It’s hard to believe I’m reviewing the top comedy on Netflix at the time of writing…because I’m not. “Cunk on Earth” may not be on Netflix’s top ten lists, but after reading this review, maybe I can convince you that it should be.
This deadpan, witty mockumentary, starring Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, was recommended to me by my roommate, and so far I have been delighted with every episode. While Cunk was a character originally created for the British comedy series “Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe,” (viewable via Youtube or BBC) viewers without prior knowledge of the inquisitive correspondent’s origins will still be delighted by her blissful ignorance and/or impish audacity.
On her visits to notable locations around the world, Cunk delivers satirical commentary and droll interviews, asking scholars and experts about burning questions such as the pronunciation of “Bible” (obviously, it’s ‘bib-el’), or, “What was the Soviet onion?”
The best part of the show, in my opinion, is the befuddlement of the experts, such as the one to which Cunk posed this very question. Professor of Imperial and Military History at King’s College London Ashley Jackson suggests that Cunk means the Soviet Union, while the latter firmly redirects to the Soviet onion, which she knows to be the term because she “saw it on a piece of paper earlier.” “Can we stick to the topic of the Soviet onion, please? …What exactly was it? If you don’t know, it’s okay to say, you know, I won’t judge you.”
Watching Jackson try to pick up the pieces of the conversation and Cunk nod philosophically, preparing her next attack (“Did they have turnips?”), I can’t help but laugh. Diane Morgan’s commitment to drive the interviews off of the historical tracks, not to mention the will it takes not to break her character in the face of the experts’ gamut of reactions (including dissolving into laughter, to which she replies, “That’s not a joke. What’s funny about that?”)
Throughout the five 30-minute episodes of the series, Cunk delivers the SparkNotes of history through examining early civilization, the middle ages, the renaissance, the 20th century, and the Cold War era. Devoted fans can also find her commentary on Shakespeare, Britain, and other humans on YouTube. I especially enjoyed her commentary on Shakespeare, including Romeo and Juliet as the “most successful rom-com of all time” and subsequent shock when Professor Stanley Wells, honorary president of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, explains that the lovers die at the end (“…so we should put a spoiler there, shouldn’t we?” Cunk finally asks a producer.)
“Cunk on Earth” episodes and subsequent spin-offs are just short enough to fit in as a homework break, and their hilarious, irreverent treatment of history has delighted audiences, even stretching to one parent’s review on Common Sense Media of five stars and, “A+ Educational value” (this coming from the experts themselves rather than our delightfully misinformed host).
Viewers can find the series on Netflix and spin-offs on YouTube (and won’t be disappointed).