The best mockumentary TV comedy series owe much of their popularity to The Office and, since the mid-aughts, have been a staple. A mockumentary — or “mock documentary” — is exactly what it sounds like a TV show or movie that’s scripted but presented as if it’s a documentary. It’s a type of show that’s grown especially popular in the comedy genre. Something about the contrast between the fictional events and characters being depicted in a faux-documentary style heightens the comedic elements.

As mentioned, The Office (U.S.), which ran from 2005 to 2013, kick-started the mockumentary-style trend in television, mainstreaming the use of to-the-camera interviews and other fourth-wall-breaking gags. Although the type of show hit a saturation point for a time, the currently airing Abbott Elementary revived the TV mockumentary genre, proving that mockumentary TV comedy series are as enduring as traditional multi-camera sitcoms.

15 Cunk On Earth (2022—)

Produced by Charlie Brooker of Black Mirror fame, Cunk on Earth is a five-episode mockumentary comedy series that follows investigative reporter Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan). Morgan is a frequent Booker collaborator, having played the same character on the 2018 sister series Cunk on Britain. While the first series tackled British history through Philomena’s deluded, peculiar lens, the 2022 series takes a broader approach.

As the title suggests, Cunk on Earth sees Philomena on a globe-trotting expedition to interview real-world experts about human history. A send-up of history documentaries and investigative reporting, Morgan doles out bizarre questions, all while being convincingly none-the-wiser. Cunk on Earth is a bite-sized series for an afternoon that calls for a Netflix marathon watch.

14 Total Drama (2007–14; 2023)

Created by Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis for Cartoon Network, the Total Drama series is an animated satire of reality TV shows — namely, Survivor. Would-be viewers shouldn’t dismiss this long-running mockumentary franchise just because it’s animated and aimed at kids. Like so many wonderful animated series and films, Total Drama is a hit with an eclectic audience.

The first season, Total Drama Island, revolves around a group of teens who enter an elimination-style competition. Throughout the season, contestants partake in challenges to win immunity and perks and navigate drama-filled team dynamics. Much like Survivor (and, in later seasons, The Amazing Race), Total Drama is full of unfair eliminations, shocking twists, and entertaining commentary from host Chris McLean (voice of Christian Potenza).

13 Players (2022–)

Relatively new to the TV scene, Paramount Plus’ Players chronicles the ups and downs of Fugitive Gaming, a fictional League of Legends esports team. Pro-gaming is an untapped scene for comedies, so Players has a lot to mine from. Produced in part by League of Legends creator Riot Games, the series centers on Fugitive’s founder and star player, Creamcheese (Misha Brooks), and the team’s struggle to win a championship title.

Fugitive coach Kyle (Ely Henry) brings on young prodigy Organizm (Da’Jour), who replaces Creamcheese’s longtime teammate and pal, to bolster the team's odds. Organizm also doesn’t take direction well, preferring to win or lose on his own . The show’s creators also made American Vandal, another top-notch mockumentary TV series, so viewers can expect both smart jabs and insightful esports commentary from Players.

12 High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019—)

Before Olivia Rodrigo rose to the top of the charts with “drivers license,” she starred in one of the first-ever Disney Plus originals, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The musical mockumentary is set at East High School — the very campus the Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens—led Disney Channel Original Movies were filmed. Given the school’s rich cinematic ties, the theater kids are keen on staging a production of High School Musical: The Musical.

The meta production attracts all sorts of folks to the stage, from teenage singer/songwriter Nini Salazar-Roberts (Rodrigo), whose cast in Hudgens’ role, to Ricky Bowen (Joshua Bassett) — guitarist, skateboarder, and Nina’s ex, who winds up in the Efron role. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series knows its audience and deftly infuses the mockumentary style with nostalgia and in-jokes.

11 Jury Duty (2023–)

Although the 2023 surprise hit Jury Duty is more of a reality show hoax, it certainly borrows mockumentary-style elements. It’s hard to even call it a “reality show” when the show’s whole premise hinges on a ruse. Meant to chronicle the goings-on of a jury , the Freevee series centers on Ronald Gladden, a juror who believes his summons was real. However, everyone else on the jury is an actor and is in on the joke.

