After a barrage of Tiktok sounds and highly viral clips on the internet, the Cunk on Earth review is here to tell you whether all the hype was worth it. This documentary series starring Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk is a collaboration between BBC and Netflix. The show also stars Douglas Hedley, Shirley J. Thompson, Nigel Spivey, Ashley Jackson, Jim Al-Khalili, John Man and Ruth Adams, alongside Morgan. Directed by Christian Watt, the series consists of five episodes each ranging from 25-30 minutes.
Netflix’s description of the series reads:
Philomena Cunk is here to show how far humanity has come — or not — in this witty mockumentary tracing the history of civilization.
-Cunk on Earth Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
There are many mysteries in the world, and the character of Philomena is equipped with the producer’s budget and the resources to tell us all about them. At the start, we are introduced to this character and her odd pronunciations of abacus and Bible while she talks us through the history of the world. Starting from the beginning of civilisation, Cunk takes us through cave paintings, ancient Egypt, mummies, cave paintings and cuneiform.
An interesting aspect of her interviews is the experts she brings in and the questions she puts forward to them. It is a testament to her talent that she can keep a straight face while she asks questions that may reduce any everyday man to embarrassment. Why Cunk on Earth is interesting is because it continues to subvert socio-political conflicts by being aloof and innocent. There is no need to be offended because there is an aspect of Jester’s privilege coming through in the performance.
Cunk on Earth circles around some controversial topics, including religion, speaking of its rise and the role it takes in society today. Using technical aspects of the television format to tell some tongue-in-cheek jokes, this show does a brilliant job, coming off as non-threatening but direct. It expects audiences to think about why there is a certain way this history is presented and why we continue to think of it like that.
Like slavery in America, or the Christopher Columbus expedition and the popular narrative surrounding the renaissance. While the Beyonce and Renaissance clip may have gotten viral for that moment, however, the best part is the one that comes after that, questioning whether straight white men from ancient times blow Beyonce out of the water. Once again, there are many jokes that subvert tropes of activism and allyship in Cunk on Earth.
The best part about this series, though, is the narrative structure. It swiftly glides through incidents and experts, all interconnected to tell the story of human technological advancement. Starting from philosophers saying, “I think, therefore I am,” to ending with the thought that we might live in a simulation is a brilliant evolution of the show, moving completely naturally.
Additionally, the insertion of recurring jokes like the character’s friend Paul, using the experts to prove her right against her ex-boyfriend or bringing back Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic have all made the story more relatable. Using personal experiences to explain the narrative better, this show does a good job of making world history interesting to a few people.
Perhaps, one of the best episodes of the series is when she speaks of the World Wars and the inherent tendency of humans to shove all the ugliness under the carpet. Speaking of the atrocities during the war, expressing the naivety post the first world war and the presence of weapons of mass destruction that continue to haunt humanity across the globe.
The use of actors, sound effects and some good-natured dramatisation of history has made the narrative more interesting. Like Drunk History on Comedy Central, this show employs certain interesting ways to make history come to life by inserting our protagonist in modern clothing back in time.
Finally, while the show exhibits many good uses of humour and lightness to a fairly serious topic, it loses sense of the meat of the show, getting lost in the details or trying too hard to make it funny instead of letting the humour unfold itself. However, this is overshadowed by the general demeanour of the experts on the show, compounded by Philomena’s ambivalent attitude and the grounded nature of her reportage.
Cunk on Earth Review: Final Thoughts
If you enjoy some fourth-wall-breaking, mockumentary-style storytelling and a fresher course on the history of the world, this show is a great watch. Apart from good-natured humour and some outlandish personalities in the show, Cunk on Earth tries to convey a general sense of empathy towards the world and the people living in it (except for Cunk’s ex-boyfriend, of course).
Cunk on Earth is available to stream on Netflix. Did you enjoy Philomena Cunk’s take on the Earth’s relatively new history? Let us know in the comments below.
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