Cunk on Britain [split topic]

[Virgo76]

Great stuff. Not sure what people are complaining about on here. What would you rather be watching?

[Virgo76]

Why on earth would you see playing Cunk as somehow a burden to her career? It's popular, it's put her on the map, she has her own show on the BBC out of it and all this will lead to other stuff.  Who says she's stuck with this persona anyway?

Exactly.

Enjoyed yesterday's COB less than usual, that said.
Impossible to believe people like Mark Lawson and Chris Packham are unaware she's a comedy character.

they really must be in on it - how thick would you have to be not to Google a presenter when/before you agree to meet them?

That would only work if she introduced herself to them as Philomena Cunk, of course. I doubt she does.

[olliebean]

The guy who asked "How does it end?" in response to her question about the Nantucket limerick was definitely not only in on the joke but playing up to it.

[MojoJojo]

I'm pretty sure Brooker has said the guests are told it's comedy but are told to play it straight.

[Panbaams]

I'm pretty sure Brooker has said the guests are told it's comedy but are told to play it straight.

According to the episode of the Remainiacs podcast with two of the writers, some of the experts often do a lot of work with schools – they're told to think of Cunk as an eight-year-old asking dumb-kid questions, and treat her accordingly.

[bobloblaw]

Joel Morris cleared this up after episode one:

@gralefrit
Amid the lovely Cunk love, some concern that the experts "must know who she is by now". They always did, from first Moments of Wonder on. Nobody is tricked. It's not meant to be a prank, just an exercise in deadpan in the face of daft. #cunk

[holyzombiejesus]

I really enjoyed last night's episode although, again, the malapropisms were grating especially the Dickens titles. Quite liked the repeated use of Dickings though.

[JesusAndYourBush]

I really enjoyed last night's episode although, again, the malapropisms were grating especially the Dickens titles. Quite liked the repeated use of Dickings though.

The two things I found most grating were the names she used (I forget exactly what they were) for Origin of the Species and Arthur Conan Doyle.  Apart from that, I liked it.

I noticed that when you follow the word "Cunk" with a vowel sound (as in the shows title) the K is obvious, but when you don't follow it with a vowel sound as the BBC announcers have been doing all week it makes me do a double take every time.

[derek stitt]

I hope the person playing Cunk gets to keep the coat the character is always wearing, its kind of a good garment.

Plus, I really want to like this programme because I do and I don't at the the same time, if that makes sense. Thhe show is lazyly written yet can score such wonderful goals. Matt le Tissier on valium.

[Sin Agog]

Yeah, that.  It's like the writers realise it's been ten words since the last joke, so think 'this'll do', when it doesn't do, and undermines the genuinely funny stuff.  Better to just let her play it straight for a bit until inspiration strikes than put in some lame pun your local vicar would reject as too pat.

[Brundle-Fly]

Thhe show is lazyly written yet can score such wonderful goals.

I don't write on this, but an open goal, Derek?

[derek stitt]

I don't write on this, but an open goal, Derek?

Nah, not in missing a sitter in spectacular style. More a case of the criticisms put upon the former Southampton player, from the nineties and somehow transferred onto the programme. Very often you would see Le Tissier just lollop around the pitch not doing much but, then score a goal that would lift you out of your seat in sheer admiration because it was so breathtakingly good. Cunk is the comedy equivalent of this. For every splendidly silly jumping medieval peasant joke or corking deadpan look you get ten or fifteen weary malapropism or weak puns. It just makes you frustrated because there is quite a bit of talent there. That's all really. I will still watch all episodes and will still recommend anybody just for being daft for the sake of being daft though, we need more of this sort of thing.

[phes]

It's a good analogy but I think you're being too generous with Le Tiss. He has a collection of some of the greatest goals of the modern era, Cunk will be remembered but I doubt any of her goals will. I don't really get the love for this, as your analogy describes there's mostly nothing much going on here apart from the occasional one liner that lands. And knowing the guests are in on the joke and it's just an exercise in keeping a straight face makes it even less interesting to me. If they weren't in on the joke and directed in their approach at least you could enjoy watching genuine reactions and spontaneous approaches to her line of questioning

[olliebean]

Well at least she doesn't bang on about football for no reason.

