Netflix has finally released what everyone has been waiting for and made it accessible to people all around the world, which plays a very significant role here. Cunk on Earth is finally available to stream on Netflix and we’re here to talk all about it. The series Cunk on Earth is still finding its place on Netflix’s top 10 since it hasn’t been out for long, so the jury might still be out for that, but the critics have loved it so far, and frankly, so have we. If you love history, and comedy and want to learn about the planet you’re in, then Cunk on Earth is the series for you.
For those of you who don’t know about Cunk on Earth, we won’t spoil it too much for you in the introduction itself but the series is essentially a mockumentary where we see Philomena Cunk travel around the world, tracing the roots of the civilization while interviewing academics from all over the world. There is so much to look forward to while watching Cunk on Earth, and you don’t even have to be a history nerd for it. We will warn you though, Philomena Cunk doesn’t go gentle when it comes to asking, answering, and explaining some important questions, and keeping that in mind, we suggest you read this article to completion to learn everything about Cunk on Earth and why you need to watch it right away.
Cunk on Earth: Making History Fun While Pumping Up the Jam
Cunk on Earth is a mockumentary, as we mentioned earlier, but this isn’t just any mockumentary with basic humor. Cunk on Earth is going to make you laugh like you never have while talking about history. Frankly, when we started watching Cunk on Earth, there was a little apprehension because who wants to learn more about the history and the world when that isn’t something they are primarily interested in? but turns out Cunk on Earth makes everything a lot more fun. Another advantage of this series is the fact that it isn’t too long, it isn’t boring, and at no point will it make you want to skip or fast forward, and that’s when you know a series is truly perfect. We will do a little breakdown of every episode and our favorite parts about those episodes, and by the end of this review, or maybe even by the middle of it, you will be on Netflix, watching Cunk on Earth, and letting us know in the comments just how you loved it.
Cunk on Earth had a total of five episodes, and all were under 30 minutes, so it is the perfect binge for anyone looking to unwind over the weekend after working hard every week. The host of this mockumentary is none other than Philomena Cunk, played by Diane Morgan, who is often referred to as a national treasure in the United Kingdom, and we have to agree with that. Cunk on Earth has been created by Charlie Booker, and if that name sounds familiar, it is because he is the creator of Black Mirror. Cunk on Earth is very different from Black Mirror, obviously, but the one similarity between these shows is that they will leave you with many questions and some answers. Let us now move on to review Cunk on Earth as a whole and a little breakdown of the episodes so you know what to expect from the mockumentary. We highly recommend going to the series and this article with an open mind, because there is so much you’re going to learn and you won’t stop laughing as you do.
Cunk on Earth: Five Episodes of Humour, History, and Humans.
Cunk on Earth was divided into five episodes, each talking about different aspects of civilization, earth, and humanity in general. The first episode is titled “In The Beginnings” which is the perfect example of how to involve comedy while teaching everything and yet absolutely nothing. To understand what we actually mean, you will have to watch the episode, but we will highlight some of our favorite and funniest parts of the episode. Philomena was keen on tracing down humankind to the first step of their existence and she does exactly that. From cave paintings to the very first Olympics. Well, Philomena wasn’t very thrilled with cave paintings and she asked some professors who have majored in these subjects all their lives some very interesting questions. For example, had any of these cave paintings been adapted into a movie or were they just not fun enough for that? It might seem a little silly to think about, but when you hear Philomena talk about it, you will roll with laughter.
She also talks about the Olympics in Greece that took place when the Olympics involved only one country, and how they had to compete nude. Let’s just say, Philomena will manage to put some very interesting imagery in your head by the end of that conversation. Our favorite part of the episode however was when Philomena was talking about the important quotes by Aristotle and was convinced that one of his most famous quotes was, “dance like no one’s watching.” The first episode was already off to a strong start with some tongue-in-cheek humor that will already convince you to watch this series when you are feeling low.
