Top Rated Documentary TV Shows on The Roku Channel

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.
Ancient Aliens

2010

Ancient Aliens

2010
6.9
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.
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.
The Universe

2007

The Universe

2007
7.9
From the planets to the stars and out to the edge of the unknown, history and science collide in a wondrous yet deadly adventure through space and time.
Man vs. Wild

2006

Man vs. Wild

2006
6.9
Bear strands himself in popular wilderness destinations where tourists often find themselves lost or in danger.
Gloria Trevi: Ellas soy yo

2023

Gloria Trevi: Ellas soy yo

2023
7.8
How It's Made

2001

How It's Made

2001
7.6
Have you ever wondered how the products you use every day are made? How It's Made leads you through the process of how everyday products, such as apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more objects are manufactured.
D-Day Sacrifice

2014

D-Day Sacrifice

2014
6.9
Comprised entirely of re-mastered and colorised archive footage from World War II, much of it never before seen, Sacrifice recounts the story of D-Day through the testimonies of those who lived it. These important historical days are seen through the eyes of French civilians and members of the military fighting on both sides. The testimonies of famous individuals like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Erwin Rommel are intertwined with those of anonymous soldiers and citizens, such as film director Samuel Fuller and Eisenhower's chauffeur, Kay Summersby. From the preparations for D-Day all the way through to the liberation of Paris, the accounts of these men and women provide a moving and invaluable retelling of this pivotal time in history.
Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult

2020

Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult

2020
7.1
This four-part documentary series follows the story of India Oxenberg's perilous journey through the dark and criminal world of the notorious self-help-group-turned-sex-slave-cult NXIVM.
The First 48

2004

The First 48

2004
7.9
The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, autopsies, forensic processing, and interrogations.
The Hunt

2015

The Hunt

2015
8.1
This major landmark series looks in detail at the fascinating relationship between predators and their prey. Rather than concentrating on ‘the blood and guts’ of predation, the series looks in unprecedented detail at the strategies predators use to catch their food and prey use to escape death. Sir David Attenborough narrates.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

2013

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

2013
7.7
Bourdain travels across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain takes viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and meets with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communes with an internationally lauded chef on his journeys.
A Haunting

2005

A Haunting

2005
7.4
These are the true stories of the innocent and the unimaginable. Based on true events, A Haunting dramatises some of the scariest stories, revealing a world in which tragedy, suicide and murder have left psychic impressions so powerful that innocent people become forced to deal with them decades later. Through mesmerizing first-person accounts, the mystery and origin of each haunting is powerfully revealed and leaves a lingering sense that life—and death—are much stronger then anyone could have possibly imagined.
Forensic Files

1996

Forensic Files

1996
7.9
Real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world are solved by experts using scientific laboratory analysis which helps them find previously undetectable evidence. Brilliant scientific work helps convict the guilty and free the innocent.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

2005

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

2005
7.7
Anthony Bourdain uncovers the best cuisine across the world. At each location, Tony dives headfirst into life's colorful and rich pageant, bringing his intellectual curiosity, empathy, wit and boundless appetite.
The Story of Film: An Odyssey

2011

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

2011
7.6
A worldwide guided tour of the greatest movies ever made and the story of international cinema through the history of cinematic innovation.
Hoarders

2009

Hoarders

2009
6.4
Each episode of Hoarders is a fascinating look inside the lives of two different people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis.
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

1997

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

1997
7.2
Can you tell the difference between fact and fiction? Several stories of strange, mysterious and incredible occurrences are chronicled during each episode. It is up to the viewer to decide which stories actually happened and which were completely fabricated by the show’s writers. The answer is revealed by Jonathan Frakes at the conclusion of each episode.
Deadly Hunters

2020

Deadly Hunters

2020
6.9
The Earth, our planet, is a magnificent and diverse world, filled to the brim with life. But life, in all its forms, cannot exist except within a very specific set of rules – among many, to be alive means to breathe, to breed, to sense one’s environment, and importantly – to and nourishment, in whatever form fits. Out in the wild, it’s eat or be eaten, and few escape this one law that governs all. The epic and eternal battle of predator vs. prey has moulded and shaped all life on Earth and resulted in a fierce array of weaponry and masterful set of skills. Deadliest Hunters takes a closer look at some of the animals that have led the way in refining their skills as masterful huntsmen.
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch

2020

The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch

2020
7.9
The investigation of the world’s most mysterious hot spot for UFO and “High Strangeness” phenomena with astrophysicist Dr. Travis Taylor who joins real estate tycoon Brandon Fugal, along with his team of scientists and researchers on Utah’s notorious Skinwalker Ranch. The team utilizes cutting edge technology to investigate the 512-acre property to uncover the possibly “otherworldly” perpetrators behind it all. With everything from mysterious animal deaths to hidden underground workings and possible gateways that open to other dimensions, witness the close encounters that go beyond conventional explanation, as the team risks everything to finally reveal the ultimate secret of Skinwalker Ranch.