TV picks for Oct. 26: 'Documentary Now!,' 'Secrets of the Dead,' 'Black Mirror'

October 25, 2016 at 9:27PM
Mark Belshaw and Robert Brooks doing battle with their bronze swords in "Secrets of the Dead: After Stonehenge."
Photo: Paola Desiderio * 360 Production
Mark Belshaw and Robert Brooks doing battle with their bronze swords in “Secrets of the Dead: After Stonehenge.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Hollywood ending

The ambitious satirical series that mocks everything from "The Civil War" to "Grey Gardens," "Documentary Now!" may be the most hit-or-miss project on TV, largely because co-creators Bill Hader and Fred Armisen swing big — and don't seem to care if they miss. Their latest effort, a two-parter sending up Hollywood bigwig Robert Evans' "The Kid Stays in the Picture," is a big whiff — blowhard producers are kind of an easy target — although Oscar fans will get a kick out of watching Hader's lead character stew and sweat over snagging one of the golden statuettes. Stick around for the closing credits to episode one, with a bizarre appearance from an unbilled Academy Award winner.

9 p.m., IFC

Heart of stone

"Secrets of the Dead" sounds like a spinoff of "The Walking Dead," but the title is misleading. Instead, the focus is on world history, often with quite revealing results. The latest, "After Stonehenge," uses the 3,000-year-old English settlement to shed light on how the Brits, in their own way, kept up with the Egyptians and their fancy pyramids.

9 p.m., TPT, Ch. 2

Up, up and away

A chopper trip to the top of the world may seem like a joy ride, but "Everest Air" suggests otherwise. Cameras follow the Alpine Rescue Service over six episodes as it attempts to rescue those in trouble on the perilous peak. The series will make you want to sign up for the next expedition — or stay away from anything taller than a bar stool.

9 p.m., Travel Channel

Neal Justin

Bryce Dallas Howard, left, a cast member in the "Black Mirror" episode "Nosedive," poses with director Joseph Wright at the premiere of the new season of the television series on day 5 of the Toronto International Film Festival at Ryerson Theatre on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Bryce Dallas Howard, left, a cast member in the “Black Mirror” episode “Nosedive,” poses with director Joseph Wright at the premiere of the new season of the television series on day 5 of the Toronto International Film Festival at Ryerson Theatre on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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