List of mockumentaries
Encyclopedia
Mockumentary or mock documentary is a genre of film and television, presented as a documentary recording real life, but is actually fictional. It is a commonly used medium for parody and satire.
Film
- 2gether (2000), A movie that spoofs boy bands like N*Sync, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, etc.
- A Day Without a MexicanA Day Without a MexicanA Day Without a Mexican is a 2004 film directed by Sergio Arau.A Day Without a Mexican, opened on May 14, 2004 in limited release throughout Southern California and on September 17 in theaters in Chicago, Texas, Florida and New York City, is a fantasy in which all Mexicans in the U.S...
is a 2004 film directed by Sergio Arau. A fantasy in which all Mexicans in the U.S. state of California suddenly disappear. - All You Need Is CashAll You Need Is CashAll You Need Is Cash is a 1978 television film that traces the career of a fictitious British rock group called The Rutles...
(aka The Rutles) (UK, 1979), Beatles parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
telling of The RutlesThe RutlesThe Rutles are a band that are known for their visual and aural pastiches and parodies of The Beatles. Originally created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a fictional band to be featured as part of various 1970s television programming, the group recorded, toured, and released two UK chart hits in...
' story, while also parodying documentary makers themselves. - AuditionsAuditions (1978 film)-Plot :A pseudo-documentary about the processes involved in putting together and casting actors and actresses for a porn film. Although several actual porn stars are in the film, it is not a porn film itself.-DVD Release:...
, a 1970s mockumentary about the porn industry directed by Harry HurwitzHarry HurwitzHarry Hurwitz was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and producer. His film The Projectionist was his directorial debut and also the first acting role for actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield. He often used the pseudonym "Harry Tampa"...
. - The Baby FormulaThe Baby FormulaThe Baby Formula is a Canadian mockumentary film, premiering May 22, 2009 at the Inside Out Film and Video Festival in Toronto.Directed by Alison Reid, the film stars Angela Vint and Megan Fahlenbock as Athena and Lilith, a lesbian couple each pregnant with the other's baby through an experimental...
, a lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
couple both get pregnant through an experimental stem cellStem cellThis article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
procedure (Canada, 2009) - Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie VernonBehind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie VernonBehind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a 2006 film/mockumentary directed by Scott Glosserman. It stars Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals and Robert Englund. The film is a homage to the slasher film genre. It follows a film crew that documents an aspiring serial killer who models himself...
(US, 2005), a film crew follows Leslie Vernon, a serial-killer in training. - BelieveBelieve (film)Believe is a 2007 mockumentary/comedy about the world of Multi-Level Marketing . This is the first movie by director Loki Mulholland, who is also credited for the screenplay....
(US, 2007), story of multi-level marketingMulti-level marketingMulti-level marketing is a marketing strategy in which the sales force is compensated not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of others they recruit, creating a downline of distributors and a hierarchy of multiple levels of compensation...
and a failed pyramid schemePyramid schemeA pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
. - Best in ShowBest in Show (film)Best in Show is a 2000 independent film that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the slightly surreal interactions among the various owners and handlers as they travel to the show and compete. Much of the dialogue was improvised.Christopher Guest directed; he also...
(UK/US, 2000), story of some contestants at a national dog show. - The Big TeaseThe Big TeaseThe Big Tease is a 1999 comedy film starring Craig Ferguson, directed by Kevin Allen, and written by Ferguson and Sacha Gervasi.- Plot :Ferguson plays Crawford Mackenzie, a Scottish hairdresser who, while being filmed as part of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, is invited to the World Hairdresser...
, a Scottish hairdresser's journey to the US for a hairdressing competition, filmed with mockumentary elements. - Bob RobertsBob RobertsBob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is a satirical mockumentary, chronicling the rise of Bob Roberts, a conservative politician who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election...
(US, 1992), a Tim RobbinsTim RobbinsTimothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the former longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...
satiric film about a right wing folksinger's crooked election campaign. - Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of KazakhstanBorat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of KazakhstanBorat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
(US/UK, 2006), about a Kazakh journalist's journey through the United States. - Born Twiztid: Beyond the Freekshow is a mockumentary talking about the supposed early life of the band TwiztidTwiztidTwiztid is an American hip hop duo from Warren, Michigan. The group is composed of Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric, who perform under the respective personas of Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child...
. - Boys & Girls Guide to Getting DownBoys & Girls Guide To Getting DownBoys & Girls Guide to Getting Downis an independent film directed by Paul Sapiano. Boys & Girls Guide to Getting down was the winner of 5 independent film awards at the Los Angeles Film Festival 2006.Features original music from Dirty Vegas, and Kava Kava....
the film aims to teach young inexperienced youth about all things involved with "getting down", while also pointing out some of the pitfalls associated with the party lifestyle.directed by Paul Sapiano - BrünoBrüno (film)Brüno is a 2009 British mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and starring Sacha Baron Cohen, who produced, co-wrote, and starred as the gay Austrian fashion journalist Brüno...
(US/UK 2009), pseudosequel to Borat about a gay Austrian reporter's journey through the United States. - The Calcium KidThe Calcium KidThe Calcium Kid is a British mockumentary comedy film which was released in 2004. This film is presented in the style of a fictional documentary or a "Mockumentary". It stars Orlando Bloom as a milkman and amateur boxer. Billie Piper and Michael Peña are also featured...
(UK 2004), boxing documentary charting the unexpected rise to fame of a milkmanMilkmanA milkman is a person, traditionally male, who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. Milk deliveries frequently occur in the morning and it is not uncommon for milkmen to deliver products other than milk such as eggs, cream, cheese, butter, yogurt or soft drinks...
who is also an amateur boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. - The Canadian ConspiracyThe Canadian ConspiracyThe Canadian Conspiracy is a 1985 HBO/CBC mockumentary, co-written and directed by Robert Boyd, about the way the Canadian government is subverting the United States by taking over its entertainment industry...
(US, 1985), about a supposed Canadian plan to subvert the United States by taking over its media. - CB4CB4CB4 is a 1993 comedy film directed by Tamra Davis, and starring Chris Rock. The film follows a fictional rap group named 'CB4', named after the prison block in which the group was allegedly formed...
, a parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
rapumentary that follows the story of CB4, a fictional rap group that is loosely based on N.W.A.N.W.A.N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
and 2 Live Crew2 Live Crew2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
. - ChalkChalk (film)Chalk is a 2006 comedy mockumentary about teaching focusing on the lives of three teachers and one assistant principal. It stars Chris Mass as Mr. Stroope and Troy Schremmer as Mr. Lowrey. It is directed by Mike Akel. The movie is based on both Akel's and Mass' real life experiences in the...
, 2007 movie based on two teachers' real life experiences. LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
said to think of it as "To Sir, with Sarcasm". - Comic Book: The MovieComic Book: The MovieComic Book: The Movie is a 2004 direct-to-DVD mockumentary directed by and starring Mark Hamill who is best known for his role as Luke Skywalker, the main character in the original trilogy of Star Wars feature films...
, a 2004 direct-to-DVD release mockumentary about a comic book fanboy dealing with the unfaithful film adaptation of his favorite character, set to the backdrop of the 2002 San Diego Comic-ConComic-Con InternationalSan Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
. - Confetti (UK, 2006), a BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mockumentary about a fashion magazine wedding competition - Dark Side of the MoonDark Side of the Moon (documentary)Dark Side of the Moon is a French mockumentary by director William Karel which originally aired on Arte in 2002 with the title Opération Lune. The basic premise for the film is the theory that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and actually recorded in a studio by the...
tries to portray the moon landings as a creation in a movie lot by Stanley KubrickStanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
. - The Delicate Art of ParkingThe Delicate Art of ParkingThe Delicate Art of Parking is an 87-minute Canadian comedy/mockumentary film released on May 14, 2003. It was written by Trent Carlson and Blake Corbet and directed by Trent Carlson, and produced by Blake Corbet, Andrew Currie and Kevin Eastwood...
