Fred Armisen

After a l-o-o-o-n-g pause, funny docs are back

As the pandemic lingered, some TV shows rushed to get back.
Then there were shows like “Documentary Now,” the much-praised comedy. It finally returns (shown here) at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday (Oct. 19) on IFC (and then on AMC+), after almost vanishing.
“We certainly took advantage of the three-and-a-half years between seasons,” Seth Meyers told the Television Critics Association. “At this point, we were definitely the ‘Sopranos’ of IFC.”
And then some: “Sopranos” often had 15-month gaps between the end of one season and the start of another. “Documentary Now” had a 43-month gap after it third season. Read more…

It’s a quick leap: from warehouse worker to TV star

Americans have a special fondness for working guys who suddenly get a shot at the top.
They savor folks like Chuck Wepner, the liquor salesman and battered boxer (billed as “The Bayonne Bleeder”) who suddenly fought Muhammad Ali for the title; he knocked him down, went almost 15 rounds and inspired the movie “Rocky.”
And now there’s Chris Estrada (shown here), whose TV show (“This Fool”) debuts its entire, 10-episode season Thursday (Aug. 12) on Hulu. When it was first hatched, he said, “I was still working at warehouse.” Read more…