Entertainment

Diane Morgan returns as Philomena Cunk for new series

Cunk On Earth will take a look at humankind’s greatest achievements over the years.
Cunk On Earth will take a look at humankind’s greatest achievements over the years. Cunk On Earth will take a look at humankind’s greatest achievements over the years.

Diane Morgan is set to reprise her role as ill-informed investigator Philomena Cunk for new BBC series Cunk On Earth.

The mockumentary will see Cunk, the character who originated from Charlie Brooker’s television review programme Weekly Wipe, try to uncover humankind’s greatest achievements and discover how humans came to be.

She will aim to explain some of society’s greatest achievements, from the Mona Lisa to nuclear power.

The series, created and written by Brooker, will also journey through the ages to examine how science and the arts have affected the stone age, space age and beyond.

Cunk, who has been played by Morgan since 2013, will be joined by experts who will answer questions about the progression of society.

She said: “This series it’s in my contract to go somewhere better than just Britain so I’m hoping I at least go to Italy as that seems a safe bet.

“I’m looking forward to getting out of the house and tracing humanity’s progress and also finding out exactly what a ‘civilisation’ is.”

BAFTA Craft Awards – London
BAFTA Craft Awards – London Diane Morgan plays Philomena Cunk (Ian West/PA)

Brooker added: “I am delighted to be working with Philomena again, even though she is a fictional character who, like me, has never experienced the emotion of ‘delight’ and has only a limited understanding of what constitutes ‘work’.

“In pursuit of nothing less than the definitive story of human civilisation, she’s going to visit every corner of the globe our budget and official pandemic travel restrictions will allow.”

Morgan has also played Cunk in specials including 2016’s Cunk On Shakespeare and Cunk On Christmas, as well as the series Cunk On Britain and Cunk & Other Humans.

Cunk On Earth will debut on BBC Two and iPlayer in 2022 and on Netflix outside the UK and Ireland.