273. Web-series Reviews – 109

More web-series reviews…

Cunk on Britain – Came out in 2016. A 6-part series. Investigative reporter Philomena Cunk returns with this landmark mockumentary series journeying through British history. She asks eminent figures important questions such as: "Is a rock made of stone, or is a stone made of rock?"

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Philomena Cunk looks at the history of British culture, giving her own unique spin on the history.

It's a wonderfully funny, smart and imaginative series, it's rips the educational, but often sober historical documentaries that have been the staple of The BBC for many years, expect many laughs, sarcasm, and just a refreshingly different brand of humour.

Diane Morgan, it doesn't matter what she does, she is an absolute joy, and incredibly talented. For me, she's one of the best on TV, I love her versatility and variety, she's so good at whatever she does.

It's the look on the faces of the special guests and interviewees that I most enjoyed, the looks of shock, disbelief and astonishment, it's all cleverly put together.

Some amazing location work here, she truly did get to some surprising locations, Italy in particular looked awesome.

Another review from IMDB...

I was debating with myself whether to lower my rating for this to an 8...because Cunk is telling a story that is already familiar...we've heard about it a million times...it's not innovative...

it's just the same thing with just a little dose of comedy...but even horrible histories did that already too...that's another PHENOMENAL show people should check out...also British...

but Cunk really owns this...she makes it her own...she gives it her identity...her cold almost detached persona is fantastic...

yes some of the comedy is a little stale and lacks flavour...which is probably why am not giving this a 10...

the good Jokes land very very well...the mood and tone around this whole thing is consistent through out...which is a factor some shows fail in...

the intro is very good...why doesn't she change clothes though...i know that shallow and petty but come on...it's tv...make it interesting...even the small details matter...

the intricate jokes though are what won me over...and the documentary mockumentary style interviews was a genius idea...it's a reversal of expectations done so nicely...adds to the comedic element...

My Take – An awesome series!

 

Cunk on Earth – Came out in 2022. A 5-part series. From virtually nothing to virtual reality, Cunk comically tells the story of our greatest inventions such as the wheel, the Mona Lisa, and nuclear power. Along the way, she asks experts hard-hitting questions about humanity's progress, as well as standing near impressive old ruins or inside museums.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

As Episode 1 of "Cunk on Earth" (2022 release from the UK; 5 episodes of about 30 min each) opens, investigative reporter Philomena Cunk, in her best David Attenborough-reminding tone, welcomes us to "This is EARTH!" and off she goes exploring the beginnings of civilization, including cave art, the mysteries of the pyramids, and so on.

Couple of comments: this is the return of the fictional character of Cunk, played ingeniously by Diane Morgan ("Cunk on Britain"). Here, in a mere 1 1/2 hrs, we revisit the "greatest hits" of human civilization, as viewed through the lens of Cunk, and with input from many UK academics. It makes for a hilarious. Best episodes (for me) are Episode 2 (looking at religion) and Episode 3 (looking at the New World and how the US came about). The writing in spot on for the most time, but in the end it's all in the delivery by the unflappable Philomena Cunk.

"Cunk On Earth" premiered on the BBC last Fall, and it started streaming on Netflix earlier this week. The 5 episodes are very binge-worthy and this mini-series is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes for good reason. If you are in need of a good laugh, look no further, and I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Another review from IMDB...

Diane Morgan supplies us with quite the character in Philomena Cunk; a friend even said she is "probably the funniest comedian in the world right now".

Indeed, it's rare that I laugh as frequently -- at as many consecutive lines/jokes -- as I did when I watched Cunk on Earth, the latest entry in the Charlie Brooker Cunk On... series, which is popular on BBC Two but only just recently reached a wider audience through Netflix and their release of this new installment. There are some jokes here that don't land, but there's a good chance you'll like the next one just a few seconds ahead.

Most might know Morgan from the Ricky Gervais show After Life, where she was used as a foil for Gervais in a role where he might've otherwise used Karl Pilkington. Here, she studies the Earth's history with the same childlike understanding (wisdom?) with which Pinklington took in its wonders in An Idiot Abroad. (Morgan/Cunk isn't quite as hilarious on purpose as Pilkington is just by existing, but she's seriously up there; some of these interviews -- in which the interviewees are never in on the joke and try their best to seriously answer Cunk's stupefyingly dim-witted questions -- are priceless.)

This is truly one of the finest, most welcome comedies of the year, as well as one of the most unpredictable (with some jokes being dubbed "jumpscares" by fans on Twitter). You can never foresee what sort of braindead comment will accompany the fascinating facts (from the observation that the artists behind cave paintings are "likely" dead by now to the sidenote that the Christians made a tactical error when they captured Jersulamen in 1099, in that they "went home without it") or what sort of reaction Cunk will have upon learning about Descartesian philosophy, the fact that nuclear weaponry still is "a thing", et cetera.

Hop on Netflix and watch it. You deserve to have a laugh about this crazy world.

My take – An awesome series!!

 

Caught Out – Crime Corruption Cricket – Came out in 2023.  One of the reviews from India Today...

Supriya Gupta's documentary is a Test match where patience is key

Netflix documentary Caught Out Crime Corruption Cricket takes a deep dive into one of the biggest scandals that rocked the cricket-crazy nation, India. The documentary started streaming on Netflix on March 17.

Tests are often considered by many to be the purest form of cricket. The battle between two sides for victory over the course of four innings, in most cases, spread across five days.

While many have been caught by the glitz and glamour of T20 cricket and want things to be quick, patience is key, when it comes to Tests and that's precisely what you need when you're watching Caught out Crime Corruption Cricket, directed by Supriya Sobti Gupta.

The documentary takes a deep dive into one of the biggest scandals that rocked the cricket-crazy nation, India. The country has always seen its finest cricketers as heroes. But what happens when a national hero makes a mistake? What do his followers do? That's one facet the documentary has tried to explore during its run time of one hour and 17 minutes.

With a lineup of some of the biggest journalists and CBI officials, the match starts with an in-swinger from Manoj Prabhakar, who claims that he was offered 25 lakhs to play poorly in a game by a senior player.

While this is safely negotiated by the higher-ups, the Hansie Cronje scandal just opens the door to a completely new spectrum that the fans of cricket weren't aware of. This brings in Tehelka and their infamous sting operation and documentary that exposes the nexus of bookies and their influence on players.

Bookie MK Gupta's confession and Prabhakar's claim about Kapil Dev opens up the door to one of the megastars at the time, Mohammed Azharuddin, to be caught by the CBI and face the resultant consequences.

Now, for a fan of Indian cricket, all these things may not be news and may be a thing of the past. But there are many aspects that the documentary presents before you. The whole working network of a bookie, his tricks of grooming a player before making his first request and so much more are explored by the director in the movie.

The shattering of the idol and Indian captain at the time Azharuddin is probably the biggest highlight of the documentary. It shows not only the heartbreak of the fans but also of the journalists and players at the time who considered him as one of the heroes of the nation.

These are new pieces of information for the modern cricket fan, whose only knowledge about the whole scandal may have been a Wikipedia page or a few articles from the past.

The ending is kind of incomplete in a sense and feels like a day's play being called off due to rain. But that's kind of what you expect as what happened with Azharuddin and others involved in the scandal has become part of Indian cricket folklore.

My take – An ok watch!

Cheers till next time😊!!