A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary) is a type of film or television programme depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyse or comment on current events and issues in a satirical way by using a fictional setting, or to parody the documentary form itself. One of the most well known examples of the modern time is The Office. The term originated in the 1960s but was popularised in the mid-1990s when This Is Spinal Tap director Rob Reiner used it in interviews to describe that film. While mockumentaries are comedic, pseudo-documentaries are their dramatic equivalents.
The Rutles mockumentary "All You Need is Cash" is shown on British TV
A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary) is a type of film or television programme depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary.
Historical Significance
A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary) is a type of film or television programme depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary.
Events Before
Erroll Garner dies
Erroll Garner dies
Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596
Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporate Apple Computer, Inc.
Apple Inc., originally Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation that creates and markets consumer electronics and attendant computer software, and is a digital distributor of…
American film director Martin Scorsese (34) divorces Julia Cameron (28) after 1 year of marriage
Megalopolis is a 2024 American epic science fiction drama film written, directed, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola.
Miniseries "Roots" premieres on ABC
Miniseries "Roots" premieres on ABC
Events After
International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)
International Year of the Child begins (declared by UNESCO)
Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day
Village People's "Y.M.C.A." becomes their only UK #1 single; at its peak, it sells over 150,000 copies per day
BBC landmark nature series "Life on Earth" presented by David Attenborough first shown on BBC One
Life on Earth: A Natural History by David Attenborough is a British television natural history series made by the BBC in association with Warner Bros. Television and Reiner Moritz Productions.
Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 years in exile
Ruhollah Khomeini's return to Iran on 1 February 1979, after 14 years in exile, was an important event in the Iranian Revolution.
Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage
Actor Max Von Sydow (49) divorces actress Christina Olin after 28 years of marriage
More from the 1970s
death
Erroll Garner dies
Erroll Garner dies
birth
Chai Jing is born
Chai Jing, Chinese journalist and environmental activist, known for chinese journalist and environmental activist, was born on 1976-01-01. Chai Jing is a Chinese journalist.
Charles "Chub" Feeney becomes the President of Major League Baseball's National League
Charles Stoneham "Chub" Feeney (August 31, 1921 – January 10, 1994) was an Irish-American front office executive in Major League Baseball.
Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US
Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on March 27, 1978?
- A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary) is a type of film or television programme depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyse or comment on current events and issues in a satirical way by using a fictional setting, or to parody the documentary form itself. One of the most well known examples of the modern time is The Office.
- Why is The Rutles mockumentary "All You Need is Cash" is shown on British TV significant?
- A mockumentary (a portmanteau of mock and documentary) is a type of film or television programme depicting fictional events, but presented as a documentary.