Series synopsis
Cunk on... is a British comedy television series that premiered on BBC Two on April 3, 2018. It was created by Charlie Brooker. It stars Diane Morgan, Shini Somara, Mark Lawson and Vanessa Harding.
Landmark mockumentary-maker Philomena Cunk traces the history of Britain and Earth.
Premise
Landmark mockumentary-maker Philomena Cunk traces the history of Britain and Earth.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk
- Shini Somara as Self - Mechanical Engineer
- Mark Lawson as Self - Cultural Commentator
- Vanessa Harding as Self - London History, University of London
- Tom Holland as Self - Historical Writer
- Ronald Hutton as Self - British History, University of Bristol
- Jessica Nelson as Self - Head of Medieval Collections, National Archives
- Neil Oliver as Self - Archaeologist and Historian
Supporting cast
- Robert Peston as Self - Political Editor
- Francis Pryor as Self - Pre-Historic Archaeology
- Stephen Gunn as Self - Early Modern History, Oxford University
- Ashley Jackson as Self - Imperial & Military History, Kings College London
- Kate Williams as Self - Royal Historian
- Gregory Dart as Self - English, University, College, London
- Howard Goodall as Self - Composer and Music Historian
- Emma Griffin as Self - Modern British History, UEA
- Chris Packham as Self - Naturalist and Zoologist
- Laura Ashe as Self - Assoc. Prof., Medieval Literature, Oxford University
- Doron Swade as Self - Computer Historian
- Ruth Adams as Self - Cultural & Creative Industries, Kings College, London
Guest cast
- Shini Somara as Self - Mechanical Engineer
- Mark Lawson as Self - Cultural Commentator
- Vanessa Harding as Self - London History, University of London
- Tom Holland as Self - Historical Writer
- Ronald Hutton as Self - British History, University of Bristol
- Jessica Nelson as Self - Head of Medieval Collections, National Archives
- Neil Oliver as Self - Archaeologist and Historian
- Robert Peston as Self - Political Editor
- Francis Pryor as Self - Pre-Historic Archaeology
- Stephen Gunn as Self - Early Modern History, Oxford University
- Ashley Jackson as Self - Imperial & Military History, Kings College London
- Kate Williams as Self - Royal Historian
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 10 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 5 | April 3, 2018 | May 1, 2018 |
| Season 2 | 5 | September 20, 2022 | October 18, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Beginnings Philomena takes us right back to the beginning with the Big Bang and interviews Robert Peston about British politics. |
April 3, 2018 |
| 2 |
The Empire Strikes Back Philomena's odyssey takes her from King Henry VIII to Lord Horatio Nelson. |
April 10, 2018 |
| 3 |
The Third Episode Philomena examines the Victorians and is joined by Chris Packham who tries to shed some light on Darwin's discoveries. |
April 17, 2018 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
In the Beginnings In this opening episode Cunk travels the world, heading down caves and up mountains in her search for Mankind’s first moments, and with the help of a variety of experts she explains how the earliest societies were formed: from the easier ones to spell like Rome and Greece, to the ones that are harder to spell, like Egypt and Mesopotamia. |
September 20, 2022 |
| 2 |
Faith/Off Cunk tells the story of the birth of two of the world’s great religions and learns what came next: the fall of the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, the Crusades, and Genghis Khan. So a bit of a rough patch for Mankind, if we’re honest. |
September 27, 2022 |
| 3 |
The Renaissance Will Not Be Televised Philomena Cunk explores the Renaissance and revolutions, including but not limited to the American one. |
October 4, 2022 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 3, 2018 |
| Last aired | October 18, 2022 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | continue |