‘Documentary Now!’ Season 53 to Premiere Later This Year

'Documentary Now!,' Season 3, Episode 3, IFC, Taran Killam as Benedict A. Juniper, John Mulaney as Simon Sawyer
Rhys Thomas/IFC

The beloved mockumentary series Documentary Now! is back! The show, created by funnymen Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, is currently in production on what it’s billing as Season 53, which will premiere later this year on IFC and AMC+.

Hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, the series will continue to pay comic homage to “the world of documentaries” with six brand-new episodes. “My Monkey Grifter,” inspired by the hit documentary My Octopus Teacher, will similarly follow a filmmaker “who forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey who may have ulterior motives,” reads one description.

“Paying homage to fashion documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue, Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner and her staff in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook,” states another synopsis.

Diving into the world of sports, the episode titled “How They Threw Rocks” will draw inspiration from When We Were Kings as it chronicles the journey of Welsh athlete Craig Maes, aka “Field Rock,” and the fictional 1974 sporting bout dubbed “The Melon vs. The Felon.”

This season’s celebrity guest star lineup has yet to be announced. The series is produced by Broadway Video. SNL’s Lorne Michaels serves as an executive producer alongside Armisen, Hader, Meyers, Thomas, and directors Alex Buono and Andrew Singer. Additional producers include David Cress, Matt Pacult, Tamsin Rawady, co-executive producer Alice Mathias, and consulting producers John Mulaney and Erik Kenward.

Fans can catch up on the show’s first three seasons on Netflix and iTunes.

Documentary Now!, Season 53 Premiere (aka Season 4 premiere), 2022, IFC & AMC+