Documentary Now! backdrop
Comedy

The Worst Episodes of Documentary Now!

Every episode of Documentary Now! ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Documentary Now!!

Binge this in 10h 24m•Peaking at 10.0/10

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.

Airs on
IFC
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons4

All1234

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 4 - Globesman
    0.0/10(412 votes)

    #1 - Globesman

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 6 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (1)
    0.0/10(348 votes)

    #2 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (1)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 4 - How They Threw Rocks (1996)
    0.0/10(216 votes)

    #3 - How They Threw Rocks (1996)

    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:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 5 - My Monkey Grifter (2020)
    0.0/10(164 votes)

    #4 - My Monkey Grifter (2020)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 6 - Trouver Frisson (2000)
    0.0/10(168 votes)

    #5 - Trouver Frisson (2000)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 7 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (2)
    6.0/10(335 votes)

    #6 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (2)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Documentary Now!

    READ
  7. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 1 - The Bunker
    6.5/10(455 votes)

    #7 - The Bunker

    S2:E1

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

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:John Mulaney

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 5 - Final Transmission
    6.5/10(433 votes)

    #8 - Final Transmission

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 5 - A Town, a Gangster, a Festival
    6.6/10(536 votes)

    #9 - A Town, a Gangster, a Festival

    S1:E5

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

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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 7 - Any Given Saturday Afternoon
    7.0/10(425 votes)

    #10 - Any Given Saturday Afternoon

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 3 - DRONEZ: The Hunt for El Chingon
    7.2/10(715 votes)

    #11 - DRONEZ: The Hunt for El Chingon

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 6 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (1)
    7.3/10(565 votes)

    #12 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (1)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 1 - Sandy Passage
    7.7/10(1153 votes)

    #13 - Sandy Passage

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 4 - The Eye Doesn't Lie
    7.8/10(705 votes)

    #14 - The Eye Doesn't Lie

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 7 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (2)
    8.0/10(488 votes)

    #15 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (2)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 2 - Juan Likes Rice & Chicken
    8.0/10(728 votes)

    #16 - Juan Likes Rice & Chicken

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 3 - Parker Gail's Location Is Everything
    8.0/10(461 votes)

    #17 - Parker Gail's Location Is Everything

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 2 - Batsh*t Valley (2)
    8.0/10(430 votes)

    #18 - Batsh*t Valley (2)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 3 - Original Cast Album: Co-Op
    8.0/10(698 votes)

    #19 - Original Cast Album: Co-Op

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 5 - Searching for Mr. Larson: A Love Letter from the Far Side
    8.0/10(325 votes)

    #20 - Searching for Mr. Larson: A Love Letter from the Far Side

    S3:E5

    A superfan sets out to make a documentary about the comic strip that changed his life and personally deliver the film to its reclusive creator.

    Director:Alexander Buono
    Writers:Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 6 - Long Gone
    8.0/10(263 votes)

    #21 - Long Gone

    S3:E6

    An impressionistic look at the turbulent life of American Jazz guitarist Rex Logan, who became a cultural icon in Eastern Europe when his music provided the soundtrack for the 1991 revolution in the Republic of Sárdasovinia.

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Erik Kenward

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 1 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (1)
    8.0/10(282 votes)

    #22 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (1)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 2 - Kunuk Uncovered
    8.2/10(679 votes)

    #23 - Kunuk Uncovered

    S1:E2

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

    Directors:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 1 - Batsh*t Valley (1)
    8.3/10(459 votes)

    #24 - Batsh*t Valley (1)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 2 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (2)
    9.0/10(241 votes)

    #25 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (2)

    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

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"Globesman" is the worst rated episode of "Documentary Now!". It scored /10 based on 412 votes. Directed by Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono and written by Fred Armisen, Erik Kenward, it aired on 10/5/2016. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (1)".