[Jockice]

Great stuff. Not sure what people are complaining about on here. What would you rather be watching?

Preferably something funny. And thanks for asking.

[derek stitt]

It's a good analogy but I think you're being too generous with Le Tiss. He has a collection of some of the greatest goals of the modern era, Cunk will be remembered but I doubt any of her goals will. I don't really get the love for this, as your analogy describes there's mostly nothing much going on here apart from the occasional one liner that lands. And knowing the guests are in on the joke and it's just an exercise in keeping a straight face makes it even less interesting to me. If they weren't in on the joke and directed in their approach at least you could enjoy watching genuine reactions and spontaneous approaches to her line of questioning

Shall we settle on Temur Ketsbia then?

[BlodwynPig]

I liked the 3rd a lot. The Brush Strokes random reference is not funny on repeated views, but maybe the final late 20th Century episode will just be Cunk and Shitpeas exposing the brilliance of the show for 30 minutes.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Yeah the Brush Strokes clip was tedious because it went on for so long.  5 seconds would have been sufficient.  Repeating it the following week was tedium squared.
I didn't see episode 1, did that feature a Brush Strokes title sequence as well?

[BlodwynPig]

Yeah the Brush Strokes clip was tedious because it went on for so long.  5 seconds would have been sufficient.  Repeating it the following week was tedium squared.
I didn't see episode 1, did that feature a Brush Strokes title sequence as well?

yes. as I say, they'll probably use it as a call back and go meta in the final episode.

[Dr Rock]

Am enjoying the repeated Brush Strokes. Everything the cheeky cunt does in the show-opening montage is problematic.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Great stuff. Not sure what people are complaining about on here. What would you rather be watching?

I really don't understand posts like this. People in this thread have clearly articulated their problems with the show. Asking what we'd "rather be watching" is a meaningless question, we're discussing the content of this particular programme.

[the science eel]

I really don't understand posts like this. People in this thread have clearly articulated their problems with the show. Asking what we'd "rather be watching" is a meaningless question, we're discussing the content of this particular programme.

Precisely.

FUCK OFF

[Sin Agog]

Great stuff. Not sure what people are complaining about on here. What would you rather be watching?

Brush Strokes.

[billyandthecloneasaurus]

I really don't understand posts like this. People in this thread have clearly articulated their problems with the show. Asking what we'd "rather be watching" is a meaningless question, we're discussing the content of this particular programme.

It's almost as bad as "WELL I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU DO ANY BETTER!!" in terms of meaningless bollocks arguments. 

[idunnosomename]

I'd rather be watching the Only Fools and Coach Tours video again, if you must know.

Edit: I did, loved it

[Lemming]

Just caught this for the first time tonight. A couple of jokes are really awkwardly forced and it doesn't make quite as much use of the travelogue/documentary format as it could, but it's still a great laugh for half an hour. I could watch parody documentaries like this all day - All Aussie Adventures still makes me piss myself and I've seen it all countless times.

The Call of Duty 2 Utah Beach joke was probably the most obvious low-hanging-fruit joke of all time, but the sombre delivery of "soldiers had to rush across the beach collecting health kits and fighting against Germans spawning right in front of them" (or whatever she said) still made me choke from laughing, even if CALL OF DUTY 2 DIDN'T HAVE HEALTH KITS, IT HAD RECHARGING HEALTH, GET A FUCKING GRIP BROOKER

[Glebe]

Switched on about 5-10 minutes in. Laughed.

[Rocket Surgery]

"AND ALONG THE WAY, I'LL BE SHOUTING AT HELICOPTERS"

From the opening sequence of ep 1. Haven't kept up with this, but I laughed at that bit.

Incidentally, of those 5-minute things she did with Joe Wilkinson that are also on the iPlayer, I watched a few and the first one was the weakest. So if you ditched it immediately it might be worth another look. The sexist domestic hazards one was pretty funny.

[kidsick5000]

Karl Howman is going to nick one of her crisps in the last episode, isn't he

[petril]

Karl Howman is going to nick one of her crisps in the last episode, isn't he

not like he can afford his own since Flash bailed on him