, a Canadian mockumentary about parking-enforcement officers. - Dill ScallionDill ScallionDill Scallion is a 1999 feature film mockumentary that follows the rise and fall of a country-western singer, Dill Scallion . It was written and directed by Jordan Brady...
, a 1999 feature follows the rise and fall of country-western singer Dill Scallion (Billy BurkeBilly Burke (actor)William Albert "Billy" Burke is an American actor. He is known for his role as Charlie Swan in Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and the 2010 film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. He is also known for his role as Gary Matheson in the second season of 24.-Life and career:Burke was born in...
) in the mode of This Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
. - Dog Bites ManDog Bites ManDog Bites Man is a partially improvised comedy television show on Comedy Central that aired in summer 2006. It began airing on The Comedy Channel in Australia in June 2007...
, a parody of local news coverage, and follows the misadventures of a struggling news team as they travel around the country producing news segments. - Drop Dead Gorgeous a camera crew follows beauty pageant contestants in a small town.
- Farce of the PenguinsFarce of the PenguinsFarce of the Penguins is a 2007 American direct-to-video parody of the 2005 documentary March of the Penguins. The motion picture features Samuel L. Jackson as narrator, with the two main characters being voiced by Bob Saget, who also wrote and directed the film, and Lewis Black...
(US, 2007), a direct-to-video film which is a parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of March of the PenguinsMarch of the PenguinsMarch of the Penguins is a 2005 French nature documentary film. It was directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The film depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica...
. - The Far Left (UK, 2009), a parody of documentaries by Louis Theroux, a fictitious film maker named Peter Jenkiss follows the life of a far left activist and his accomplice.
- Fear of a Black HatFear of a Black HatFear of a Black Hat is a 1994 American mockumentary film on the evolution and state of American hip hop music. The film's title is derived from the 1990 Public Enemy album Fear of a Black Planet...
(US, 1994), follows the fictional rapHip hop musicHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group, "Niggaz with Hats" (N.W.H. for short), as it evolves with the genre from its popular origins to the advent of gangsta rapGangsta rapGangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
. - Fellowship of the Dice (film)Fellowship of the Dice (film)Fellowship of the Dice is a film released in 2005 , directed by Matthew Ross, and starring Aimee Graham and Price Carson. It combines interviews and scenes from Strategicon 2004 a real-life role playing game convention with a fictional account of a game with the players portrayed by actors...
, story of a first time gamer's introduction to the Role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
world. - Finishing the GameFinishing the gameFinishing The Game, an Official Selection of the Sundance Film Festival, is a 2007 mockumentary which focuses on Bruce Lee's final movie Game of Death. Lee died prior to finishing the movie, having shot only a few of the final fight scenes. However, the rest of the film was finished using a Bruce...
, The story of the search for the "new" Bruce Lee to finish "The Game of Death". - The Flying Scissors, a mockumentary that follows a handful of individuals preparing for a Rock-Paper-Scissors competition.
- Forgotten SilverForgotten SilverForgotten Silver is a New Zealand film mockumentary that purports to tell the story of a pioneering New Zealand filmmaker. It was written and directed by Peter Jackson and Costa Botes, both of whom appear in the film in their roles as makers of the documentary.-Synopsis:Forgotten Silver purports...
(New Zealand, 1995), A film by Costa BotesCosta BotesCosta Botes is a New Zealand writer, director and cinematographer.-Movie-making career:Botes is best known in New Zealand for Forgotten Silver , a documentary he co-wrote and co-directed with Peter Jackson...
and Peter JacksonPeter JacksonSir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
, parodyParodyA parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of a historical documentary about a "forgotten" filmmaker. - FUBARFUBAR: The MovieFUBAR is a 2002 mockumentary film, directed by Michael Dowse, based on the lives of two lifelong friends and head-bangers living out their lives, constantly drinking beer. FUBAR debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in the 'Park City at Midnight' category, which previously launched such films as...
(Canada, 2002), A film by Michael DowseMichael DowseMichael Dowse is a Canadian film director.Born and raised in London, Ontario, he was trained as a film editor. His first full-length movie, FUBAR was shot on a digital camera with a tiny budget, but was selected by the Sundance Film Festival and screened on the prestigious midnight slot, which had...
, a mockumentary that has achieved cult status about head-banger subculture, especially within Canada. - FUBAR 2FUBAR 2FUBAR 2 is a 2010 comedy film and the sequel to the 2002 cult film FUBAR. It was released on October 1, 2010 in Canada...
(Canada, 2010), Sequel to the 2002 mockumentary. - Fudge 44Fudge 44Fudge 44 is a 2005 film from Irish director Graham Jones. It is a mockumentary about six puppets in an insolvent Tokyo children's puppet theatre who locals believe came to life and robbed a nearby bank to avoid being put out of business....
(Ireland, 2005), A film by Graham Jones, a mockumentary about six puppets in a financially impoverished Tokyo children's puppet theatre who, locals believe, came to life and robbed a nearby bank to avoid being put out of business. - G-SALEG-SALEG-SALE is a mockumentary film about garage sales and the people who are obsessed by them. The film is reminiscent of the movies of Christopher Guest and won several film festival awards.- Plot :...
(US, 2003), A film by Randy Nargi, scripted mockumentary about garage sale fanatics. - Gamers: The MovieGamers: The MovieGamers: The Movie is an independent 2006 mockumentary film written, directed and produced by Chris Folino. The film follows four friends who, saddled with "four of the worst jobs known to man", attempt to set the world record for playing Demons, Nymphs, and Dragons , a Dungeons & Dragons-like...
(US, 2006), about players trying to set a record for playing a Dungeons and Dragons-like game. - Gangsta Rap: The Glockumentary (2007), about a group of aging rappers who are trying to make a comeback.
- Get Ready to be BoyzvoicedGet Ready to be BoyzvoicedGet Ready to Be Boyzvoiced is a 2000 Norwegian mockumentary about a fictional boy band called Boyzvoice. Outside Norway, it has been screened multiple times on Australian television channel SBS.-Plot:...
(Norway, 2000), a film following fictional NorwegianNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
boy bandBoy bandA boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
BoyzvoiceBoyzvoiceBoyzvoice was a fictional Norwegian boy band, best known from the movie Get Ready to be Boyzvoiced . They consisted of three band members: brothers M*Pete , Hot Tub , and Roar Lund-Bergseter ....
. - Good ArrowsGood ArrowsGood Arrows is the English band Tunng's third album, released in August 2007 on Full Time Hobby Recordings in the UK and Thrill Jockey in the U.S...
(UK, 2009), a mockumentary about Welsh darts player. - Hard Core LogoHard Core LogoHard Core Logo is a 1996 Canadian mockumentary adapted by Noel Baker from the novel of the same name by author Michael Turner. Director Bruce McDonald illustrates the self-destruction of punk rock...
(Canada, 1996), following in the tradition of This Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
, this film traces the final tour of an overaged punk band, and serves as a model for the death of "true" punk rock. The film's associated album, A Tribute to Hard Core LogoA Tribute to Hard Core LogoA Tribute to Hard Core Logo is a 1996 album, which was released as an unofficial soundtrack to Bruce McDonald's film Hard Core Logo.The film is a mockumentary about the reunion tour of a fictional Canadian punk rock band, Hard Core Logo...
, has several notable bands performing cover versionCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of Hard Core Logo songs, and is packaged as if Hard Core Logo were a real band. - The Heavenly KingsThe Heavenly KingsThe Heavenly Kings is a 2006 Hong Kong film directed by Daniel Wu.-Background:In 2005, Chinese media began to report that Daniel Wu had formed a boyband, Alive, with Terence Yin, Andrew Lin, and Conroy Chan...
