 The term "mockumentary", which originated in the 1960s, was popularized in the mid-1980s when "This Is Spinal Tap" director Rob Reiner used it in interviews to describe that film.Mockumentaries are often partly or wholly improvised, as an unscripted style of acting helps to maintain the pretense of reality.Comedic mockumentaries rarely have laugh tracks, also to sustain the atmosphere, although exceptions exist.