Latest Documentaries
Information Alexander Armstrong's amazing journey into the extraordinary world that is South Korea. Chapter 1: Seoul Alexander journeys across South Korea, one of the most influential and successful countries on earth, known for its manufacturing strength and cultural exports. He arrives late at night in bustling downtown Seoul, and kicks off his epic Korean adventure in Gangnam, the fabled district immortalised by Psy's Gangnam Style video. Helping to keep modern Korea on the global map are its YouTube stars, and Alexander wolfs down noodles with Heebab, a record-breaking Mukhbang 'bulk-eater', and meets Korean Billy, whose English accent impersonations are an online sensation. Chapter 2: Ulsan Alexander continues his exploration of the bustling capital Seoul, where he marvels at the splendour of the 14th century Gyeongbokgung Palace and takes in the colourful changing of the guard ceremony, before heading to the famous Yangnyeongsi herbal medicine market. Later, he takes a quick detour away from Seoul to the country's industrial capital Ulsan, where visits the cultural museum to find out the origins of South Korea's international hit series, Squid Game. Chapter 3: Busan On the last leg of his South Korean adventure, Alexander heads to the bustling port of Busan, where South Korea's biggest fish market is to be found. Alexander gets to try some of the weirdest seafood he has ever seen, fresh from the sea, including a couple of sea creatures that are so fresh they are still moving as he bites into them. Later, travels 180 miles across the Korea Strait from Busan to the island of Jeju, where he embarks on an exhilarating climb up an extinct volcano known as Sunrise Peak.
2022 • Travel
Mosses have colonised almost every corner of the earth’s surface. Evolving from oceanic algae that emerged onto the land 450 million years ago, these very first terrestrial plants became one of the main sources of oxygen for our evolving planet, helping to transform it from an arid rock into a lush world. This documentary travels to some of the most beautiful moss-covered landscapes in the world, including Japan, Iceland, France and Denmark, to meet the experts investigating its astonishing properties and potential. Science is only beginning to understand the secrets and possibilities of these remarkable plants.
2023 • Nature
Landmark documentary-maker Philomena Cunk traces the history of Britain and the world, from the Big Bang to Brexit. Chapter 1: In the Beginnings Philomena Cunk travels the world, heading down caves and up mountains in her search for mankind's first moments. With the help of a variety of experts, she explains how the earliest societies were formed: from the easier ones to spell, like Rome and Greece, to the ones that are harder to spell, like Egypt and Mesopotamia. Chapter 2: Faith/Off Philomena Cunk tells the story of the birth of two of the world's great religions and learns what came next: the fall of the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, the Crusades and Genghis Khan. So a bit of a rough patch for mankind, if we're honest. Along the way, Philomena asks experts hard-hitting questions about humanity's progress and stands on or near impressive old ruins and inside museums, before the shot cuts away to some archive footage of the bits that don't exist anymore or were too expensive to film at. Chapter 3: The Renaissance Will Not Be Televised Philomena Cunk visits the allegedly beautiful city of Florence to explore the Renaissance and interrogates experts and historians about the revolutions that went on to shape the modern world, including the American War of Independence and, to a lesser extent, the French Revolution. Chapter 4: Rise of the Machines Cunk continues her ambitious march across the face of mankind into an age of industry and science. With the help of historians, she explains the scientific breakthroughs of Marie Curie and Albert Einstein. She demonstrates the inventions that changed the world and covers how the American Civil War, World War I and World War II taught humanity how to use its new grasp of technology to shoot, blow up and irradiate itself in huge numbers. Chapter 5: War(s) of the World(s)? Philomena Cunk takes us from 1945 to the present day. She travels the world and meets top experts to examine the Cold War, the space race, globalisation and social media. The world's recent history is one of polarisation and division, as humanity divided itself down the middle – communism v capitalism, Apple v Microsoft, Beatles v Stones. Is humanity doomed to repeat the mistakes of history? Cunk does her best to find out.
