Top Rated Documentary TV Shows - Page 496

Man Alive

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Man Alive

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Man Alive was a documentary and current affairs series which ran on BBC2 between 1965 and 1981. During that time there were nearly 500 programmes tackling a range of social and political issues, both in the UK and abroad. It was often accused of trying to sensationalise its subjects or interviewees. The series was commissioned by Sir David Attenborough, while he was Controller of BBC2 between 1965 and 1969. British television journalist and presenter Esther Rantzen worked on Man Alive in the mid-1960s. She went on to marry one of the programme's most prominent reporters, and series editor Desmond Wilcox. Wilcox contributed directly to about 50 Man Alive programmes. The Man Alive theme music was composed and played by Tony Hatch and his orchestra.
Totally Gay!

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Totally Gay!

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Totally Gay! is a 2003 television special on VH1 that discusses gay pop culture in the United States. The content of the show includes the hottest sitcoms, newest gay icons, and the most popular dog breed. The somewhat light-hearted tone of the show was balanced at the end by narrator Trev Broudy discussing the assault that he had suffered shortly before the program was recorded, which left him with permanent brain damage. Totally Gay! was followed by a sequel in 2004 called Totally Gayer.
The Mark Steel Lectures

2003

The Mark Steel Lectures

2003
6
The Mark Steel Lectures are a series of radio and television programmes. Written and delivered by Mark Steel, each scripted lecture presents arguments for the importance of a historical figure. The lectures were originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over three series between 1999 and 2002. Many of the arguments were illustrated by miniature sketches. These sketches featured Mark Steel, Martin Hyder, Mel Hudson, Carla Mendonça, Femi Elufowoju Junior and Debbie Isitt. The first series was subtitled "A series of lectures about Englishmen who changed the course of history", with the remaining two changing this to "A series of lectures about people with a passion". The first series was produced by Phil Clark; the others by Lucy Armitage. The lecture on Ludwig van Beethoven was nominated for a Sony Radio Comedy Award. The programme transferred to television in 2003, with an Open University series on BBC Four, which was later repeated on BBC Two. This variously featured: ⁕Gerard Logan as Lord Byron ⁕Martin Hy
Disney Family Album

1984

Disney Family Album

1984
10
Disney Family Album is a half hour documentary series on the Disney Channel that aired during the 1980s. It was narrated by Buddy Ebsen. The series looked at the artists and performers that help create Disney's movies and parks.
Time

2006

Time

2006
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Time is a 2006 documentary television series first broadcast on BBC Four in the United Kingdom. It is written and presented by Michio Kaku.
The Enemies of Reason

2007

The Enemies of Reason

2007
9
The Enemies of Reason is a two-part television documentary, written and presented by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, in which he seeks to expose "those areas of belief that exist without scientific proof, yet manage to hold the nation under their spell", including mediumship, acupuncture and psychokinesis. The documentary was first broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK, styled as a loose successor to Dawkins' documentary of the previous year, The Root of All Evil?, as seen through the incorporation of brief clips from said documentary during the introduction of the first part by Dawkins. The first part aired 13 August 2007 and the second on 20 August 2007. It includes interviews with Steve Fuller, Deepak Chopra, Satish Kumar, and Derren Brown.
Secret History

1991

Secret History

1991
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Secret History was a long-running British television documentary series. Shown on Channel 4, the Secret History brandname was used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual documentaries can still be found on US cable channels without the branding. It can be seen as Channel 4's answer to the BBC's Timewatch.
Hey Paula

2007

Hey Paula

2007
4
Hey Paula is an American reality series starring and co-produced by American television personality Paula Abdul that premiered on June 28, 2007 on the Bravo network. The series is also broadcast in Britain on the ITV2 channel and Arena 105 in Australia.
KinK

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KinK

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KinK was a Canadian documentary television series, which first aired in 2001 on Showcase. The series profiled some of the more unusual edges of human sexuality, primarily the kink and fetish scenes. It was filmed in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg; the fifth season, set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, first aired in September 2006. KinK was produced by Vancouver's Paperny Films.
The Week the Women Went

2008

The Week the Women Went

2008
5
The Week The Women Went is a television show produced by Paperny Films, and based on a BBC Three program of the same title. The show was part documentary, part reality television, that explores what happens when all the women in an ordinary Canadian town disappear for a week and leave the men and children to cope on their own. The first season of the show was taped in Hardisty, Alberta from June 2 to June 9, 2007 and consisted of eight one-hour episodes. The show first aired on CBC Television in Canada on January 21, 2008 and concluded on March 10, 2008. An estimated 1.2 million viewers watched the debut episode. The second season of the show was shot in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia from September 8 to September 15, 2008 and began airing on January 21, 2009.
American High

2000

American High

2000
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American High is an American documentary television show about the lives of fourteen students at Highland Park High School, located in the city of Highland Park, Illinois. The series originally aired on Fox and was canceled after four episodes. It was later picked up by PBS and aired in its entirety. The series was created by R. J. Cutler, an award winning documentary filmmaker. The show received the 2001 Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program. The theme song "American High", was written and performed by Bouncing Souls. An earlier Fox Network documentary series from 1991, Yearbook also covered the lives of suburban Chicago high school students.
Masterminds

