Another hilarious rollercoaster ride
Philomena Cunk is certainly an acquired taste but if you’re a fan of her humour, the dishes presented are always cooked to perfection. Played by comic Diane Morgan, Philomena Cunk is an intentionally bad pundit/ TV host, designed to poke fun at the absurdity of life, asking a variety of questions designed to not only inform but also to comedically pick apart different aspects of our everyday life.
From Shakespeare to Christmas, across to the history of Britain, Cunk’s unique perspective on the world, slathered with a variety of jokes along the way, have made her an undeniably funny pundit. And Cunk on Life is another cracker.
For those new to the Cunk-universe, the specials and TV shows generally tend to take on a similar format. Each episode (or special) sees a grand topic explored, with Cunk jetting off to speak to experts in face to face interviews, trying hard to make them crack or throwing in a variety of gags, puns and hilariously random titbits along the way.
Alongside that, we get the usual narration overlaid from expository shots of Cunk walking about, all of which designed to parody the archetypal style of these think-piece documentaries.
The interviews are easily the best parts of each, and the uniquely funny perspective that Cunk gives means you’re never quite sure what she’s going to say next. The jokes range from a mix of slapstick and one-line puns, to physical comedy and random bursts of cursing. There are a few jokes that never quite land or are overlong and outstay their welcome – even in this special – but for the most part, the humour here is on-point
Cunk on Life sees our intrepid explorer venture out to tackle the big questions. With this 70 minute special broken up into different parts, we begin with a look at religion and our own creation, before cycling through topics that include our own existence, the human body, sex and even AI. All of these are explored with Cunk’s quick wit, and the straight answers given by experts, while Cunk attempts to try and make them laugh or crack a smile with her absurd take, is partly why this works so effectively.
The funny thing is, Cunk on Life, like the other specials, is actually quite informative too. Some of the answers (like the fact the intestines are meters long) are given a bit of a kick by Cunk throwing in silly dad-joke level of humour instead to try and mix things up.
However, where the special is less effective is in its approach toward parodies and the cutaway gag sequences. There are a couple here and while I appreciate Charlie Brooker – the creator of this and also Black Mirror – intends to try and parody the absurdity of life, these gags don’t work that well.
One in particular sees a promotional gag reel for Streamberry, which, if you’ll remember, was also a big part of Black Mirror’s latest season. Given Cunk on Life is airing on Netflix too, it all feels a bit too forced, despite the scathing satire thrown in.
In fact, if anything the extended run-time here is more of a deterrent than anything else. There are some jokes that could have been cut completely, or at least thrown into the end-credit sequence (where we see material that almost made the cut) and nothing would be lost.
With all things considered though, if you’ve enjoyed the previous Cunk specials, or are looking to dip your toes into some good ol’ fashioned British humour, Cunk on Life definitely delivers the goods, even if it’s not quite at the same level as some of the others in the Cunk-universe.
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Verdict - 7/10
7/10