# Cunk on... (2018)

> Diane Morgan's Philomena Cunk interviews real experts while confidently mangling the history of Britain, Earth and cinema in this deadpan mockumentary.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/68139

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 29 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: comedy, documentary
- Created by: Charlie Brooker
- Network: BBC Two
- Cast: Diane Morgan, Shini Somara, Mark Lawson, Vanessa Harding, Tom Holland, Ronald Hutton, Jessica Nelson, Neil Oliver
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: deadpan, irreverent, witty, satirical

## What critics say

Critics broadly find the deadpan mockumentary sharply witty and an irreverent take on British and world history.

## Synopsis

Cunk on... (2018-2022) is a British comedy mockumentary created by Charlie Brooker for BBC Two. Diane Morgan plays Philomena Cunk, a landmark mockumentary presenter who sets out to traverse the history of Britain, Earth and cinema with total confidence and almost no understanding. Each short episode of roughly twenty-nine minutes is built from her earnest interviews with real experts, including historians such as Ronald Hutton of the University of Bristol, archaeologist Neil Oliver, and political editor Robert Peston, who answer her questions with barely contained bemusement. The comedy comes from the gap between Cunk's grand pronouncements and the sober expertise around her, as she mangles dates, confuses eras and asks questions no scholar would entertain. The series spans two seasons of five episodes each, with the first season airing in 2018 and the second in 2022. Its deadpan register is dry, irreverent and gently satirical, with a playful affection for British institutions and national mythology. Fans of The Thick of It, The Office (UK) and Brass Eye will find the same straight-faced absurdity and sharp British wit here, served in brisk, self-contained bursts.

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