morgan’s improvisation skills, the end result is dialogues that are out of this world and could never be written otherwise.

I strongly recommend watching Diane Morgan’s interviews about creating her carefree character and her views on the show. She mentioned that she actually finds history boring, which aligns perfectly with her character.

While most of her improvisations involve bouncing back from the historians’ answers and making us laugh, I’ve found myself agreeing with her at times. It’s a bit surprising, but I believe it’s because her character is so detached from reality that she ends up making some valid points. This aspect makes the character more relatable.

The Cunk Series

The tv show is still niche but it’s not privy only to Britain anymore. Cunk On Earth has gained a lot of popularity recently. Her chaotic rant being shared on social media has helped the show gain traction and her humor has struck a chord with a new audience.

The show is currently available on Netflix, and we can only hope that it will be renewed for a second season or return in a different format. With only five episodes, it was clearly not enough. Fortunately, there are other shows in the Cunk series that are worth watching, such as “Cunk on Shakespeare” and “Cunk on Britain”.

"You don't want to miss it; it's a must-see!" - The author

In short, in a day and age where comedy is often overlooked in favor of drama, Cunk On Earth is a breath of fresh air. It’s a show that will make you laugh and (maybe) learn a thing or two about history. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.