In a new special, the redoubtable Philomena Cunk will seek an answer to the ultimate question.
The mighty Ms Cunk has tackled Britain and Earth, so it’s only natural that her next investigation should up the ante.
In her most ambitious documentary yet, Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) is seeking a definitive answer to the meaning of life. Her efforts will result in a snappy 75-minute special titled Cunk’s Quest for Meaning.
Here’s what we know:
“What’s the point of it all?” is a question humans have been asking themselves since the dawn of time. But as we cling to our dying planet, working round the clock while we’re slowly being replaced by machines, now more than ever, people are desperately looking to make sense of their lives – before someone invents a computer that makes sense of it for them.
In this one-off extended special for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, Cunk’s Quest for Meaning, Philomena will tackle some of the most complex concepts to have ever been discovered, including Quantum Physics, Existentialism, Nihilism, Hedonism – and at least four other isms – as well as exploring subjects from the big bang to biology, morals to meditation and art to artificial intelligence.
In her search for answers, she’ll also examine the lives and works of some of history’s foremost thinkers and ground-breaking creatives, from Epicurus to Dostoyevsky, from Sartre to Van Gogh, from Nietzsche to whoever came up with those signs in kitchens that say, ‘Live Laugh Love’.
It’s a journey that will take Philomena further afield than ever before as she visits sites of significance across Europe as well as travelling internationally for the first time to America (subject to visa approval but fingers crossed). Along the way, she’ll be meeting leading experts and academics and not letting them leave until she’s got to the bottom of such questions as: what is life, what’s the point of life, why are we bothering to find out and when’s lunch.
Philomena Cunk says:
“To be honest I thought we could cover the meaning of life in a 30-minute episode, but the producers said we might need a bit longer and that I could probably go to America if we did a special. I’m very excited to be going to America for free.”
Charlie Brooker adds:
“What sort of quote do you want for your press release? I haven’t got time to think about this, I’m late for a Zoom. Oh for God’s sake. Okay, just print something bland like “I’m thrilled Philomena is returning to our screens to help us uncover the meaning of life” – that’ll do. Now go away and leave me alone. I said go away. Go! Leave! Why are you still standing there? You’re freaking me out now. Get out. GO.”
Cunk’s Quest for Meaning is a Broke and Bones production for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. It’s created by Charlie Brooker, who writes with Diane Morgan, Ben Caudell, Erika Ehler, Charlie George, Eli Goldstone, Jason Hazeley, Lucia Keskin, Joel Morris and Michael Odewale.
The director is Ali Campbell, the series producer is Susie Hall and the line producer is Lizzie Search. Executive producers are Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones, Ali Marlow and Ben Cavey.
Cunk’s Quest for Meaning will debut on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer later this year. Outside the UK and Ireland, it will be available on Netflix.
In the meantime, you can revisit previous Cunk On… series on iPlayer.