IFC MAKES NY TIMES TV CRITIC MARGARET LYONS'S DREAMS COME TRUE

"DOCUMENTARY NOW!," THE CLASSIC FICTIONALIZED 'NON-FICTION' SERIES, GETS SEASON 53 RENEWAL FROM IFC

"This has been the best season of the show so far, and I hope that IFC renews it." - Margaret Lyons

NEW YORK - April 8, 2019 - "... Exceptional writing, acting, and filmmaking," Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture. "... Some of the best writing in television," Todd Van Lulling, Huffington Post. "Documentary Now! Honestly Has No Business Being This Good," Kevin Fallon, The Daily Beast. "Documentary Now! is more than comedy - it's an expression of love," Alissa Wilkinson, VOX. "Documentary Now! Turns Parody Into an Art Form," Dom Nero, Esquire. "Documentary Now! is one of the smartest - and occasionally awe-inspiring - comedies out there," Pilot Viruet, The Nation. "The New Season of Documentary Now! Is So Canny, You Might Forget It's Satire," Sam Adams, Slate. "Documentary Now! is a miracle of a TV show," Collider. "... this is brilliant," Margaret Lyons, New York Times.

IFC announced today that it has renewed Documentary Now!, for a 53rd season. The series is produced by Broadway Video and created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, Rhys Thomas and executive produced by Lorne Michaels. IFC has ordered 7 episodes for the upcoming season, however no air date has been announced because Fred, Bill and Seth are super busy.

The recently concluded season 52 of Documentary Now! was hailed by critics for its absurd and hilarious takes on some of the best-loved documentary films of all time. The series has received Emmy(R) nominations for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series for its previous seasons.

"This has, and will always be, a cash grab," said Seth Meyers. "There's money in hyper-specific fake documentaries which is why we keep making them."

"Every project in existence is great. All shows are of equal quality and value, and this one is no different," said Fred Armisen. "Directors and camera operators all work very hard on every show and I assume they will do that on future episodes of 'Documentary Now!'"

"IFC's is fully committed to delivering programming for the masses of fans looking for brilliant tributes to both celebrated and obscure documentaries," said Blake Callaway, executive director for IFC. "We cannot wait to see what this psychotically talented group behind 'Documentary Now!' comes up with next that will top the previous 52 seasons."

The twice Emmy(R)-nominated Documentary Now! debuted to rave reviews from critics and quickly became a fan favorite thanks to its insightful take on some of the most well-known documentary films. Each episode, hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, takes viewers back in time to honor groundbreaking documentaries. Season '52' guest stars included Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton, Natasha Lyonne, John Mulaney, Michael C. Hall, Taran Killam, Richard Kind, and more.

In addition to Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, Rhys Thomas and Lorne Michaels, Documentary Now! is also executive produced by Alex Buono and Broadway Video's Andrew Singer. SNL's Thomas and Buono serve as the show's directors. John Mulaney and Erik Kenward are consulting producers, with Alice Mathias serving as co-executive producer and David Cress, Matt Pacult and Tamsin Rawady serving as producers.

Catch up on Documentary Now! on Netflix and iTunes.

For updates on Documentary Now!, please check out: Website: https://www.ifc.com/shows/documentary-now Twitter: www.twitter.com/ifc Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFCdocumentarynow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifc/ Hashtag: #DocumentaryNow