Documentary Now!: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	Your Score
6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

IFC | Season Premiere Date: August 20, 2015

Summary: Hosted by Helen Mirren, the six-episode documentary spoof series was created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Seth Meyers.

Genre(s): Comedy, Documentary

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Season 1 Episodes

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Mark A. Perigard

Aug 20, 2015

Documentary Now! is so good, you’ll be forced to reassess Meyers, whose comedy writing is so crisp and correct, he should give up his late-night NBC show because nothing he does there will ever be as good or as funny. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Aug 17, 2015

Clever. This is a funny, smart comedy for fans of documentaries or even just those who wish they had more time to watch non-fiction filmmaking. In fact, Documentary Now! is so good that it should spark more interest in the very art form it satirizes but also clearly loves. Read full review

Robert Lloyd

Aug 20, 2015

The humor has as much to do with the form as the content, and much care and cleverness have been devoted to making these pieces look right, from film stock and lighting, to period graphics, to furniture and clothing; the art direction is exceptional, and as such, delightful throughout. Read full review

Sarah Rodman

Aug 19, 2015

All three episodes offered varying degrees of laughs, but the “Kunuk” episode is a high-water mark. Read full review

Genevieve Valentine

Aug 20, 2015

A key to the series’ success and longevity will be how well it’s able to balance the insider spoof with the satire and offer moments that do more than just painstakingly re-create; moments that remind us of the absurdities of the form and the ways we’ve been trained to see through a story. Read full review

Gail Pennington

Aug 19, 2015

Two later episodes parody the TV series "Vice" and "Nanook of the North," the 1922 silent film credited with launching the documentary genre. Both are well done, and each has a twist. Each also has an awful lot of Hader and Armisen in costume, so take that as an endorsement or as a caution, depending on your feeling about them. I didn't laugh, but maybe you will. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Aug 18, 2015

Actually, the series peaks in its opening credits and introduction, which cleverly approximate the fictional public-TV documentary showcase from which the show derives its name.... From there, though, Documentary Now! becomes an exceedingly hit-miss proposition. Read full review

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6.6

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User Reviews

debbie13410

Oct 10, 2015

Very well crafted mockumentary. Attention to detail, styling, film technique. These are not punch line jokes but the humor is in the satire. I think my favorite is Kunuk and how it makes fun of the original in all the right places.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Knighthawk81

Aug 21, 2015

Bill Hader and Fred Armisen are incredibly talented, and this comedy series lends itself to mocking some of the familiar tropes in documentaries. The pilot episode had a funny twist on "Grey Gardens," and the second episode (Available on YouTube) is a funny take on some of the overlyBill Hader and Fred Armisen are incredibly talented, and this comedy series lends itself to mocking some of the familiar tropes in documentaries. The pilot episode had a funny twist on "Grey Gardens," and the second episode (Available on YouTube) is a funny take on some of the overly aggressive reporting in hostile territory that seems to happen all the time. This is breezy, light-hearted entertainment.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

Scraper

Oct 21, 2016

Documentary Now is a well-produced show with mostly punchless jokes. This concept has been done so well in the past so the bar was set high (Spinal Tap, Best In Show). Mostly the scripts spend too much time with the details of each episode, which are done amazingly. It seems the dialogue isDocumentary Now is a well-produced show with mostly punchless jokes. This concept has been done so well in the past so the bar was set high (Spinal Tap, Best In Show). Mostly the scripts spend too much time with the details of each episode, which are done amazingly. It seems the dialogue is hoping to be carried by the sets and costumes. The jokes are often simple nods to the situations they're in. Very neo-SNL to try and let the concept carry the sketch itself. It's frustrating because these are two funny, dedicated guys that would have been really well served by some edginess.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Seasons & Episodes

79

Series Overview
Season 3

88
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: February 20, 2019
Season 2

74
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: September 14, 2016
Season 1

77
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: August 20, 2015
- No episode information is currently available for this season