2022 • History
Information Tensions in the world's largest democracy. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been dogged by accusations over his attitude to the nation's Muslim minority. What's the truth? Chapter 1: Focuses on Indian PM Narendra Modi and the persistent allegations about his attitude towards India's Muslim population that have plagued his premiership. Investigates the truth behind these allegations and explores Modi's backstory and also examines claims about his role in 2002 riots that left over a thousand dead. Chapter 2: Focuses on his government's track record following his re-election in 2019. A series of controversial policies has been accompanied by reports of violent attacks on Muslims by Hindus. Modi and his government reject any suggestion that their policies reflect any prejudice towards Muslims - but these policies have been repeatedly criticised by human rights organisations such as Amnesty International.
2023 • Economics
On the 19 November 1945, the International Military Tribunal was opened in the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany. The city, which had seen the rise of the Nazi Party was, in the eyes of the allies, the perfect location to host its demise. The first of the Nuremberg trials was to be the biggest murder trial in human history, with 21 Nazi leaders appearing before the court charged with the deaths of millions of innocent people during the Holocaust of WWII. These were no ordinary criminals; they represented the very foundation of Nazi ideology that had instigated the most ferocious genocide the world had ever seen. With judges and prosecutors from the US, the UK, the USSR and France, the trials were the allies' collective condemnation of Nazi Germany and the atrocities committed in pursuit of their ideology. The decisions made at Nuremberg had implications not only for the accused, but for the very foundation of modern international criminal law. Now, 75 years on, audiences are provided with an immersive look at the event that has become synonymous with the birth of contemporary human rights in the 2020 documentary, The World’s Biggest Murder Trial: Nuremberg. This feature-length documentary provides a detailed account of the events and implications of the trials, featuring more than 1000 archive clips, including recently digitised film footage from the courtroom itself. Whilst 90 minutes seems incredibly brief considering the enormity of the trials, the documentary's constant and unwavering focus on the courtroom, and the horrors it uncovered, suggest any longer might be too harrowing to bear. It is a decision that serves to amplify the inhumanity of the accusations, the apparent indifference of the accused, and the desperate desire for justice in the aftermath of such a dehumanising period of history. The sheer enormity of the task that faced the judges and prosecutors is evident from the moment each of the accused ascends from deep beneath the palace and enters the dock. Convicting a single alleged murderer is one thing, but a murder trial with an estimated 12 million victims is a an almost incomprehensible undertaking, even in a modern context. The cinematic quality of the footage captures every moment in extraordinary detail, from the disturbing cold-bloodedness of the Third Reich leaders as they openly snigger at translation errors throughout the trial, to the accounts of survivors, who witnessed the terror of their actions first hand. With the benefit of hindsight, their crimes seem indisputable; however the documentary proves that there is no conviction without proof, and the trials themselves were not without controversy. The convictions were based on concepts barely understood, laws not yet formalised, and many believed the process served as a political judgement rather than a transformative moment in international law. Despite the criticisms surrounding them, there is no denying that the greatest legacy of the trials is the role they played in reiterating the need for an international body focused on the protection of the human person. Though the majority of Nazis never received a punishment that reflected the extent of their crime, Nuremberg will forever be remembered as the moment that much of the world heard of the atrocities of the Holocaust for the first time.
2020 • History
From the rugged peaks of the Himalayas to the blistering Sahara desert, wild dogs thrive in the least likely of places. They are the most widespread carnivores on the planet. The latest scientific revelations reveal fresh perspectives on characters who constantly surprise us with their diversity and their unusual behaviour. These are the world's ultimate canids! Chapter 1: Meet the Family One family, 37 faces: from the Arctic wolf to the talkative dhole, the tiny fennec fox to the long-legged maned wolf, this is the definitive celebration of dogs in the wild. Chapter 2: Secrets of Success The secrets of canid success and their incredible strategies for survival, from leaping jackals to sneezing African wild dogs, and gray foxes that climb trees. Chapter 3: Defending Wild Dogs The people going to extraordinary lengths to understand and protect canids, from preventing wild dogs dying of grief in South Africa to protecting the tiny Darwin's fox.
2023 • Nature
Vlad and Mehmed face off. Maria and Gülbahar foil the Wallachian plot. Ottoman troops march into an abandoned Târgoviste and face a gruesome sight.
S2E6 • Rise of Empires: Ottoman • 2022 • History
Mehmed prepares to strike a fatal blow to Vlad's army. A spy is found in Mehmed's camp. Vlad launches a nighttime attack, but a surprise awaits.
