'Amost Royal' Fans Should Check Out These Shows

The Season 2 finale of the BBC America mockumentary-style original comedy Almost Royal airs Monday night, and I have to say, I'm kind of bummed about it. I couldn't wait for the series to return to BBC America for Season 2, and now it's already over after being on the air for less than a month. After those final credits roll during the second season finale, all I can do is wonder if Almost Royal will return for Season 3.

Unfortunately, BBC America has made no official announcement regarding the fate of Almost Royal just yet. But, also unfortunately, I don't think the show, which follows faux British aristocrats-turned-culture journalists Poppy and Georgie Carlton (wonderfully played by comedians Amy Hoggart and Ed Gamble, respectively) as they travel around the United States learning about the American way of life, has the best chance of staying on the air.

Season 1 of Almost Royal premiered on June 21, 2014, and BBC America announced its renewal on Dec. 4, 2014. However, it seemed to take an unusually long time for Season 2 to finally premiere on Jan. 18, 2016. The show was also moved from its admittedly not-the-best Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET time slot to Mondays at 11 p.m. ET, which has really made me worried about its chances of surviving, especially since BBC America doesn't air a whole lot of original or new programming in primetime as it is.

I suppose all I can do now is hope that Almost Royal returns for another season of its hilarious satirical take on both American and British culture. But, we might as well enjoy the wait. I love a good mockumentary TV series like Almost Royal, and, luckily, there are plenty more out there for you and me to laugh at the many absurd aspects of life.

1. The Office (U.S. Version) (2005-2013)

The Office is probably the best-known TV mockumentary these days, and, in my opinion, one of the best ever. I'm actually partial to the American version of the comedy about the work lives and personal lives of the employees of a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, rather than the original British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, even though I am a big fan of British TV. However, if you're looking for some laughs, it wouldn't hurt you to watch them both and judge for yourself.

2. Derek (2012-2014)

Speaking of Gervais, he kept the mockumentary train rolling with the critically acclaimed Derek, of which you can stream its entire two seasons and special episodes on Netflix now. In this dramedy, which follows the titular character and his fellow nursing home employees, Gervais shows a lighter, more vulnerable side to his usual crass and abrasive persona. It's worth it to watch Derek just for that.

3. Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)

They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but it kind of did with Parks and Recreation, which followed in the footsteps of The Office and its use of the mockumentary style to satirize an aspect of American life. Parks and Rec took on local government by chronicling the ups and downs of the Pawnee Parks Dept. But, with a heroine as intelligent, tenacious, and altogether wonderful as Leslie Knope, how could Parks and Rec not have been a hit?

4. Modern Family (2009-Present)

This is a show for TV viewers who want to watch a mockumentary but not feel like they're watching a mockumentary. Modern Family serves up the ubiquitous family sitcom but with the twist of documentary-like sit-down interview asides with the characters to provide commentary on the Dunphy-Pritchett shenanigans that occur in every episode. Other than that, there's not too much else about Modern Family that really gives it a mockumentary feel. However, some of the most hilarious and heartwarming moments of its episode often come from those interviews, so the series really does make good use of this narrative device.

5. The Comeback (2005, 2014)

There are few TV series that comment on show business and fame in such a comically accurate way as The Comeback. Obviously, part of that is the fact that Lisa Kudrow kind of plays an exaggerated version of herself in The Comeback's protagonist Valerie Cherish, who was Hollywood's It Girl in the '90s and is now struggling to return to the spotlight. But Valerie has been Kudrow's best post-Friends role, so The Comeback definitely lived up to its name for the actress.

6. Ja'mie: Private School Girl (2013)

Chris Lilley is basically Australia's master of the mockumentary, and when HBO ran his series Ja'mie: Private School Girl, featuring the privileged, entitled, and delusional title character who first appeared in Summer Heights High, I ate it up like candy. Though the series' portrayal of an Australian all-girls private school was definitely silly, its accurate depiction of high school social dynamics also made me a little sick.

But, then again, poking fun at the foibles of society is what mockumentaries are all about.

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