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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 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.

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 3 - Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport (1994)
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport (1994)

    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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  2. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 4 - Waiting for the Artist
    9.2/10(4 votes)

    #2 - Waiting for the Artist

    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:Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono
    Writer:Seth Meyers

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  3. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 2 - Soldier of Illusion (1983) (2)
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - 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

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

    #4 - 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

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  5. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 2 - Kunuk Uncovered
    8.2/10(5 votes)

    #5 - 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

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

    #6 - 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

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    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Documentary Now!

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  7. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 2 - Juan Likes Rice & Chicken
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #7 - 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

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  8. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 3 - Parker Gail's Location Is Everything
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - 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

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

    #9 - 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

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  10. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 3 - Original Cast Album: Co-Op
    8.0/10(2 votes)

    #10 - 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

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  11. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 5 - Searching for Mr. Larson: A Love Letter from the Far Side
    8.0/10(2 votes)

    #11 - 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

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  12. Documentary Now! Season 3 Episode 6 - Long Gone
    8.0/10(2 votes)

    #12 - 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

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

    #13 - 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

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  14. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 4 - The Eye Doesn't Lie
    7.8/10(5 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

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  15. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 1 - Sandy Passage
    7.7/10(9 votes)

    #15 - 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

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  16. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 6 - Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (1)
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #16 - 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

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  17. Documentary Now! Season 1 Episode 3 - DRONEZ: The Hunt for El Chingon
    7.2/10(8 votes)

    #17 - 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

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

    #18 - 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

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

    #19 - 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

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

    #20 - The Bunker

    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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  21. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 5 - Final Transmission
    6.5/10(4 votes)

    #21 - 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

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  22. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 7 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (2)
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #22 - 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

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  23. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 4 - Globesman
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #23 - 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

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  24. Documentary Now! Season 2 Episode 6 - Mr. Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid (1)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #24 - 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

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  25. Documentary Now! Season 4 Episode 4 - How They Threw Rocks (1996)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #25 - 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

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Best Episodes Summary

"Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport (1994)" is the best rated episode of "Documentary Now!". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Rhys Thomas, Alexander Buono and written by Seth Meyers, it aired on 10/26/2022. This episode scored 0.8 points higher than the second highest rated, "Waiting for the Artist".