(Hong Kong, 2006), a film following the CantopopCantopopCantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
boy bandBoy bandA boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Alive, fronted by Daniel WuDaniel WuDaniel Yin-Cho Wu is a Hong Kong actor, director and producer. Since his film debut in 1998, he has been featured in over 40 films. Wu has been called "the young Andy Lau," and is known as a "flexible and distinctive" leading actor in the Chinese-language film industry.-Early life:Wu was born in...
(who also directed the film). - How to Irritate PeopleHow to Irritate PeopleHow to Irritate People is a 1968 television broadcast written by John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Marty Feldman and Tim Brooke-Taylor. Cleese, Chapman, and Brooke-Taylor also feature in it, along with future Monty Python collaborators Michael Palin and Connie Booth.In various sketches, Cleese...
, the 1968 "guide" written mostly by John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
and featuring Graham ChapmanGraham ChapmanGraham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
, Michael PalinMichael PalinMichael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
, and Connie BoothConnie BoothConstance "Connie" Booth is an American-born writer and actress, known for appearances on British television and particularly for her portrayal of Polly Sherman in the popular 1970s television show Fawlty Towers, which she co-wrote with her then-husband John Cleese.-Biography:Booth's father was a...
. - I'm Still HereI'm Still Here (film)I'm Still Here is a 2010 mockumentary film directed by Casey Affleck, and written by Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix. The film purports to follow the life of Phoenix, from the announcement of his retirement from acting, through his transition into a career as a hip hop artist. Filming officially began...
, a 2010 satirical film parodying America's fascination with the reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
phenomenon of the 2000s that revolves around the life of Academy Award-nominated actor Joaquin PhoenixJoaquin PhoenixJoaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
. Phoenix, disheveled and perpetually clothed in dark suits and sunglasses, announces his retirement from acting in favor of a career as a professional hip hop artist. - Incident at Loch NessIncident at Loch NessIncident at Loch Ness is a mockumentary starring, produced by and written by, Werner Herzog and Zak Penn. The small cast film follows Herzog and his crew while working on the production of an abandoned movie project on the Loch Ness Monster entitled Enigma of Loch Ness...
(US, 2004), about a filmmaker attempting to make a documentary about the mythological Loch Ness MonsterLoch Ness MonsterThe Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
while a documentary about his life is, in turn, being filmed. - It's All Gone Pete TongIt's All Gone Pete Tong-CD 1:#"Pacific State" - 808 State #"Cloud Watch" - Lol Hammond#"Dry Pool Suicide" - Graham Massey#"Moonlight Sonata" - Graham Massey#"Baby Piano" - Lol Hammond#"Ku Da Ta" - Pete Tong...
(UK, Canada, 2004), a comedy following the tragic life of legendary DJ Frankie Wilde. The story takes us through Wilde's life from one of the best DJ's alive, through subsequent battle with a hearing disorder, culminating in his mysterious disappearance from the scene. - KennyKenny (2006 film)Kenny is a 2006 Australian mockumentary film starring Shane Jacobson as Kenny Smyth, a Melbourne plumber who works for corporate bathroom rental company Splashdown....
(Australia 2006), the life of a portable toilet installer in Melbourne, Australia. - The Last PolkaThe Last PolkaThe Last Polka is a 1985 comedy television film, and one of the first Mockumentaries. It was written by and starred John Candy and Eugene Levy, and directed by John Blanchard....
, John CandyJohn CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
and Eugene LevyEugene LevyEugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
mockumentary about the last concert of the Shmenge Brothers, a Leutonian Polka duet whose characters were first developed on Second City TelevisionSecond City TelevisionSecond City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
. - LolliLoveLolliLoveLolliLove is a mockumentary co-written by, directed by and starring Jenna Fischer. The film satirizes a hip, misguided Southern California couple who decide to make a difference in the lives of the homeless by giving them lollipops with a cheery slogan on the wrapper.-Production:The film stars...
(USA, 2004), a story about a husband and wife team, played by James Gunn and Jenna FischerJenna FischerRegina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
, who form a charity to give each homeless person a lollipop with a cheery slogan on the wrapper, but who are really only serving themselves. - Man Bites DogMan Bites Dog (film)Man Bites Dog is a darkly comedic crime Belgian mockumentary starring Benoît Poelvoorde. In the film, a crew of filmmakers follow a serial killer, recording his crimes for a documentary they are producing...
(Belgium, 1992), Rémy BelvauxRémy BelvauxRémy Nicolas Lucien Belvaux was a Belgian actor, director, producer and screenwriter...
black comedy/satire in which a film crew follows a serial killer documenting his crimes. - Man of the YearMan of the Year (1995 film)Man of the Year is a mockumentary written, directed by, and starring Dirk Shafer. The film is a fictionalized account of Shafer's reign as Playgirl magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year" and his struggle with reconciling his public persona as a sex symbol to women with his identity as a gay man...
(USA, 1995), a satirical look, directed by former PlaygirlPlaygirlPlaygirl is a print quarterly adult magazine published in the United States that is marketed mainly to heterosexual women, but has also gained a considerable gay following...
magazine Man of the Year Dirk ShaferDirk ShaferDirk Alan Shafer is an American model, actor, screenwriter and director. He is most noted in the modeling world for being Playgirl magazine's "Man of the Year" for 1992. He did Playgirl for "validation" as a model because he never believed himself to be attractive...
, at his reign as Man of the Year as a closeted gay man. - ayhem Behind Movies (UK, 2011), a comedy mockumentary that follows a struggling film maker "Kevin Knight".
- Medusa: Dare to Be TruthfulMedusa: Dare to Be TruthfulMedusa: Dare to Be Truthful is an American 1992 mockumentary film starring comedienne Julie Brown as the title character, with Kathy Griffin and Donal Logue in supporting roles...
(US, 1992), a "behind the scenes" exposé of pop singer and sex symbol Medusa, on her "Blonde Leading the Blonde" concert tour. - A Mighty WindA Mighty WindA Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands must reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. It was directed by Christopher Guest...
(US, 2003), story of three groups of folk singers who come together at a tribute concert in honor of their recently deceased manager. - Mike Bassett: England ManagerMike Bassett: England ManagerMike Bassett: England Manager is a 2001 satirical comedy film directed by Steve Barron, following the fortunes of the manager of Division One football club Norwich City, Mike Bassett, who having led his side to the 'Mr Clutch Cup', is appointed England manager.The film takes the form of a...
(UK, 2001), the fortunes of a lacklustre England football manager in the World Cup. - Never Been ThawedNever Been ThawedNever Been Thawed is an independent film released in 2005 to a modest amount of media attention. It takes its name from the best condition a frozen entree can be in according to the film's fictional Mesa Frozen Entree Enthusiast's Club...
(US 2005) a film about a society of people who collect frozen TV dinnerTV dinnerA TV dinner is a prepackaged frozen or chilled meal that usually comes as an individual portion...
s. - The Notorious Newman Brothers (Canada 2009) "The film the mafia wish never got made!" - A dark comedy that follows Max Chaplin, one of films most inexperienced directors, as he struggles to document Paulie and Thunderclap Newman on their ascension to mobster mediocrity.
- The Old Negro Space Program, mockumentary about the fictional "NASSA" or "Negro American Space Society of Astronauts", lampooning far-reaching racial segregation in the United StatesRacial segregation in the United StatesRacial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
; subtitled "the shocking but false story of America's blackstronauts". - R2-D2: Beneath the DomeR2-D2: Beneath the DomeR2-D2: Beneath the Dome is a 2001 American mockumentary short, directed by Don Bies and Spencer Susser, starring Kenny Baker as R2-D2 in a fictionalized life story of the robot from the Star Wars film series...
