In 2015, pals Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas got together with IFC to create “Documentary Now!,” a mockumentary TV series that spoofs celebrated docs through film history. The show was an immediate hit, and now it heads into its fourth season, ready to premiere on IFC/AMC+ next month.
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The highly anticipated “53rd season,” as IFC christens it in its press release, boasts six new documentary-inspired episodes from a diverse all-star cast and crew. Here’s a list of the episode synopses, the movies they spoof, and who stars in each episode:
- “Soldier of Illusion”
Premieres October 19 on IFC and AMC+
The two-part, season premiere episode, written by John Mulaney and starring Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman, Big Little Lies), Nicholas Braun (Succession, Zola) and August Diehl (Inglourious Basterds), was inspired by . In the early 1980s, a visionary German filmmaker (Skarsgård) tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains. Kevin Bishop (Miracle Workers, The Tracey Ullman Show), Gana Bayarsaikhan (Wonder Woman), Matthias Rimpler (Ludzie i Bogowie) and Fred Armisen will also star, with Documentary Now! ensemble alumni Deb Hiett returning as narrator.
- “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport”
Premieres October 19 on AMC+ and October 26 on IFC
Stars two-time Academy Award®-winner andDocumentary Now! alumni Cate Blanchett (Tár, Blue Jasmine, Carol), as well as Emmy®-nominated actress Harriet Walter (Succession, Killing Eve). Paying homage to documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue, the episode is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner (Walter) and her staff (Blanchett), in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook. The episode was written by series co-creator Seth Meyers and will also star Fred Armisen as George the Postman.
- “How They Threw Rocks”
Premieres October 26 on AMC+ and November 2 on IFC
Features Welsh actors Trystan Gravelle (Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, A Discovery of Witches), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, The Crown) and John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of The Rings, Indiana Jones), as well as legendary Welsh singer Tom Jones. In the vein of When We Were Kings and other great explorations of sport, the episode chronicles the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as “Field Rock,” and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed “The Melon vs. The Felon (Gravelle).” Fellow Welsh actor Sam C. Wilson (Dodger) joins as infamous Craig Maes competitor Sior Strawboss or “The Melon.” The episode was written by series co-creator Seth Meyers.
- “My Monkey Grifter”
Premieres November 2 on AMC+ and November 9 on IFC
Helmed by actor Jamie Demetriou (The Afterparty), drawing inspiration from My Octopus Teacher, the episode follows Benjamin Clay (Demetriou), a filmmaker who forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey. The episode was written by series co-creator Seth Meyers, with Fred Armisen joining as Detective Blakely.
- “Trouver Frisson”
Premieres November 9 on AMC+ and November 16 on IFC
Features French actor Liliane Rovère (Call My Agent!, Family Business) and Ronald Guttman (Godfather of Harlem, Sister of the Groom). Inspired by Agnes Varda’s Gleaners and I and Beaches of Agnes, celebrated French filmmaker Ida Leos (Rovère) searches for why she no longer experiences “frisson” – the goosebumps that have always been her guide. Written by series producers Matt Pacult and Tamsin Rawady and co-directed by Micah Gardner, the episode also stars Documentary Now! alumni Gary Kraus.
“Documentary Now!” debuts with a two-episode premiere on IFC and a three-episode premiere on AMC+ the same night on October 19. Watch a trailer for the new season below.