Cunk on Britain is a British mockumentary television series created by Charlie Brooker starring Diane Morgan as the title character Philomena Cunk, an ill-informed investigative reporter, who originated on Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe including the 2016 specials Cunk on Shakespeare and Cunk on Christmas.[1] It premiered on BBC Two on 3 April 2018, and concluded on 1 May 2018, after one season of five episodes. It was followed up in 2022 by a similar series, Cunk on Earth.
| Cunk on Britain | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Charlie Brooker |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Lorry Powles |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Matt Hulme |
| Cinematography | Jon Kassell |
| Editor | Damon Tai |
| Production company | House of Tomorrow |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 3 April – 1 May 2018 |
Plot
editPhilomena Cunk, an ill-informed investigative reporter, retells British history through a series of montages and interviews with experts which feature odd or ridiculous questions. The show featured guest appearances from real-life experts, including Robert Peston, Neil Oliver, Howard Goodall and Ronald Hutton.
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Beginnings" | 3 April 2018 |
| 2 | "The Empire Strikes Back" | 10 April 2018 |
| 3 | "The Third Episode" | 17 April 2018 |
| 4 | "Twentieth Century Shocks" | 24 April 2018 |
| 5 | "The Arse End of History" | 1 May 2018 |
Cast and characters
editMain
edit- Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk
Filming
editFilming took place in September and October 2017 in Britain and began airing on 3 April 2018.
Reception
editThe Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson notes, "It’s Cunk’s interviewing style that is the highlight and potentially one of its weaknesses. Chucking questions that make no sense at experts was a success on Screenwipe, and it works particularly well with British history academics, whose politeness and patience only exacerbates the absurdity."[2] New Statesman's Anna Leszkiewicz states, "The success of Cunk as a character is not thanks to her general persona as an ill-informed pundit, but her bizarre turns of phrase."[3]
References
edit- ^ McKay, Alastair (3 April 2018). "Cunk on Britain review". The Standard. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (4 April 2018). "Cunk on Britain review – look out, Philomena's about". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ Leszkiewicz, Anna (23 March 2018). "Philomena Cunk now stars in her own parody history: Cunk on Britain". New Statesman. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
