Netflix to Remove Documentary Now! Comedy Series on May 9 – Here's Where to Watch It

Bad news for fans of the cult classic comedy series Documentary Now! Netflix will be removing it from streaming on May 9.

The show was huge for anyone who grew up on Saturday Night Livein the 2000s. Created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and SNLproducer Rhys Thomas, Documentary Now! parodied a 60 Minutes-esque news magazine hosted by Helen Mirren. In each episode, Mirren presented a parody of a popular celebrity documentary, usually starring Hader and Armisen. The first episode, for example, has the former SNL castmates playing Little Edie and Big Edie in Grey Gardens parody called Sandy Passage.

Documentary Now! initially ran from 2015 to 2019 on IFC, the same network that aired Armisen and Carrie Brownstein's Portlandia. After a long break over the pandemic, Season 4 premiered in 2022 to just as much acclaim as its earlier seasons.

Why Critics Loved 'Documentary Now!'

Since its premiere, Documentary Now! was widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed comedy shows, even though it didn't become as ubiquitous as other shows from SNL contemporaries like Parks & Recreation or 30 Rock. The series overall holds a 95% average on Rotten Tomatoes and received six Emmy nominations over its run, including three for outstanding variety sketch series.

Seasons 3 & 4 each have a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with nothing but glowing reviews from critics. "Documentary Now! is the kind of parody where the attention to detail is so exacting that one could at first mistake it for the real thing," wrote Dan Schindel in Hyperallergic.

In Vanity Fair, writer Tara Ariano raved, "Even a Documentary Now! episode that doesn't quite hit on all levels is a feast for the eyes; and at barely 23 minutes each, these episodes are extraordinarily intricate pieces of miniature art."

While it won't be available on Netflix come next week, there are other ways to stream Documentary Now! It's available on AMC+, and if you look hard enough, you might even be able to find episodes on YouTube.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 10:51 PM.