The trailer for the third season of “Documentary Now!” promises a lot of laughs, and some notable celebrity appearances, but will it be able to deliver the smart humor and unique tone that defined its previous seasons?
A mockumentary series created by Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, John Mulaney, and Seth Meyers, “Documentary Now!” parodies popular documentaries, resulting in its own brand of clever, self-aware humor. The third season looks to continue this trend albeit with a notable shift in the line-up of the show, particularly in terms of celebrity appearances.
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This coming season, the star-studded roster of “Documentary Now!” will feature two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett, Michael Keaton, Owen Wilson, Michael C. Hall, among others. By featuring an even larger line-up of guest stars, the creators of the show may hope to expand its audience beyond its beloved cult following. However, while featuring well-known stars like Blanchett, Wilson, and Keaton may enable “Documentary Now!” to reach a wider audience, there is a possibility that the show may lose the quirky charm that initially endeared it to fans.
Though many stars are returning from previous seasons, notably missing from the montage of cast members is Bill Hader, likely due to his involvement with HBO’s “Barry.” One of the creators of the series, Hader often played the main role in each of the series’ mockumentaries, as well as frequently acting as a writer and executive producer for the series. Without Hader’s presence and featuring such a wide variety of notable guest stars, “Documentary Now!” runs the risk of shifting the tone of the show beyond the style of the first two seasons. Whether this will alienate previous fans or enable it to simply engage with a wider viewing audience remains to be seen.
One thing is for certain: watching Cate Blanchett play an eccentric conceptual artist is sure to be quality entertainment.
Season 3 of “Documentary Now!” will premiere on February 20 on IFC. You can watch the trailer below:
