Cunk on Earth
Cunk on Earth is a British mockumentary television series produced by Charlie Brooker. The series stars Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, an ill-informed investigative reporter, a character who previously starred on Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe and Cunk on Britain.[1] The series was acclaimed by critics, with many praising Morgan's deadpan delivery. It premiered on BBC Two on 19 September 2022, and was released on Netflix on 31 January 2023.
| Cunk on Earth | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Mockumentary |
| Created by | Charlie Brooker |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Christian Watt |
| Starring | Diane Morgan |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Charlie Brooker, Sam Ward |
| Running time | 28–29 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Original release | September 19, 2022 |
For her performance in the series, Morgan was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance.[2]
Plot
Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) travels around the world, interviewing (real-world) experts such as Paul Bahn, Martin Kemp, Nigel Spivey, and Shirley Thompson about world history.[3]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "In the Beginnings" | Christian Watt | September 19, 2022 |
| 2 | "Faith/Off" | Christian Watt | September 20, 2022 |
| 3 | "The Renaissance Will Not Be Televised" | Christian Watt | September 20, 2022 |
| 4 | "Rise of the Machines" | Christian Watt | September 20, 2022 |
| 5 | "War(s) of the World(s)?" | Christian Watt | September 20, 2022 |
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 100% based on 23 reviews and an average rating of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Diane Morgan feigns dopiness with ingenious comedic timing in Cunk on Earth, a gut-busting sendup of anthropological documentaries."[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 82 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[5]
David Bianculli of NPR gave the series a positive review, stating that it has "cult classic potential".[1] The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg called it a "consistently droll, frequently delightful series that mixes high and low comedy at a breakneck pace."[6] Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian praised Morgan's performance, calling her character "so well-written it's easy to forget she's not real."[7] Michael Idato of The Sydney Morning Herald described the show as "magnificent, brutal, and absurd".[8]
Awards and Nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Television Awards | 2023 | Best Female Comedy Performance | Diane Morgan | Pending | [9] |
References
- Bianculli, David (3 February 2023). "Clunky title aside, 'Cunk on Earth' is a mockumentary with cult classic potential". NPR. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- "BAFTA Television 2023: The Nominations". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- Ibekwe, Desiree (2 February 2023). "Philomena Cunk Is Weird Enough to Take on the World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- "Cunk on Earth". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- "Cunk on Earth: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- Fienberg, Daniel (31 January 2023). "'Cunk on Earth' Review: Charlie Brooker's Netflix Mockumentary Is a Droll Delight". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- Nicholson, Rebecca (20 September 2022). "Cunk on Earth review – Diane Morgan's character is so well-written it's easy to forget she's not real". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- Idato, Michael (8 February 2023). "Magnificent, brutal and absurd: Is Cunk on Earth the funniest show on TV?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- "Bafta TV awards 2023: full list of nominations". The Guardian. 22 March 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 April 2023.