By the second episode of Cunk on Earth, the stakes were a little higher because Philomena Cunk decides to talk about one of the most controversial topics known to humankind and that is religion. She covers two of the most popular religions in the world, Christianity and Islam. Again, if you are a religious person, we might recommend skipping this episode, but if you are a religious person who can take a joke, then this episode might just become your favorite. The second episode titled “Faith/Off” was our personal favorite because it was the perfect episode in terms of comedy, faith, intrigue and so much more. It truly made us wonder why the world is so divided in terms of religion, and Philomena Cunk is wondering that too. Well, Philomena Cunk raised one very interesting topic in this episode, where she wondered if Jesus Christ was officially the first victim of the cancel culture.
Sure, it is funny, but it does make you wonder, and that is the beauty of the series, especially this episode. As Philomena began talking about Islam, she mentioned that producers asked her not to be controversial, after which a “this content is not available in your territory” message popped up, which made it a lot funnier. However, that is the reality too. There are so many topics that are often not talked about in series, especially documentaries because of their sensitive nature, and one of those is religion. In this episode, Philomena also talked about the dark ages, and there is some promotional material too, again, fitting in perfectly into the mockumentary, Cunk on Earth. Our favorite part about this episode was how Genghis Khan wasted almost eight million pints of blood, again, you will have to watch the episode.
The next two episodes which were titled “The Renaissance Will Not Be Televised” and “Rise of Machines” were probably the two weakest episodes in our opinion, but extremely funny and educational nevertheless. Philomena Cunk was not thrilled or excited by the famous David statue, Mona Lisa painting, or even Beethoven. In the third episode, she spoke about the quote “I think Therefore I am” and asked the literary academics the question that if she thought she was someone else, would she simply become that person? Of course, this quote has deeper connotations that people still fail to understand today, but Philomena Cunk’s take on this quote has definitely taken a different and humorous perspective on this quote. The highlight of the third episode was when she spoke about the declaration of Independence and called it the perfect breakup text, well, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
The fourth episode had to be our least favorite and maybe it was because the whole episode was about war and machines, and while that is an important topic that should be discussed in great detail, somehow it just wasn’t as good as the rest of them. However, we would still love to know your thoughts about that episode, because they could be different from ours. Philomena does ask a very important question, something that is always on everyone’s mind, “why is there war?”
The final episode of Cunk on Earth was titled War(s) of the World(s), where Philomena finally indulges more in the recent inventions made by man, primarily the smartphone, which is probably where you are reading this article right now. In this episode, she also visits Russia and compares it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is something to think about. War(s) of the World(s) also features one of the most famous clips of this series which you might have seen on social media, where Philomena calls the Soviet Union, Soviet Onion instead. We don’t want to spoil the fun by giving you too much context, but once you watch this episode, you will understand exactly why this was so funny. Lastly, our favorite part of this episode was where Philomena wonders if we are all in a simulation, a topic that has made its rounds very often. But the funny part is when she wonders if GIFs are just people stuck in an endless loop. It’ll definitely make you wonder.
All five episodes of Cunk on Earth had something unique about it, but a few things that remained constant in all episodes were the song pump up the jam, which made an appearance for at least two episodes in every episode, and we suggest you don’t skip it because it truly is a brilliant song and it isn’t always relevant in the context, but it still makes it so much more fun. Philomena’s friend Paul, who we truly hope is imaginary, is also mentioned in every episode along with his antics, which will make you double down with laughter. Of course, she also mentions her treacherous ex-boyfriend Sean from time to time. It was these little things that tied all the episodes together and made them all the more fun and interesting.
Conclusion
We highly recommend watching Cunk on Earth if you haven’t already because there is something for everyone. If you can’t take a joke, there will be times you are a little offended, but we can guarantee you that you will still be entertained from start to finish. Do let us know in the comments what you thought about Cunk on Earth once you have watched it, and whether or not you would like another season of it, because we surely would.
Deepti is a prolific content writer for OpenMediaHub who specializes in movies, tv shows, and web series, along with occasional reviews. Her interests lie in watching different genres and reading comics books, although her main passion is writing for as long as she remembers.
