Netflix sets release date for Diane Morgan’s ‘Cunk on Cinema’ in first trailer
Philomena Cunk is heading to the movies, though she would prefer to keep the black-and-white bits to a minimum. Diane Morgan returns as the presenter of ‘Cunk on Cinema,’ and the first trailer includes a Netflix release date. Having already tackled the history of the world and the meaning of life, Cunk is turning her attention to film. Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Bay are among the people helping her make sense of it, one ill-informed question at a time.
There is plenty for her to get through. The BBC describes the series’ scope as “from the invention of the camera, to the New Wave filmmakers of the 60s, right up to the entrance of CGI and what the future of AI holds.” Its synopsis continues: “Cunk will attempt to demystify it all while sitting in lumpy seats with stale popcorn, asking herself where did cinema come from? And why? What does it want? And why can’t it tell us?”
To help with those questions, the series brings in 23 experts from across the film industry. There are people from behind the camera, too, including ‘Project Hail Mary’ composer Daniel Pemberton, screenwriter Steven E. de Souza and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. Critics Mark Kermode and Catherine Bray also take part, alongside filmmaker Mark Cousins and Sight and Sound managing editor Isabel Stevens.
Some guests already know what a conversation with Cunk involves. Jim Al-Khalili returns after ‘Cunk on Life,’ while Ashley Jackson is back following ‘Cunk on Earth.’ For anyone coming to the character through this series, Morgan first played her in ‘Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe.’ She went on to front mockumentaries about Britain, Shakespeare and more, interviewing experts with a straight face and questions that rarely follow the usual documentary script.
Morgan offered a taste of that approach when the cinema series was announced. “There will, unfortunately, be some bits in black and white, but we’ll keep that to the barest minimum,” she told Variety while in character. ‘Black Mirror’ creator Charlie Brooker leads the writing team, with Morgan also contributing. Al Campbell directs the Pacesetter Productions series, while Brooker and Morgan serve as executive producers alongside Jessica Rhoades and Sam Ward.
As for when to watch, ‘Cunk on Cinema’ reaches Netflix on November 15 outside the UK and Ireland. In the UK, all three half-hour episodes land on BBC iPlayer at 6 a.m. on November 12. BBC Two will begin airing the series at 10 p.m. that evening, with the second and third installments following on November 19 and November 26. UK viewers can therefore watch the whole series on release day or follow its weekly television run.
