Top Rated Documentary TV Shows - Page 493

Extreme Dreams With Ben Fogle

2006

Extreme Dreams With Ben Fogle

2006
8
Extreme Dreams is a reality TV programme made by the independent British production company Ricochet and hosted by Ben Fogle. The premise behind the show is that deserving individuals are taken to unfamiliar and extreme environments and given the opportunity to participate in an adventure beyond their wildest dreams. Participants are typically seeking a life-changing experience: a boost to improve their health, build their confidence, mend relationships or overcome past difficulties. For each programme four different teams are selected by a small panel comprising adventurers and a psychologist as well as Ben Fogle himself. Each team then travels with Ben to a different region of the world to undertake a challenging trek.
America at a Crossroads

2007

America at a Crossroads

2007
10
America at a Crossroads is a documentary miniseries concerning the issues facing the United States of America as related to the War on Terrorism. It aired originally on PBS television. The miniseries initially consisted of 11 independently produced aired episodes, and premiered April 15–20, 2007 on PBS. Its executive producers are Jeff Bieber and Dalton Delan; series producer is Leo Eaton and it is presented by Robert MacNeil. Its music score is composed by Canadian musician Mark Korven.
The Secret City Adventures

0000

The Secret City Adventures

0000
1
The Secret City Adventures was a series of television programs designed to teach children how to draw. The series was produced by Maryland Public Television and aired on PBS and TVOntario in the late 1980s. The series starred Mark Kistler as Commander Mark who led viewers through various drawing exercises and examples. The show also featured other characters, including Moonbot, Unibear, Pigasus, Furbles, Violet the Dragon, and others. Occasionally, guest artists would appear on the show to demonstrate other art forms.
The Louvre

1964

The Louvre

1964
10
The Louvre is a documentary guided tour the Louvre lead by Charles Boyer.
Born to Be Different

2003

Born to Be Different

2003
2
Born to Be Different is a British documentary on Channel 4, which follows the life of six disabled children. Reviewing the show, TimesOnline commented with irony that "by the end of [it], we had sobered up entirely. A queasy feeling followed, of being pulled morally up and down and in and out until you didn't know whom you pitied or why. The sign, in other words, of excellent television." In its review, The London Paper expressed concerns about the voyeuristic approach of the show and asks: "what is to be gained from watching harried mothers breaking down, and children being constantly reminded of their problems by the camera crew? [...] Let’s just hope Channel 4's intentions were in the right place." The music for the series was composed by Julian Stewart Lindsay.
Maximum Security

1984

Maximum Security

1984
5
Maximum Security is an American drama television series on HBO about life in a supermax prison. The 45 minute pilot premiered July 3, 1984, and the six-part series began on March 5, 1985. Its stars included Robert Desiderio, Geoffrey Lewis, and Jean Smart. Among its directors were Sharron Miller and Gilbert Moses. The series was filmed at the Lincoln Heights jail in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Paranormal Cops

2010

Paranormal Cops

2010
10
Paranormal Cops was an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on January 19, 2010 on A&E. The program was produced by NorthSouth Productions for A&E. It followed the Chicago Paranormal Detectives as they "fought crime by day and hunted for paranormal happenings by night." The series lasted for one six-episode season. Presumably due to ratings, the series is no longer produced by A&E Television Networks.
Flying Heavy Metal

2005

Flying Heavy Metal

2005
9
Flying Heavy Metal was a 5-part British television series produced by Ricochet and broadcast in the UK and Europe on the Discovery Channel and subsequently repeated on Discovery Wings in the UK. It was presented by commercial Boeing 757 pilot and Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson. In the series, Bruce looked at, and often flew, a number of aircraft from across the history of commercial aviation. There were some quite surprising aerobatics done in rather large aircraft. Flying Heavy Metal is now repeated on the new channel from Discovery Networks UK called Discovery Turbo.
The Twentieth Century

1957

The Twentieth Century

1957
8
The Twentieth Century was a documentary television program, sponsored by the Prudential Insurance Company, which ran on the CBS network from 20 October 1957 until 4 January 1970. It was hosted by Walter Cronkite. The opening and closing theme music was written by composer George Antheil. The program presented filmed reports on news and cultural events that were important for the development of the 20th century. The show did not just present the events, but also interpreted them. Such subjects as World War I and major assassinations were presented in context. On 20 January 1967, the show was renamed The 21st Century, sponsored by Union Carbide. The show's focus changed to the future, and what mankind could look forward to. 'The 21st Century' was cancelled after three seasons. The reason given was that the writers had run out of things to talk about. However, it is possible that CBS may have wished to replace it with a more commercially successful program.
Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World

2009

Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre World

2009
10
Bizarre World is the followup to the successful Bizarre Foods. The show encompasses not only the classic bizarre foods of the world but also the unique cultures of the world. The new show appears to have been dropped in favor of new episodes of Bizarre Foods, which began in April 2010. The official website link redirects to the Bizarre Foods page on the Travel Channel website.
Moon Machines

