Popular Documentary TV Shows

The Boys from Brazil: Rise of the Bolsonaros

2022

The Boys from Brazil: Rise of the Bolsonaros

2022
7
The remarkable rise of one of the world’s most controversial leaders, Jair Bolsonaro, from obscurity to the presidency of Brazil.
Foreign Correspondent

1992

Foreign Correspondent

1992
7.3
Australia's leading international affairs program featuring fascinating, in-depth stories from the ABC's unrivalled network of foreign correspondents.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning

2025

Sean Combs: The Reckoning

2025
7
This documentary series unpacks the shocking allegations behind Sean "Diddy" Combs and his Bad Boy empire, spanning decades of his life and career.
Mayday

2003

Mayday

2003
8.2
Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and interviews with aviation experts.
Fuse

1962

Fuse

1962
7.6
Fitil is a popular Soviet/Russian television satirical/comedy short film series which ran for about 500 episodes. Some of the episodes were aimed at children, and were called Фитилёк, Fitilyok, Little Fuse. Each issue contained from the few short segments: documentary, fictional and animated ones. Directed by various artists, including Leonid Gaidai who presented his famous trio of Nikulin, Vitsin and Morgunov into the cast. It was called in USSR as "the anecdotes from the Soviet government".
Horizon

1964

Horizon

1964
7.4
Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.
Frontline

1983

Frontline

1983
7.5
Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.
NOVA

1974

NOVA

1974
7
PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.
Nashorn, Zebra & Co.

2007

Nashorn, Zebra & Co.

2007
Great Performances

1971

Great Performances

1971
5.8
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
The World Heritage

2014

The World Heritage

2014
8
TBS’s ”World Heritage,” is a 30-minute weekly documentary series that is registered by UNESCO under Natural Heritage, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Sciences. The program started in spring, 1996, and over a span of 10 years has covered about 560 topics around the world. To better convey the grandeur of these treasures of the world, TBS has shot the series in High-Definition. High quality images, impeccable narrative, and beautiful music...the elements are simple and straightforward. The producers feel that this style of presentation works best to visually document and preserve the wonders of the world, and continue to do so to this day.
Dessert Person with Claire Saffitz

2020

Dessert Person with Claire Saffitz

2020
5
In her cookbook "Dessert Person," Claire Saffitz celebrates and defends her love of desserts and empowers reluctant home bakers to work with new ingredients, attempt new techniques, and bake with more confidence. Join Claire in her home kitchen as she highlights recipes from the book in this baking series to help you take your baking skills to the next level.
Undercover in Nederland

2005

Undercover in Nederland

2005
7
MythBusters

2003

MythBusters

2003
7.8
MythBusters is a science entertainment television program created and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The show's hosts, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, use elements of the scientific method to test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages, Internet videos, and news stories.
Am Schauplatz

1998

Am Schauplatz

1998
Nature

1982

Nature

1982
7.8
Consistently stunning documentaries transport viewers to far-flung locations ranging from the torrid African plains to the chilly splendours of icy Antarctica. The show's primary focus is on animals and ecosystems around the world. A comic book based on the show, meant to be used an as educational tool for kids, was briefly distributed to museums and schools at no cost in the mid-2000s.
Ancient Aliens

2010

Ancient Aliens

2010
7
Did intelligent beings from outer space visit Earth thousands of years ago? From the age of the dinosaurs to ancient Egypt, from early cave drawings to continued mass sightings in the US, each episode gives historic depth to the questions, speculations, provocative controversies, first-hand accounts and grounded theories surrounding this age old debate.
Lecture Room

2001

Lecture Room

2001
10
American Experience

1988

American Experience

1988
6.9
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.
Iskrigerne

2014

Iskrigerne

2014

Popular Documentary TV Shows

2022

2022

1992

1992

2025

2025

2003

2003

1962

1962

1964

1964

1983

1983

1974

1974

2007

2007

1971

1971

2014

2014

2020

2020

2005

2005

2003

2003

1998

1998

1982

1982

2010

2010

2001

2001

1988

1988

2014

2014