I think this Netflix mockumentary from Black Mirror creator is deeply underrated (here's why you must watch it)

Aashna
Cunk on Earth (Image via Youtube/BBC)
Cunk on Earth (Image via Youtube/BBC)

Imagine getting a rich philosophical and educational lesson on Earth's history, but with British deadpan humour and top-notch sarcasm. That's exactly what Netflix's Cunk On Earth offers, which is a five-episode mockumentary series by Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker.

English comedian Diane Morgan (After Life) plays Philomena Cunk, an investigative journalist who first appeared in Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe's short 5-minute segments.

The character was such a hit with the audience that Morgan reprised her character for Cunk on Britain for BBC Two and Cunk on Earth, which finally got an International release on Netflix.

While the mockumentary genre is not new, with shows like The Office and Parks & Recreation already being the pioneers, I think Cunk on Earth dared to explore uncharted territories through this hilarious collaboration with journalism.

What I like most about Netflix's Cunk on Earth is that you cannot put it in categories. It is philosophical, parody, comedy, and travel show, amalgamated into one and presented by an ill-informed investigative reporter.

More on Cunk on Earth in our story.


Netflix's Cunk on Earth: A hilarious journey with Britain's most clueless reporter

Very few characters manage to walk the fine line between absurdity and stupidity and Morgan's Philomena Cunk is a master of the art.

As absurd and funny as her name, Cunk takes viewers through her fictional travel and investigative show, asking uncomfortable questions and making hilarious observations with prominent theologians and experts.

While Philomena Cunk comes across as an ill-informed reporter, she is so much more if you just change your lens. Cunk is not wrong; her way of asking questions is simply unique. My favorite part about Cunk on Earth is watching prominent theologians, professors, and historians sit baffled as she wittily throws questions at them.

Her mispronunciation, misguided facts and inappropriate questions might come as hilarious but they are generally thought-provoking.

Be it Philomena Cunk calling Jesus Christ the first victim of cancel culture, calling Christianity the fidget spinner of Medieval times, or calling 'dying of plague' as Renaissance people's favorite hobby, each of these hilarious observations invokes a deep, albeit inappropriate thought.

My favorite moments from Cunk on Earth are watching Philomena painstakingly mispronounce words like Bible to Bibble or Renessaince to Rene-sauce, a 16th-century ketchup. Famous experts sit baffled as our witty reporter throws weird questions at them.

In addition to being a hilarious investigative reporter, Netflix's Cunk on Earth also gets meta as Philomena often breaks the fourth wall.

She powers her meta mode on when she literally throws a script about Islam on camera or asks which episode the Enlightenment period will appear in. These fourth-wall-breaking moments are comedy gold.


Cunk on Earth is the art of intelligent idiocy

Through its five 30-minute episodes, Cunk covers almost all of Earth's history. Starting from the Stone Age, Middle Ages, Renaissance and finally the Industrial Revolution, the show takes you on a journey of Earth exploration.

But who has loved a plain boring history lesson? Philomena Cunk is here to 'Pump Up The Jump', a technoanthem she actually uses between her episodes, which you will not see coming. The show's hilarious, thought-provoking and unexpectedly hilarious satire will teach you the history of Earth while you fall from your chair with big belly laughs.

Do not assume the show's main focus is only laughs because I also learned much about Earth's history. That's the uniqueness of Netflix's mockumentary. It turns Cunk's idiocy into intelligence through reenactments and interviews, adding depth to the show. It's a fun twist on education through an unfiltered and satirical lens.

If you love Cunk on Earth, you can also check out Netflix's Cunk on Life, Cunk on Britain and Cunk on Shakespeare.


For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.

Edited by Aashna