, the career of supposed real-life actor R2-D2R2-D2R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
, who was played in reality by Kenny BakerKenny BakerKenneth George "Kenny" Baker is a British actor and musician, best known as the man inside R2-D2 in the popular Star Wars film series.- Career :...
and puppeteer Don Bies, co-director of this mockumentary. - Real LifeReal Life (film)Real Life is an American comedy film released in 1979. The first feature directed by Albert Brooks, who also co-authored the screenplay, it is a spoof of the 1973 reality television program An American Family and portrays a documentary filmmaker named Albert Brooks who attempts to live with and...
(US, 1979), Albert BrooksAlbert BrooksAlbert Lawrence Brooks is an American actor, voice actor, writer, comedian and director. He received an Academy Award nomination in 1987 for his role in Broadcast News...
directs a documentary about a year in the life of an average American family (headed by Charles GrodinCharles GrodinCharles Grodin is an American actor, comedian, author and former cable talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. He had a small part as an obstetrician in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby in 1968...
). - Steamin' and Dreamin': The Grandmaster Cash StorySteamin' and Dreamin': The Grandmaster Cash StorySteamin' + Dreamin': The Grandmaster Cash Story is a 2009 Irish independent comedy film directed by Shaun O' Connor, and written by Con Doyle, Joe Kiely, Conor Stanley and O' Connor. The mockumentary stars Doyle as the title character, a Cork hip-hop artist struggling to achieve recognition in the...
, a comedy mockumentary that follows the exploits of Cork hip-hop artist Grandmaster Cash. - Surf's UpSurf's Up (film)Surf's Up is a 2007 American computer-animated mockumentary family comedy film directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It stars the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder among others....
, an animated mockumentary that follows the progress of a surfer penguin named Cody Maverick as he enters a surfing competition. - Take the Money and RunTake the Money and RunTake the Money and Run is a 1969 comedy film written by Woody Allen and Mickey Rose, and directed by and starring Woody Allen. It is an early mockumentary, chronicling the life of Virgil Starkwell, a bungling petty thief...
(US, 1969), the second film directed by Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, in which Allen plays an ambitious but clumsy burglar. - Tanner '88Tanner '88Tanner '88 is a political mockumentary miniseries written by Garry Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman. First broadcast by HBO during the months leading up to the 1988 U.S. presidential election, it purports to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the campaign of a former Michigan U.S...
(US, 1988) The campaign of (fictional) former Michigan US representative Jack Tanner's bid to secure the Democratic party's nomination for President. Written by Garry TrudeauGarry TrudeauGarretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip.-Background and education:...
, directed by Robert AltmanRobert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
. - Tanner on TannerTanner on TannerTanner on Tanner is a 2004 comedy and the sequel series to the 1988 Robert Altman directed and Garry Trudeau written miniseries about a failed presidential candidate, Tanner '88...
(US, 2004) Follow up to Tanner '88Tanner '88Tanner '88 is a political mockumentary miniseries written by Garry Trudeau and directed by Robert Altman. First broadcast by HBO during the months leading up to the 1988 U.S. presidential election, it purports to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the campaign of a former Michigan U.S...
, interviewing old campaign staffers and Tanner before going to the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston. Written by Garry TrudeauGarry TrudeauGarretson Beekman "Garry" Trudeau is an American cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip.-Background and education:...
, directed by Robert AltmanRobert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
. - This Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
(US, 1984), follows a British rock band attempting to revive their popularity. - Waiting for GuffmanWaiting for GuffmanWaiting for Guffman is a mockumentary starring, co-written and directed by Christopher Guest that was released in 1997. Its cast included Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Parker Posey and others who would appear in several of the subsequent mockumentaries directed by Guest.The title of...
(US, 1996), a small MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
town's celebration of its sesquicentennial. - Yacht RockYacht rockYacht Rock was an online video series following the fictionalized lives and careers of American soft rock stars of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The series debuted on Channel 101 at the June 26, 2005 screening. It placed in the top five at subsequent screenings until the June 25, 2006 screening,...
, a mockumentary series on adult contemporary music during the late 1970s and early 1980s. - ZeligZeligZelig is a 1983 American mockumentary film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Allen and Mia Farrow. Allen plays Zelig, a curiously nondescript enigma who is discovered for his remarkable ability to transform himself to resemble anyone he's near.The film was shot almost entirely in...
, a mockumentary by Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
about a man who changes his physical appearance in order to fit in.
Series
- A Sense of History (UK, 1992), Mike LeighMike LeighMichael "Mike" Leigh, OBE is a British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s...
's increasingly sinister biography of the 23rd Earl of Leete, played by Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
. - Brass EyeBrass EyeBrass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries. A series of six aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001....
(UK, 1997), a series of mockumentaries by Chris MorrisChris Morris (satirist)Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
. - Come Fly with MeCome Fly with Me (2010 TV series)Come Fly with Me is a British mockumentary television comedy series created by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. Narrated by Lindsay Duncan, the series launched on 25 December 2010 on BBC One and BBC One HD...
(UK, 2010–Present), a fly-on-the-wall comedy TV show which follows the antics of many characters on a normal day at a UK airportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
. Most characters are played by comedian duo David WalliamsDavid WalliamsDavid Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
and Matt LucasMatt LucasMatthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
. - The Day TodayThe Day TodayThe Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
(UK, 1994), spoof news series created by Chris Morris and Armando IannucciArmando IannucciArmando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....
which often featured documentary-style inserts, such as 'The Pool' and 'The Office' - Dorm LifeDorm LifeDorm Life is a mockumentary web series created by former students of UCLA. It follows the fictional lives of the inhabitants of the college dorm floor 5 South. It is produced by Attention Span Media, a Los Angeles based social media studio and is a 2008 Webby Honoree for Best Writing and Comedy:...
(US, 2008–2009), a webseries following the fictional lives of the inhabitants of the college dormDormitoryA dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
floor 5 South. - The GamesThe Games (Australian TV)The Games was an Australian mockumentary television series about the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The series was originally broadcast on the ABC and had two seasons of 13 episodes each, the first in 1998 and the second in 2000....
(Australia, 1998 and 2000), an Australian TV comedy that follows the mayhem and bureaucratic snafu faced by the organisers of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. - Gerhard Reinke's WanderlustGerhard Reinke's WanderlustGerhard Reinke's Wanderlust was a mockumentary television comedy broadcast on the American cable channel Comedy Central in Spring 2003. It starred writer-comedian Josh Gardner as a German backpacker who has several misadventures as he travels around the world on small budget for the fictional...
(US, 2003), a travel show following the misadventures of a bumbling German backpacker as he travels the globe in search of reasonably priced culturally enriching experiences. - Human Remains (UK, 2000), a bleak series of fly-on-the-wall insights into dysfunctional couples.
- Jimmy MacDonald's CanadaJimmy MacDonald's CanadaJimmy MacDonald's Canada: The Lost Episodes is an eight-episode Canadian television series that aired on CBC Television in the summer of 2005....
(Canada, 2005), lost episodes of a mid-1960s public affairs show hosted by Jimmy MacDonald who was played by Richard Waugh. The show combined new segments with authentic news and human interest archive footage. - Les InvinciblesLes InvinciblesLes Invincibles is a comedy/drama television series from Radio-Canada produced by Casablanca Productions and Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm.The story is about four twenty-something men signing a pact ordaining the simultaneous break-up of their current relationships, and the subsequent adoption of a...
(Canada, 2005–2009), a French Canadian TV dramedy about four thirty year-old men signing a pact that say they have to break-up with their girlfriends and embrace a common routine-free life. - Look Around YouLook Around YouLook Around You is a British television comedy series devised and written by Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz, and, in the first series, narrated by Nigel Lambert...
(UK, 2002 and 2005), a parody of educational TV (season 1) and documentary about "the world and future of science and technology" (season 2), set roughly 25 years before the actual release dates. - Marion and GeoffMarion and GeoffMarion and Geoff is a BBC television mockumentary, produced by Baby Cow Productions and screened on BBC Two in 2000, with a second series following in 2003. The series starred Rob Brydon as Keith Barret, a naïve taxicab driver going through a messy divorce from his wife, Marion, who, though he...