2008

Moon Machines

2008
0.5
Moon Machines in the US and UK is a Science Channel HD documentary miniseries consisting of six episodes documenting the engineering challenges of the Apollo Program to land a man on the Moon. It covers everything from the iconic Saturn V to the Command Module, the Lunar Module, the Space Suits, the Guidance and Control Computer, and the Lunar Rover. It was created by the team who made In the Shadow of the Moon in association with NASA to commemorate the agency's fiftieth anniversary in 2008. It first aired in June 2008 and was released on DVD a year later in June 2009.
Obsessed

2009

Obsessed

2009
6
"Obsessed" offers an honest and unflinching look at a difficult subject: extreme anxiety disorders. It explores the world of individuals suffering from such mental illnesses as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and hoarding, as well as the effects their illness has on their family and friends. Each participant undergoes a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that exposes the sources of their fears in an attempt to manage them.
The Othersiders

2009

The Othersiders

2009
1
The Othersiders is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on June 17, 2009, on the Cartoon Network. The program follows a group of five teenagers who are interested in the paranormal and explore reportedly haunted sites to discover any paranormal activity. Aimed for a teen audience, it has a similar concept as Ghost Hunters. The series is part of the Cartoon Network programming block CN Real. The second season of The Othersiders premiered on October 7, 2009. The show ended in 2010 due to low ratings.
Real Rescues

2007

Real Rescues

2007
4
Real Rescues is a British documentary broadcast on BBC One exploring the daily work of the emergency services aired since 15 October 2007. Real Rescues is at the heart of the action with the emergency services of Hampshire including the police, fire, ambulance, coastguard and lifeboat crews. A majority of the footage has been shot around Portsmouth and Fareham. Reruns are on Watch and CBS Reality. In the later series, other counties from across the UK began to be featured. Other emergency services, such as mountain rescue and animal rescue, were also featured.
Quest for the Bay

2002

Quest for the Bay

2002
6
Quest for the Bay was a Canadian documentary television series which aired on History Television and the Public Broadcasting Service in 2002. It is the second entry of producer Jamie Brown's "Quest series", which includes Pioneer Quest: A Year in the Real West, Klondike: The Quest for Gold, and Quest for the Sea. Frank and Alana Logie, a couple who had previously participated in Pioneer Quest, made a cameo appearance during the first episode. It was the highest-rated program on History Television in 2002 and received favourable reviews from newspapers -- most notably, the Edmonton Journal. RoseAnna Schick, the sole female crew member, wrote a personal account of the journey for Manitoba History later that year. The five-part series was produced by Winnipeg-based Frantic Films and was filmed during the summer of 2001. It followed an eight-person volunteer team as they attempted to recreate the journey made by fur traders of the Hudson's Bay Company during the 1840s by travelling from Winnipeg to Hudson Bay. The tri
Combat School

2009

Combat School

2009
7
Combat school is an immersive, adrenaline-fuelled documentary series that takes viewers through the paces of the most intense and advanced military training in our nation's history, in the boots of real soldiers whose next stop is the battleground of Afghanistan.
Mr. Gay Canada

2008

Mr. Gay Canada

2008
1
Mr. Gay Canada is a Canadian English language documentary television series. Mr. Gay Canada premiered on March 23, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. EST on the Canadian specialty channel, OUTtv.
Animal Atlas

2004

Animal Atlas

2004
9
Animal Atlas is produced by Longneedle Entertainment, LLC, a subsidiary of Bellum Entertainment Group. Animal Atlas is a 30-minute educational wildlife show that "takes children on a tour of discovery, uncovering the secrets of how animals live and thrive. Young viewers meet animals from the familiar to the astounding, and the domesticated to the wild, including the diverse creatures of the African savanna, the finned and flippered of the big deep, and the colorful cast of the equatorial rainforest". Atlas began in 2004 for its first season in national syndication and will be going on its tenth year of national syndication during the 2013-2014 season. As of January 2013, Bellum will have produced over 230 high definition episodes of Animal Atlas and fourteen home entertainment DVD titles about animals.
Untamed & Uncut

2008

Untamed & Uncut

2008
4
Untamed & Uncut is an American documentary television series that premiered on June 10, 2008 on Animal Planet. The program depicts unexpected and surprising animal encounters that are caught directly on tape at the scene. Each different video usually has something to do with an animal attack on a human, either intentionally or unintentionally, animals fighting each other, animals causing havoc within a community, or animal rescues in which the animal is in grave danger or has been severely wounded. Most of the time, no one is killed, although a few deaths and many minor and severe injuries have occurred. Due to the disturbing content, Untamed & Uncut holds a TV-14 rating. A sneak peek originally appeared on June 10, 2008 - the show officially debuted on October 12, 2008 with the special "Vacation Nightmares". Rodeo announcer Bob Tallman appeared as himself in two episodes of the program.
Infamous Murders

0000

Infamous Murders

0000
8
Infamous Murders was a documentary television series shown on The History Channel in the U.S. and the U.K. The U.S. edition was narrated by Don Peoples. In the U.K. edition the narrator is uncredited.