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The Best Episodes of Documentary Now!

Every episode of Documentary Now! ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Documentary Now!!

Binge this in 10h 24m•Peaking at 8.8/10

Loving parodies of some of the world's best-known documentaries. Each episode is shot in a different style of documentary filmmaking, and honors some of the most important stories that didn't actually happen.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 4 - Waiting for the Artist
    8.8/10(656 votes)

    S3:E4

    The story of an internationally-acclaimed performance artist preparing for a major career retrospective while reconciling her relationship with her former lover and performance partner whom she hasn't seen in two decades.

    Directors:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  2. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 2 - Juan Likes Rice & Chicken
    8.7/10(737 votes)

    S2:E2

    Young Colombian chefs learn the tricks of the restaurant trade from their strict father Juan, whose celebrated restaurant only serves one dish: chicken and rice.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  3. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 4 - The Eye Doesn't Lie
    8.6/10(717 votes)

    S1:E4

    An investigation into the wrongful conviction of a man sentenced to death for the 1986 murder of John Patrick Winslow.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader

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  4. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 2 - Batsh*t Valley (2)
    8.6/10(438 votes)

    S3:E2

    Self-appointed spiritual guru Father Ra-Shawbard starts a commune in rural Oregon with the help of overly devoted assistant Ra-Sharir. Exasperated FBI agent Bill Doss dedicates himself to exposing the man behind the mantras.

    Director:Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  5. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 2 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (2)
    8.4/10(249 votes)

    S4:E2

    In the early 1980s, a visionary German filmmaker tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains. Inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:John Mulaney

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  6. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 1 - Sandy Passage
    8.3/10(1170 votes)

    S1:E1

    An in depth look at the daily lives of two aging socialites and their crumbling estate. This mother and daughter live in extreme squalor, but the documentarians find more than just dirt and clutter on the property.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Documentary Now!

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  7. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 3 - Original Cast Album: Co-Op
    8.3/10(708 votes)

    S3:E3

    A fly-on-the-wall look at the marathon cast album recording of the ill-fated 1970 Broadway musical comedy centered around a cast of characters who work, live, or want to live in the same co-op.

    Director:Alexander Buono
    Writers:Seth Meyers, John Mulaney

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  8. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 4 - How They Threw Rocks (1996)
    8.3/10(223 votes)

    S4:E4

    A chronicle the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as “Field Rock,” and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed “The Melon vs. The Felon” in the vein of When We Were Kingsand other great explorations of sport.

    Directors:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  9. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 1 - Batsh*t Valley (1)
    8.2/10(468 votes)

    S3:E1

    In 1980, enigmatic cult leader Father Ra-Shawbard and his followers descended on the small town of Chinook, Oregon, sparking a feud with the local residents that catapulted to national attention.

    Director:Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  10. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 1 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (1)
    8.2/10(291 votes)

    S4:E1

    In the early 1980s, a visionary German filmmaker tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains. Inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:John Mulaney

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  11. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 6 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (1)
    8.1/10(575 votes)

    S1:E6

    Part one of the documentary chronicling the rise and fall of a seminal soft-rock band called the Blue Jean Committee.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward

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  12. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 7 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (2)
    8.1/10(499 votes)

    S1:E7

    Part two of the documentary chronicling the rise and fall of a seminal soft-rock band called the Blue Jean Committee.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward

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  13. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 4 - Globesman
    8.1/10(423 votes)

    S2:E4

    A landmark documentary from the Fein Brothers (Sandy Passage) follows four door-to-door salesmen as they travel across the country selling globes and battling rejection.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward

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  14. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 7 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (2)
    8.0/10(382 votes)

    S2:E7

    A fun and candid docu-memoir of Hollywood Legend Jerry Wallach, and his forty-year quest to win an Oscar.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader

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  15. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 6 - Trouver Frisson (2000)
    8.0/10(177 votes)

    S4:E6

    Celebrated French filmmaker Ida Leos searches for why she no longer experiences “frisson” – the goosebumps that have always been her guide. Inspired by Agnes Varda’s Gleaners and I and Beaches of Agnes.

    Directors:Alexander Buono, Micah Gardner
    Writers:Matt Pacult, Tamsin Rawady

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  16. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 2 - Kunuk Uncovered
    7.9/10(689 votes)

    S1:E2

    An investigation into the seminal documentary “Kunuk The Hunter” that attempts to separate what is real from what is fabrication.

    Directors:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  17. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 3 - DRONEZ: The Hunt for El Chingon
    7.9/10(725 votes)

    S1:E3

    The hipster media empire DRONEZ sends two of its notoriously fearless journalists to track down Mexico’s most wanted drug lord.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Rob Klein

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  18. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 7 - Any Given Saturday Afternoon
    7.9/10(439 votes)

    S3:E7

    A profile of life at the top of the Professional Bowling League during the 2003 tournament season, shining a spotlight on the highs and lows of its three most beloved competitors.

    Director:Alexander Buono
    Writers:Zach Kanin, Tim Robinson

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  19. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 1 - The Bunker
    7.8/10(462 votes)

    S2:E1

    A different and interesting look at the 1992 Ohio Gubernatorial campaign.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:John Mulaney

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  20. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 3 - Parker Gail's Location Is Everything
    7.8/10(468 votes)

    S2:E3

    Monologist Parker Gail and director Harrison Renzi team up to present Gail's theater piece, "Location Is Everything".

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader

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  21. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 6 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (1)
    7.8/10(355 votes)

    S2:E6

    A fun and candid docu-memoir of Hollywood Legend Jerry Wallach, and his forty-year quest to win an Oscar.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writers:John Mulaney, Bill Hader

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  22. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 3 - Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport (1994)
    7.7/10(253 votes)

    S4:E3

    A fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon in the small coastal town of Bagglyport as they prepare their annual stylebook in an homage to documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  23. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 5 - My Monkey Grifter (2020)
    7.6/10(172 votes)

    S4:E5

    Drawing inspiration from My Octopus Teacher, filmmaker Benjamin Clay forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey who may have ulterior motives.

    Director:Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  24. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 5 - Final Transmission
    7.4/10(438 votes)

    S2:E5

    A new wave band from the late 1970s and early 1980s play their final concert.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  25. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 5 - A Town, a Gangster, a Festival
    7.1/10(544 votes)

    S1:E5

    A documentary crew travels to Arborg, Iceland for the annual festival honoring American gangster Al Capone.

    Directors:Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas
    Writers:Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen

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Best Episodes Summary

"Waiting for the Artist" is the best rated episode of "Documentary Now!". It scored 8.8/10 based on 656 votes. Directed by Alexander Buono, Rhys Thomas and written by Seth Meyers, it aired on 3/6/2019. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Juan Likes Rice & Chicken".