(UK series, 2000 - 2003), stars Rob BrydonRob BrydonRob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
as a cab/taxi driver. - Modern FamilyModern FamilyModern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
(US, 2009–Present), a series about three families living modern American family lives. - My Life as LizMy Life as LizMy Life as Liz is a mockumentary style American television series that centers on the life of Liz Lee, a misfit high-school senior living in small town Texas...
(US, 2010–Present), a series about a seventeen-year old girl and her senior year in high school. - The Naked Brothers BandThe Naked Brothers Band (TV series)The Naked Brothers Band is an American television musical comedy created by Polly Draper. The show depicts the daily lives of Draper's sons, who lead a faux rock band from New York City. As a mockumentary, the storyline is a hyperbole of their real lives, and the fictional presence of a camera is...
(US, 2007–2009), starred two real-life brothers NatNat WolffNathaniel Marvin "Nat" Wolff is an American child actor, and singer-songwriter, composer, and keyboardist. He is the frontman of Nat & Alex Wolff...
and Alex WolffAlex WolffAlexander Draper "Alex" Wolff is an American child actor and musician, currently playing in Nat and Alex Wolff. He is best known for his role as himself on the Nickelodeon series The Naked Brothers Band, also starring his older brother, Nat Wolff; the series was created by the boys' mother, Polly...
and their real life friends about a teenage fantasy of a world-famous kids' rock band, with cameras following the band members everywhere they go. The series was based around the real-life band Nat and Alex formed back in pre-school. The series was created by their real-life mother actress Polly DraperPolly DraperPolly Carey Draper is an American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director. She is renowned for her ensemble role in ABC's hit series Thirtysomething. In 1998, Draper starred in her screenwriting debut The Tic Code, featuring Gregory Hines which was inspired by her husband Michael...
, who also wrote and directed the self-titledThe Naked Brothers Band: The MovieThe Naked Brothers Band is an American film written and directed by actress Polly Draper and stars her sons, Nat Wolff and Alex Wolff, who portray members of a fictional rock group. It tells of the boys' struggles with their fame and an internal dispute that causes the band to temporarily break up...
film, that became the pilot for the series. - The OfficeThe OfficeThe Office is a popular mockumentary/situation comedy TV show that was first made in the UK and has now been re-made in many other countries, with overall viewership in the hundreds of millions worldwide. The original version of The Office was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It...
(UK/USA, 2001–Present), British satire on white-collar management, later remade for US and other audiences. - Operation Good GuysOperation Good GuysOperation Good Guys is a British mockumentary, a fly-on-the-wall documentary series about an elite police unit's bid to snare one of Britain's most powerful crime lords. It was first screened on BBC Two from 1997 - 2000. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, it witnesses, on camera, the total...
, a British satire of an incompetent police force (often seen as a precursor to The OfficeThe Office (UK TV series)The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
, see above). - Operation RepoOperation RepoOperation Repo is an American television program that depicts the world of car repossession with a team that portrays fictionalized tales of repossessions from California's San Fernando Valley. Similar to another truTV show, Southern Fried Stings, the series is filmed in a cinema verité style but...
, a fictional series depicting an automobile repossession team. - Parks and RecreationParks and RecreationParks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
(US, 2009–Present), a series following Leslie Knope who is head of the Parks and Recreation department in a small town in IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. - Paths to FreedomPaths to FreedomPaths to Freedom was a popular comedy on the Irish television network RTÉ Two. The shows stars two characters, Jeremy and Rats , who have both recently been released from a Dublin prison...
(Ireland, 2000), spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary about two prisoners leaving prison, both from different backgrounds one an esteemed gynaecologist and the other an inner city Dublin rapper. - People Like UsPeople Like UsPeople Like Us is a British comedy programme, a spoof on-location documentary written by John Morton, and starring Chris Langham as Roy Mallard, an inept interviewer...
(UK, radio from 1995 to 1997, and television series 1999 to 2000), a British radio and TV comedy, featuring an inept interviewer (played by Chris LanghamChris LanghamChristopher "Chris" Langham is an English writer, actor and comedian. He is most famous for playing MP Hugh Abbot in BBC Four sitcom The Thick of It and as presenter Roy Mallard in People Like Us, first on BBC Radio 4 and later on its transfer to television on BBC Two, where Mallard is almost...
), who interviews people in various jobs. - Prehistoric ParkPrehistoric ParkPrehistoric Park is a six-episode mockumentary television mini-series that premiered on ITV on 22 July 2006 and on Animal Planet on 29 October 2006. The program was produced by Impossible Pictures, who also created Walking with Dinosaurs. In 2007, ITV cancelled Prehistoric Park, but introduced the...
(UK, 2006), a six-episode mockumentary that depicts a hypothetical scenario whereby a time machine is used to create a wildlife park. - Pure PwnagePure PwnagePure Pwnage was an Internet-distributed, mockumentary series from ROFLMAO Productions. The fictional series purports to chronicle the life and adventures of Jeremy , a Canadian and self-proclaimed "pro gamer"...
, an Internet-distributed show about a gamer followed around by his brother created by Geoff Lapaire, and Jarett Cale. - Reno 911!Reno 911!Reno 911! is an American comedy television series on Comedy Central that ran from 2003 to 2009. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically COPS, with comic actors playing the police officers. Most of the material is improvised, using a broad outline, and...
(US, 2003–2009), Comedy CentralComedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
parody of COPSCOPS (TV series)Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
about an inept police force in Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. - Southern Fried StingsSouthern Fried StingsSouthern Fried Stings is an American television series where ex-state trooper Jay Russell and his "Jay Team" portray sting operations throughout the Southern United States. The series consists of scripted "re-enactments" and videotaped in a cinéma vérité style in southern cities...
a series depicting a fictional group of mercenaries/private detectives operating in southern United States. - We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the YearWe Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the YearWe Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year is an Australian mockumentary TV series created, written and starring Chris Lilley and directed by Matthew Saville.It follows the story of five unique Australians, who have each made a large achievement...
(Australia, 2005), an Australian TV mockumentary about five fictitious candidates nominated for the prestigious Australian of the YearAustralian of the YearSince 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
Award. - Summer Heights HighSummer Heights HighSummer Heights High is a Logie Award-winning Australian television mockumentary series written by and starring Chris Lilley. It is a parody of high-school life epitomised by its three protagonists: effeminate and megalomaniacal "Director of Performing Arts" Mr G; self-absorbed, privileged teenager...
(Australia, 2007), an Australian mockumentary about three fictitious characters at a public high school. - Angry BoysAngry BoysAngry Boys is an Australian television mockumentary series written by and starring Chris Lilley. Continuing the mockumentary style of his previous series, the show explores the issues faced by young males in the 21st century – their influences, their pressures, their dreams and ambitions...
(Australia, 2011), an Australian mockumentary created by Lilley. - Total Drama IslandTotal Drama IslandTotal Drama Island is a Canadian animated television series which lampoons the conventions commonly found in reality shows. The show and its sequel seasons are collectively referred to as the Total Drama series. It premiered on the Canadian cable television specialty channel Teletoon on July 8, 2007...
(Canada, 2007–Present), a Canadian TV mockumentary of reality showsReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
about a group of teens competing for $100,000. - Trailer Park BoysTrailer Park BoysTrailer Park Boys is a Canadian comedy mockumentary television series created and directed by Mike Clattenburg that focuses on the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The...
(Canada, 2001–2007), follows Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles, as they commit crimes, and hatch crack-pot schemes to make money, most of which are illegal and often involve growing marijuanaCannabis (drug)Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. - Victoria Wood As Seen On TVVictoria Wood As Seen On TVVictoria Wood As Seen On TV was a British comedy sketch series starring comedienne Victoria Wood, with Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Susie Blake and Patricia Routledge...