Part reality TV satire and part sociological experiment, the plot beats of Jury Duty are completely planned out. Still, so much depends on the actors' improvisational skills, especially co-star James Marsden who plays a version of himself. Aside from the main Jury Duty twist, the other elements it employs, from hidden-camera-style pranks to scripted sitcom tropes and mockumentary hallmarks, make it a truly original show.

10 Documentary Now! (2015–)

Created by Saturday Night Live (SNL) alums and comedy greats Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, Documentary Now! riffs on acclaimed documentaries — a kind of Drunk History-meets-This Is Spinal Tap. Hader and Armisen are frequent stars across the show’s four seasons, and none other than Oscar-winning actor Helen Mirren hosts the long-running faux program.

Documentary Now! works so well because of its specificity. In addition to parodying the subjects of well-known real-world docs, it also mimics the style of the source material. For example, the season 1 episode, “Sandy age,” spoofs Grey Gardens and stars Hader and Armisen as socialites living in a decaying mansion. Other episodes feature spot-on guest stars, like “Waiting for the Artist” — a send-up of Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present — which stars Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as a fictional performance artist.

9 American Vandal (2017–18)

When it debuted on Netflix, the Peabody Award-winning American Vandal was a surprise hit. A parody and pastiche of true crime docs, season 1 of the show centers on catching the culprit of a devastating high school prank: someone vandalized nearly 30 cars in the faculty parking lot with spray-painted phallic drawings. Soon enough, senior student Dylan Maxwell (Jimmy Tatro) is expelled for allegedly committing the crime.

This encourages underclassmen Peter (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam (Griffin Gluck) to launch their own investigation into the prank. Although the premise sounds very low-hanging-fruit-style comedy, American Vandal is both wildly funny and incredibly insightful. The mockumentary series explores America’s obsession with true-crime content as well as the long-standing pop cultural obsession with the criminals and questions at the center of those stories.

8 Modern Family (2009–20)

In its first five years on air, Modern Family nabbed the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series annually. Although it debuted after other hits like The Office, Modern Family pushed the mockumentary TV comedy series genre to new heights. Emmys aside, even WandaVision’s infamous tour of TV sitcom history took time to parody Modern Family alongside the likes of I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Brady Bunch.

Modern Family’s pop culture footprint can’t be denied, even though the underlying premise is very much in the traditional sitcom wheelhouse. The series follows three families who live in the suburbs of Los Angeles; all these family units look different, from nuclear to blended compositions, but all the Modern Family characters are related, mainly thanks to patriarch Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill). With an incredible ensemble and sidesplitting confessional-style interviews, it’s no wonder Modern Family hit it big.

7 Reno 911! (2003–09; 2020–22)

Originally created for Comedy Central, Reno 911! parodies the incredibly problematic law enforcement-centered reality show Cops. The mockumentary TV comedy series centers on the Reno Sheriff's Department , all of whom are incredibly incapable. In being a send-up of the controversial Cops, Reno 911! doesn’t have to change a lot, but since it’s without the same real-world ramifications, it’s more palatable for viewers.

Bolstered by its strong ensemble, Reno 911! features great performances from Niecy Nash, Cedric Yarbrough, and Wendi McLendon-Covey, to name a few. In addition to being a biting condemnation of its source material, Reno 911! finds time for slapstick-level humor in its bumbling characters, too. Despite a ton of network hopping — the franchise has landed on the late Quibi, The Roku Channel, and Paramount Plus — Reno 911! has staying power.

6 The Comeback (2005; 2014)

While Michael Patrick King is deep in the trenches of the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That…, The Comeback fans eagerly await his return to a possible third season of the under-the-radar HBO dramedy. Starring Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback chronicles the day-to-day life of B-list sitcom vet Valerie Cherish. Much like the Friends alum who plays her, Valerie experienced an acting drought after her comedy series’ heyday — until she’s finally cast in a new project.

To land the role, though, Valerie agrees to have her return to the screen filmed for a documentary project, also titled The Comeback. It’s meta on many levels and sees its star grappling with ageism and the need to be more than just the actor from that one hit show. As a satirical look at Hollywood’s TV-producing machine, The Comeback is a two-season, Emmy-nominated gem.