La vida según Filomena Cunk

Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) is discussing Life, the Universe and Everything with her many guests in a wide ranging conversation. The first twenty minutes is really Cunk on Religion. It can come off as Cunk making fun of religion. That part depends on the audience. The comedy is a bit scattered. The issue is that some of the experts are catching on to the premise and they're not all playing it correctly. On the other hand, Brian Cox is going full grouch and that is hilarious. Pump Up the Jam is fun in the Monty Python way. There is a chance that Cunk is getting diminishing returns. We'll see.

They must have lost the writers and producers that make Cunk on Earth a success. The jokes are all flat, and the timing that made all the jokes worth is nowhere to be found. Philomena seems like she's trying to force all the words out in rapid fire, not giving anything room to breathe. It's also turned from a fake documentary into a self aware comedy, which makes it a bit unbearable.

It gives off the vibe that someone wanted to pump out material after the recent success of Cunk on Earth, but didn't want to put in the prerequesite work to make it good again.

A pity, Diane deserves so much better. She's gone so far and has so much further to go.

Philomena Cunk examines life and its meaning. By speaking to academics and other experts in their fields she looks at the big questions regarding life.

If you've watched Cunk on Earth you'll know what to expect: Philomena Cunk (Dianne Morgan) essentially asks absurdly silly but funny questions to some of the brightest people on the planet. If you've watched Da Ali G Show this will seem familiar as Cunk is derivative of that (and not as good).

However, despite not being entirely original it is pretty funny and entertaining. Dianne Morgan is great with spot-on timing.

Not as good as Cunk on Earth though. The set-ups are less intelligent, the humour cheaper and lower-brow and the experts less easily shocked.

Last time they seemed shocked at the silly questions but, to their credit, didn't lose their composure. Here they seemed to expect the silly questions (possibly they'd done their research and seen previous Cunk stuff) and rolled with it. Brian Cox, the eminent physicist, even seemed to be successfully anticipating where Cunk was going with her double entendre questions but played along anyway.

Ok can we talk about how amazing the professor from the Munch scene (Richard Thomson from University of Edinburgh) is though, he managed to keep the conversation going and almost communicated with Cunk successfully while holding respectful boundaries. You can tell he has such passion about art that he's more shocked even a bit hurt than offended by her opinions. Enjoyed this special because I'm a fan of the series, a bit overdone otherwise with the trying to be trendy parts and self-reference but still pretty funny, right now I want more of this series but also don't want more of this series. Required characters limit finally met so I can post!

Just stepped up a gear from the other mockumentaries which I already loved.

Fair play to Charlie Brooker and the other writers - this was superb. I didn't stop laughing.

Every interview and comment was yet another gag, with absolutely no fluff or respite. Easily my favourite programme from Xmas 2024 - possibly the year.

Having chaptered elements through this extended version helped prevent this getting too stale.

You do wonder how much the interviewees are prepared for these. Do they know whats coming are are just told to keep a straight face - or are they told they need to dumb the answers down as if to a small child or Golden Retriever (Thanks Jeremy Irons for that line)