(UK, 1985–87), two series of sketch shows with regular five-minute mockumentaries, written by and starring Victoria WoodVictoria WoodVictoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
. - WildboyzWildboyzWildboyz is a spin-off and follow-up to Jackass, which debuted in 2003 on MTV and moved to MTV2 in its third season. Steve-O and Chris Pontius are the stars of the show, who perform stunts and acts with animals, often putting themselves in situations for which they are not trained...
(US, 2003–2006), Jackass spin-off starring Steve-OSteve-OSteve-O is an American stunt performer and television personality. His entertainment career is mostly centered around his performance stunts on the American TV series Jackass and accompanying movies....
and Chris PontiusChris PontiusChristopher Andrew "Chris" Pontius is an American entertainer and daredevil. Pontius is a member of Jackass, and along with Steve-O, was the co-host of Wildboyz.-Life and career:...
that mocks nature style documentaries.
Specials and one-offs
- Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO Special about the making of an HBO special.
- Norbert Smith - a LifeNorbert Smith - a LifeNorbert Smith – a Life is a spoof TV documentary film charting the life and career of the fictitious British actor Sir Norbert Smith. It stars Harry Enfield in the title role. It was written by Harry Enfield and Geoffrey Perkins and directed by Geoff Posner...
, a personal project by English comedian Harry EnfieldHarry EnfieldHenry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
, satirising TV arts show biographies, British films of the 20th century, and the British acting fraternity. - The Naked Brothers Band: The MovieThe Naked Brothers Band: The MovieThe Naked Brothers Band is an American film written and directed by actress Polly Draper and stars her sons, Nat Wolff and Alex Wolff, who portray members of a fictional rock group. It tells of the boys' struggles with their fame and an internal dispute that causes the band to temporarily break up...
, stars two real-life brothers NatNat WolffNathaniel Marvin "Nat" Wolff is an American child actor, and singer-songwriter, composer, and keyboardist. He is the frontman of Nat & Alex Wolff...
and Alex WolffAlex WolffAlexander Draper "Alex" Wolff is an American child actor and musician, currently playing in Nat and Alex Wolff. He is best known for his role as himself on the Nickelodeon series The Naked Brothers Band, also starring his older brother, Nat Wolff; the series was created by the boys' mother, Polly...
and their real life friends about a teenage fantasy of a world-famous kids' rock band, with cameras following the band members everywhere they go. The film is based around the real-life band Nat and Alex formed back in pre-school. The film was written and directed by their real-life mother actress Polly DraperPolly DraperPolly Carey Draper is an American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director. She is renowned for her ensemble role in ABC's hit series Thirtysomething. In 1998, Draper starred in her screenwriting debut The Tic Code, featuring Gregory Hines which was inspired by her husband Michael...
, whom also created the series. - Platinum WeirdPlatinum WeirdPlatinum Weird is a musical collaboration formed in 2004 between Dave Stewart and Kara DioGuardi. It is also the subject of an elaborate hoax placing the band in 1974, including a half hour mockumentary produced for television network VH1 and a series of bogus World Wide Web fan sites and related...
, a band formed by Dave StewartDavid A. StewartDavid Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
and Kara DioGuardiKara DioGuardiKara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
, and the subject of a VH1 mockumentary. - Oil Gobblers (Ropáci), a film by Jan SvěrákJan SverákJan Svěrák is a Czech film director. He is the son of screenwriter and actor Zdeněk Svěrák. He studied documentary filmmaking at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague...
about fictitious creatures that live in underground mines and feed on oil, plastic, and rubbish.
Commercials
- ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's "This isThis is SportsCenterThis is SportsCenter is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by ESPN to promote their SportsCenter sports news show. The ads are presented in a deadpan mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The commercials debuted in 1994...
SportsCenterSportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
" commercials are presented in a mockumentary style.
Film
- AFRAFR (film)AFR is a Danish fictional documentary released in 2007, directed by Danish filmmaker Morten Hartz Kaplers, who also appears in the movie...
(2007), a Danish mockumentary about the fictional killing of the Danish prime minister by his secret gay lover. - Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake CountyAlien Abduction: Incident in Lake CountyAlien Abduction: Incident in Lake County is a re-enactment of a supposedly genuine home video of an alien abduction of a family in Montana that was shown on the UPN network in January,1998....
(1998), a horror mockumentary that presents an "unedited" camcorder recording of a rural American family's encounter with aliens. - The Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...
, fictional story presented as non-fiction about three filmmaker's disappearances while making a documentary film about a supernatural being described in local folklore. (The backstory of the being, a witch, had no basis in fact, either.) This film may be better described as an example of the found footageFound footage (genre)Found footage is a genre of filmmaking, especially horror, in which all or a substantial part of a film is presented as discovered film or video recordings, often left behind by missing or dead protagonists. The events onscreen are seen through the camera of one or more of the characters involved,...
genre. - CloverfieldCloverfieldCloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
, a monster movie about the apocalypse of Manhattan Island. - C.S.A.: The Confederate States of AmericaC.S.A.: The Confederate States of AmericaC.S.A.: The Confederate States of America is a 2004 mockumentary directed by Kevin Willmott. It is a fictional "tongue-in-cheek" account of an alternate history, in which the Confederates won the American Civil War, establishing the new Confederate States of America...
, an alternate history in which the Confederates won the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. - David Holzman's DiaryDavid Holzman's DiaryDavid Holzman's Diary is a 1967 American film, directed by Jim McBride, which spoofs the art of documentary-making.It tells the story of a young man making a documentary of his life, who discovers something important about himself while making the movie....
(1968), one of the earliest examples of false documentaries. In it a young man creates a film "diary" of his life falling apart. - The Day Britain StoppedThe Day Britain StoppedThe Day Britain Stopped is a drama documentary produced by Wall to Wall for the BBC. It is based around a fictional disaster on December 19, 2003, in which a train strike is the first in a chain of events that lead to a meltdown of the country's transport system...
, detailing a series of events leading from a nationwide train strike in the midst of winter, forcing all Britain's motorways to become gridlocked. The lack of employees able to make it to work in turn leads to two aircraft colliding over London. - Death of a President, a fictional documentary presented as being produced in 2008 detailing the assassination of United States president George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on October 19, 2007. - Diary of the DeadDiary of the DeadDiary of the Dead is a 2007 American/Canadian horror film by George A. Romero...
George A. Romero's 2008 zombie film. - F for FakeF for FakeF for Fake is the last major film completed by Orson Welles, who directed, co-wrote, and starred in the film. Initially released in 1974, it focuses on Elmyr de Hory's recounting of his career as a professional art forger; de Hory's story serves as the backdrop for a fast-paced, meandering...
, an Orson WellesOrson WellesGeorge Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
film documenting/embellishing/fabricating information about "fakery" in general and about the famous "fakers" Elmyr de HoryElmyr de HoryElmyr de Hory was a Hungarian-born painter and art forger who claimed to have sold over a thousand forgeries to reputable art galleries all over the world...
and Clifford IrvingClifford IrvingClifford Michael Irving is an American author of novels and works of nonfiction, but best known for using forged handwritten letters to convince his publisher into accepting a fake "autobiography" of reclusive businessman Howard Hughes in the early 1970s...
. - The Fourth KindThe Fourth KindThe Fourth Kind is a 2009 American mockumentary science fiction film starring Milla Jovovich, Charlotte Milchard, Elias Koteas, Will Patton, and Mia McKenna-Bruce. The title is derived from the expansion of J...
(2009) The film purports to be based on actual events occurring in NomeNome, AlaskaNome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in 2000, in which psychologist Dr. Abigail "Abbey" Tyler uses hypnosis to uncover memories from her patients of alien abduction, and finds evidence suggesting that she may have been abducted as well. - Husbands and WivesHusbands and WivesHusbands and Wives is a 1992 American drama film directed and written by Woody Allen. The films stars Allen, Mia Farrow, Sydney Pollack, Judy Davis, Juliette Lewis, Liam Neeson and Blythe Danner. It was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Writing,...