2003

Masterminds

2003
10
Masterminds was a true crime documentary television series produced in Canada with truTV. As of February 2011, the program is broadcast on History Television and Global TV in Canada and truTV in the United States. Each 30 minute episode features one true crime story. The profiled crimes generally involve large sums of cash or merchandise and, more important, extremely unique and/or elaborate methods of criminal operation which were never before seen by law enforcement agencies. With a few notable exceptions, most criminals profiled in this series were caught within a couple of years of committing their crime.
Michael Moore Live

1999

Michael Moore Live

1999
7
Michael Moore Live, a 1999 television show featuring political advocate Michael Moore, ran for one six-part series. It was shown on Channel 4 and aired in the United Kingdom only, though it was broadcast from New York. The show had a similar format to The Awful Truth but also incorporated phone-ins and a live stunt each week. It was filmed around 7pm local time, which due to the time difference made it a late-night show in the UK. The live phone-ins all featured UK viewers, and questions were mainly about American policy at the time, e.g. gun control and the war in Kosovo. Each week, Moore was joined by guests, and one of the regulars was an illegal UK alien in the USA named Nigel. Throughout the show, he had to wear a rubber Queen Elizabeth II mask to hide his true identity.
Totally Wild

1992

Totally Wild

1992
6
Totally Wild is an Australian children's television series. It has been in production since 1992, airing on Network Ten on 12 July 1992. It has the format of a news program, and does stories on topics such as Australia's native flora and fauna, action sports, the environment, science, and technology. The show is broadcast across many countries and regarded as the benchmark for kids television in Australia. It currently airs on Network Ten at 4pm Monday to Wednesday, Saturdays at 8.30am and a double episode at 7am on Sundays. It is one of Australia's longest running children's programs. On 12 July 2012, Totally Wild celebrated 20 years of children's program since 12 July 1992.
It Takes a Thief

2005

It Takes a Thief

2005
7
A unique series offering viewers something they've never seen before: an actual home burglary, live, as it happens. Hosted by two reformed ex-cons, It Takes a Thief exposes the security flaws of a home by unleashing two uniquely qualified experts - ex-burglars - who will provide vital insights into the workings of the criminal mind.
The Worst Jobs in History

2004

The Worst Jobs in History

2004
7
The Worst Jobs in History is a British television series hosted by Tony Robinson on Channel 4. The second series was shown in March 2006 on History Television in Canada, then in April 2006 on Channel 4 in the UK. The first season is also shown with some regularity on History International. Tony Robinson tries his hand at each of the jobs, ultimately nominating which one he thought was the worst in each programme.
Def Poetry

2002

Def Poetry

2002
10
Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, which was co-founded by Bruce George, Danny Simmons and Deborah Pointer, is an HBO television series produced by hip-hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons. The series presents performances by established spoken word poets, as well as up-and-coming ones. Well-known actors and musicians will often surprise the audience by showing up to recite their own original poems. The show is hosted by Mos Def. Def Poetry is a spin-off of Def Comedy Jam. As he did on Def Comedy, Simmons appears at the end of every episode to thank the audience.
Creepy Canada

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Creepy Canada

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Creepy Canada is a Canadian television series that aired on OLN. It focused on paranormal activities around Canada. The show first premiered on October 23, 2002 and began its third season on May 5, 2006. With the third season the show's scope was expanded to include paranormal activity reported in the United States. It was originally hosted by Terry Boyle, and was later hosted by Brian O'Dea, who was also the producer of the show. Creepy Canada's last episode aired on July 28, 2006; the show has stopped producing new episodes.
SexTV

1998

SexTV

1998
2
SexTV is a Canadian documentary television series which explores many issues about human sexuality. The show premiered in 1998 and spun off a television channel called SexTV: The Channel in 2001. The series uses two Leonard Cohen songs, "Everybody Knows" and "Ain't No Cure for Love", as theme music.
Telescope

1963

Telescope

1963
6
Telescope is a Canadian documentary series which aired on CBC Television between 1963 and 1973. The series was hosted by Fletcher Markle, which profiled notable Canadian people from celebrities to the unknown, who made a difference. Starting in September 1966, Telescope was the first regular colour broadcast in Canada. It's producer was Sam Levene. In 2008, CBC offered 10 episodes of Telescope on their Digital Archives website. The episodes are from the 1970-1971 season, and feature new host Ken Kavanagh. Among those profiled were game show host Monty Hall, publisher Mel Hurtig, journalist Pat Carney, actor John Vernon, author Farley Mowat, amusement park impresario Patty Conklin, and underwater explorer Joe MacInnis. A 1970 episode featured actor Donald Sutherland including early footage of his son Kiefer. Mentalist Uri Geller followed a week later by Ray Hyman and Jerry Andrus who explained and duplicated Geller's "paranormal" feats.