(1992), a Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
film with dramatic action interleaved with interviews with the main characters and brief bits of narration. - I'm Still HereI'm Still Here (film)I'm Still Here is a 2010 mockumentary film directed by Casey Affleck, and written by Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix. The film purports to follow the life of Phoenix, from the announcement of his retirement from acting, through his transition into a career as a hip hop artist. Filming officially began...
, a fictional documentary about actor Joaquin PhoenixJoaquin PhoenixJoaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
's supposed retirement from the actingActingActing is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
profession, and his subsequent attempts to start a hip-hop career and pursuing a path of self-discovery. - Interview With the AssassinInterview with the AssassinInterview with the Assassin is a 2002 drama/"mockumentary" starring Raymond J. Barry and Dylan Haggerty.-Plot:An unemployed cameraman, Ron Kobeleski , is asked by his reclusive neighbor, a retired Marine named Walter Ohlinger who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, to document a startling...
, with Raymond J. BarryRaymond J. BarryRaymond John Barry is an American film, television and stage actor.-Personal life:Raymond John Barry was born in Hempstead, New York . His father, Raymond Barry, worked in sales. His mother, Barbara Barry , was also an actor, known professionally as B. Constance Barry...
as a terminally-ill man claiming he, not Lee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
, killed President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy assassinationJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
. - The Last BroadcastThe Last Broadcast (film)The Last Broadcast is a 1998 American horror film made by Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler. The film was produced digitally using inexpensive PC-based hardware and software.-Synopsis:...
, a horror film in the form of a documentary about the mysterious disappearance of a pair of cable television producers. - The Last Horror MovieThe Last Horror MovieThe Last Horror Movie is a British horror film directed by Julian Richards, starring Kevin Howarth, Mark Stevenson and released in 2004. It is filmed in a found footage style.- Plot :...
, a British horror film about a wedding photographer serial killer who chooses his victims by recording a snuff movie over a horror video rental and waits for the next person to rent it. - The MagicianThe Magician (2005 film)The Magician is an Australian film released in 2005, written and directed by Scott Ryan. It is a mockumentary following the escapades of a Melbourne underworld hitman. The film was originally shot over 10 days with a budget of . Ryan edited a half-hour version of the film for screening at the St...
(2005), an Australian mockumentary following the works of a hit man in Melbourne. - Nothing So StrangeNothing So StrangeNothing So Strange is a 2002 American mockumentary, written, produced and directed by Brian Flemming in the style of an "independent documentary", centering on the fictional assassination of former Microsoft chairman Bill Gates on December 2, 1999...
, a fictional documentary about Citizens for Truth, an organization seeking further investigation into the 1999 assassination of Bill GatesBill GatesWilliam Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
. - Oil StormOil StormOil Storm is a 2005 television docudrama portraying a future oil-shortage crisis in the United States, precipitated by a hurricane destroying key parts of the United States' oil infrastructure...
(2005), a fictional documentary involving increased oil prices and a hurricane similar to Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. - Paranormal Activity (2007) a suburban couple is haunted by a demonic entity in their home when they sleep.
- The Poughkeepsie TapesThe Poughkeepsie TapesThe Poughkeepsie Tapes is a mockumentary directed by John Erick Dowdle and stars Bobbi Sue Luther, Samantha Robson and Ivar Brogger.-Plot:...
(2009) a serial killer obsessively documents his career in carnage in this pseudo-documentary thriller. - Punishment ParkPunishment ParkPunishment Park is a 1971 film written and directed by Peter Watkins. It is a pseudo documentary of a British and West German film crew following National Guard soldiers and police as they pursue members of a counterculture group across a desert.-Plot:...
(1971) a British and West German film crew follow National Guard soldiers and police as they pursue a group of members of the counterculture across the desert. - QuarantineQuarantine (film)Quarantine is a 2008 American horror film, directed by John Erick Dowdle and starring Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Steve Harris, Rade Šerbedžija, Greg Germann, Bernard White, and Johnathon Schaech. The film is a remake of the Spanish horror film REC with a few exceptions such...
(2008) a remake of the Spanish horror film REC and is almost an entire shot-for-shot remake with a few exceptions such as added scenes and dialogue. - RECREC (film)REC is a 2007 Spanish horror film co-written and co-directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza.The film was released in Spain in November 2007. Balaguero and Plaza previously directed the 2002 documentary OT, The Movie. REC was filmed using shaky camerawork...
(2007), a Spanish horror mockumentary about a news crew that while making an episode of their TV show runs into a mysterious and deadly infection. - The Second Renaissance (2003), a two-piece animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
film and a part of The AnimatrixThe Animatrixis a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film based on The Matrix trilogy. The film is a compilation of nine animated short films.-Production:Development of the Animatrix project began when the film series' writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, were in Japan promoting the first Matrix film...
. Presents fictional events leading to "machine ruleMachine RuleThe concept of machine rule is a common theme in science fiction stories and film, in which an artificially created lifeform takes over the naturally evolved beings that created them....
" and to the Matrix seriesThe Matrix seriesThe Matrix is a science fiction action franchise created by Andy and Larry Wachowski and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the 1999 film The Matrix and later spawned two sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003, thus forming a trilogy...
in documentary-style. - ...Va man dar khoshbakhti-e shirin be donya amadam!...Va man dar khoshbakhti-e shirin be donya amadam!...Va man dar khoshbakhti-e shirin be donya amadam! is an Iranian short mockumentary, directed by Kiarash Anvari.-Plot summary:...
("and I was born to sweet delight!") (2000), directed by Iranian film maker Kiarash AnvariKiarash AnvariKiarash Anvari is an Iranian film maker, video artist and script writer.Anvari received his BA in film making from Sooreh Higher Education Institute in Tehran. In 1998 he got a role in Eugene O'Neill's play, The Hairy Ape, which was the beginning of his experiences as an actor...
, is an experimental mockumentary in Samuel BeckettSamuel BeckettSamuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
's style jumps from one time zone to another. It tells the story of a lonely man who films his daily life with an 8mm camera, and his lonely neighbour who talks about his daily life. - The Forbidden QuestThe Forbidden QuestThe Forbidden Quest is a 1993 mockumentary written and directed by Peter Delpeut.The film won the 1994 International Fantasy Film Special Jury Award at the Fantasporto in Portugal...
(1993), In 1931, an Irish film maker catches up with J.C. Sullivan, the carpenter and last surviving crew member of the Hollandia, a Norwegian ship that sailed in 1905 to Antarctica. The carpenter has old film footage to back up his tale of the events of the doomed ship. - Zero Day (2003), a film, told almost exclusively through the protagonist's video camera, about a school shooting much along the lines of the Columbine High School massacreColumbine High School massacreThe Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
.
Specials
- Alternative 3Alternative 3Alternative 3 is a television programme, broadcast once only in the United Kingdom in 1977, and later broadcast in Australia and New Zealand, as a fictional hoax, an heir to Orson Welles' radio production of The War of the Worlds...
, TV movie of a political conspiracy to establish a settlement on Mars. - Bye Bye BelgiumFlemish Secession hoax, also called "The Flemish Secession Hoax," was a hoax perpetrated by the French speaking Belgian public TV station RTBF on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, and created by Belgian journalist Philippe Dutilleul...
, a fake TV special report where FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
has left the Belgian kingdomBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. - Space Oddyssey: Voyage to the Planets, about a fictional manned voyage through the Solar SystemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
presented in documentary style. - Tout ça (ne nous rendra pas la Belgique)Flemish Secession hoax, also called "The Flemish Secession Hoax," was a hoax perpetrated by the French speaking Belgian public TV station RTBF on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, and created by Belgian journalist Philippe Dutilleul...
, a hoax news bulletin on a French-medium Belgian television network that claimed the Flemish parliamentFlemish ParliamentThe Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
had unilaterally declared independence from Belgium. Also known in English as the Flemish Secession hoax. - Forgotten SilverForgotten SilverForgotten Silver is a New Zealand film mockumentary that purports to tell the story of a pioneering New Zealand filmmaker. It was written and directed by Peter Jackson and Costa Botes, both of whom appear in the film in their roles as makers of the documentary.-Synopsis:Forgotten Silver purports...
, a 1995 film by Peter Jackson which purports to tell the story of a (hitherto unknown) pioneering New Zealand filmmaker.
Individual episodes
Sometimes an episode of an otherwise non-mockumentary series will be presented as a mockumentary.- The Comic Strip PresentsThe Comic StripThe Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
- "The Comic Strip Presents... Bad NewsBad NewsBad News were a spoof rock band, created for the Channel 4 television series The Comic Strip Presents.... Its members were Vim Fuego , vocals and lead guitar ; Den Dennis, rhythm guitar ; Colin Grigson, bass ; and Spider Webb, drums .-Biography:Bad News made their television debut during...
Tour" and its sequel, More Bad News, following an incompetent rock group on tour. - The Comic Strip Presents... Eddie Monsoon: A Life?, the life story of an offensive talk show host.
- "The Comic Strip Presents... Bad News
- CommunityCommunity (TV series)Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
- Intermediate Documentary FilmmakingIntermediate Documentary Filmmaking"Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" is the 16th episode of the second season of Community. The episode originally aired on February 17, 2011 on NBC. In the episode, Pierce pretends to be dying from a drug overdose and takes psychological revenge on the rest of the study group for not taking him...
, Pierce tells the study group he's dying and asks Abed to film his last wishes.
- Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking
- EntourageEntourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
- Welcome to the Jungle, an episode as a mock "making of" film about Medellín, the film the characters produce.
- Even StevensEven StevensEven Stevens is an American comedy television series that aired on Disney Channel with a total of three seasons and 65 episodes from June 17, 2000, to June 2, 2003...
- Band on the Roof, a "rockumentary"-style episode following the band, the Twitty-Steven Connection.
- Just Shoot Me!Just Shoot Me!Just Shoot Me! is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from March 4, 1997 to August 16, 2003, with 148 episodes produced. The show was created by Steven Levitan, the show's executive producer.-Description:...
- "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn", a faux "A&E Biography" of the character Nina Van Horn, played by Wendie Malick
- Night CourtNight CourtNight Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
- A Closer Look, a 1990 episode showing the affairs of the show from a news TV perspective.
- The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
- Behind the LaughterBehind the Laughter"Behind the Laughter" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on May 21, 2000. In the episode, which is a parody of the VH1 series Behind the Music, the Simpson family are portrayed as actors on a sitcom, and their...
, a Behind the MusicBehind the MusicBehind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
-style exposé
- Behind the Laughter
- 3rd Rock from the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
- The Loud Solomon Family: a Dickumentary, from season 5, an episode presented in an entirely documentary style taking a look into the lives of the Solomon family.
- ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
- Its 1997 live episode Ambush was portrayed as a documentary.
- The West Wing
- AccessAccess (The West Wing)-Plot:Producing a program on past and present White House press secretaries, a television documentary crew follows C.J. around to film a "typical" day. But the presence of outsiders adds stress when a crisis involving a terrorist shootout with the FBI has a smiling C.J. trying to keep the story a...
, a fake behind-the-scenes documentary about a day in the White House of President Josiah Bartlet, supposedly released after his term in office has ended.
- Access
- The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
- X-Cops (2000), an episode made to look like an episode of the actual show COPSCOPS (TV series)Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
.
- X-Cops (2000), an episode made to look like an episode of the actual show COPS
Reality shows
- The ComebackThe Comeback (TV series)The Comeback is a television series produced by HBO that stars actress Lisa Kudrow as sitcom actress Valerie Cherish in modern-day Los Angeles, California. It was created by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, a former executive producer of Sex and the City...
(US, 2005), a reality show type following the life of former "it" actress Valerie Cherish. - Double the FistDouble the FistDouble the Fist is an Australian satirical television show which airs on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It follows the misadventures of four men and their pursuit of "fistworthiness": host Steve Foxx , and his three offsiders; Rod Foxx , Mephisto , and The Womp .The series has also been...
, a fictional version of JackassJackass (TV series)jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
. - Drawn TogetherDrawn TogetherDrawn Together is an American animated television series, which ran on Comedy Central from October 27, 2004 to November 14, 2007. The series was created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, and uses a sitcom format with a TV reality show setting...
, a cartoon version of The Surreal Life. - Series 7: The ContendersSeries 7: The ContendersSeries 7: The Contenders is a 2001 film directed by Daniel Minahan. The movie is presented as a marathon of the seventh series of an American reality television show called The Contenders, where six people, picked at random from a national lottery, are each given a gun and forced to hunt and kill...
, a movie is presented as a marathon of the seventh series of an American reality television show where six people, picked at random from a national lottery, are each given a gun and forced to hunt and kill each other for the camera.
News shows
- Special BulletinSpecial BulletinSpecial Bulletin is an American made-for-TV movie first broadcast in 1983. It was an early collaboration between director Edward Zwick and writer Marshall Herskovitz, a team that would later produce such series as thirtysomething and My So-Called Life...
(1983), was an NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
made-for-TV movie, which portrayed a live broadcast from a fictional American broadcasting network (Republic Broadcasting System, or RBS) on a nuclear terrorism incident in Charleston, South Carolina as they occurred. The realism of the broadcast caused a minor panic in Charleston at the time of its first airing, despite disclaimers shown after each commercial break. - Without Warning (1994), was another TV film in the form of a mock newscast. Produced by CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, it covered an apocalyptic alien attack scenario as seen through the eyes of a network TV news crew. Like Special Bulletin, reports of panic were also associated with its broadcast. - Countdown to Looking GlassCountdown to Looking GlassCountdown to Looking Glass is a Canadian made-for-television movie that premiered in the United States on HBO on 14 October 1984 and was also broadcast on CTV in Canada. The movie presents a fictional confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the Strait of Hormuz, the...
(1984), a cable-TV docu-drama presented as a series of news reports concerning an escalation in the Middle East between the US and the USSR, that eventually leads to nuclear war. (This film, however, isn't completely a documentary as it includes dramatic interludes). - GhostwatchGhostwatchGhostwatch is a British reality–horror/mockumentary television movie, first broadcast on BBC1 on 31 October , 1992.Despite having been recorded weeks in advance, the narrative was presented as 'live' television...
(1992), a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television special in which a fictitious "live" paranormal investigation goes awry. - Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
- "And Now for a WordAnd Now For a Word"And Now For a Word" is an episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5. The documentary format used in this episode was later revisited for the fourth season episode "The Illusion of Truth".-Synopsis:...
", an episode constructed as an ISN current affairs show.
- "And Now for a Word
Found footage
Some films and shows take on the form of (fake) raw footage.- September TapesSeptember TapesSeptember Tapes is a faux-documentary feature film co-written and directed by Christian Johnston in his feature debut. An early review of the film's promotional trailer noted that the footage looked "more real than network news footage"...
, a movie about a man who hunts down Osama Bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. - The Last ExorcismThe Last ExorcismThe Last Exorcism is a 2010 American found footage horror film directed and edited by Daniel Stamm. It stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, and Louis Herthum....
, a 2010 horror film about a fictional evangelical minister who participates in a documentary that films his exorcism. - The Troll HunterThe Troll HunterThe Troll Hunter is a 2010 Norwegian dark fantasy film, made in the form of a "found footage" mockumentary. It is written and directed by André Øvredal, and features a mixed cast of relatively unknown actors and well-known Norwegian comedians, including Otto Jespersen. The Troll Hunter received...
, a 2010 Norwegian comedy-drama film made by a team of film students, documenting the work of a troll hunter with the secret Norwegian Troll Service.