S2E5 • Rise of Empires: Ottoman • 2022 • History
As the war drags on and resources dwindle, Vlad wages biological warfare on Mehmed's army. Radu closes in on Vlad's castle to take Anastasia hostage.
S2E4 • Rise of Empires: Ottoman • 2022 • History
Mehmed's troops advance into Wallachia, and Vlad employs guerrilla tactics to weaken his rival. A threat lurks in the imperial palace.
S2E3 • Rise of Empires: Ottoman • 2022 • History
Mehmed sends Maria to coax Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus into an alliance. An epic battle along the Danube River looms, and Vlad has the upper hand.
S2E2 • Rise of Empires: Ottoman • 2022 • History
Mehmed the Conquerer must defend his empire and protect his plans for western expansion against a new challenger...Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia.
S2E1 • Rise of Empires: Ottoman • 2022 • History
Recommended Documentaries
The opioid epidemic has devastated America. But what is the situation here? A new report from Public Health England raises serious concerns about Britain's own relationship with painkillers. Dr Michael Mosley embarks on an immersive journey to Britain’s opioid frontline and meets patients struggling with addiction and GPs fighting a constant battle to help those suffering from chronic pain. He also uncovers worrying evidence of people abusing over-the-counter opioids and discovers how easy it is to buy strong opioids online.
We all have a food footprint, but what foods create greenhouse gases? Craig Reucassel looks at different carbon footprints of the various foods we eat, and learns about the importance of where our food actually comes from.
S1E3 • Fight For Planet A: Our Climate Challenge • 2020 • Environment
The dramatic, moving and powerful story of humanity’s conquest of Mars, told by the people who risked entire careers to explore the red planet. Did we find evidence for life back in the ’70s? Some believe we did.
4/8 • Secrets of the Solar System • 2020 • Astronomy
David Attenborough narrates a natural history of the oceans to uncover the strange, otherworldly creatures living in the depths of the ocean.
2/8 • Blue Planet I • 2001 • Nature
Witness the planet's breathtaking diversity -- from seabirds carpet-bombing the ocean to wildebeests eluding the wild dogs of the Serengeti.
1/8 • Our Planet • 2019 • Nature
Dallas Campbell looks back through almost 50 years of the Horizon archives to chart the scientific breakthroughs that have transformed our understanding of the universe. From Einstein's concept of spacetime to alien planets and extra dimensions, science has revealed a cosmos that is more bizarre and more spectacular than could have ever been imagined. But with every breakthrough, even more intriguing mysteries that lie beyond are found. This great journey of discovery is only just beginning.
Astronomy Documentaries
Astronaut Mike Massimino explores the incredible new alien planets being found daily by astronomers; using the latest science, he investigates everything from worlds that appear to eat light to planets that resemble Earth in shocking ways.
S1E7 • The Planets (US) • 2017 • Astronomy
Almost everything we know today about the beautiful giant ringed planet comes from Cassini, the NASA mission that launched in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004. Since then, the space probe has been beaming home miraculous images and scientific data, revealing countless wonders about the planet, its rings and 62 moons - including some that could harbor life. As the mission approaches its final days in 2017, it attempts one last set of daring maneuvers - diving between the innermost ring and the top of Saturn's atmosphere. Aiming to skim less than 2000 miles above the cloud tops, no spacecraft has ever gone so close to Saturn, and hopes are high for incredible observations that could solve major mysteries about the planet's core. But such a daring maneuver comes with many risks and is no slam dunk. In fact, slamming into rocks in the rings is a real possibility. Join NASA engineers for the tense and triumphant moments as they find out if their bold re-programming has worked, and discover the wonders that Cassini has revealed over the years.
Does life exist anywhere else in the universe? And how did it get started? Scientists are seeking the answers in the cosmos, our solar system and right here on planet Earth.
The Economist • 2015 • Astronomy
Lunar days are about 14 Earth days long, and when night comes, temperatures plummet. But there are other issues to deal with as well. For instance, how can we overcome the moon's lack of atmosphere; difficult terrain with abrasive particles, and the effects of cosmic background radiation?
4/5 • Destination: Moon • 2016 • Astronomy
The Big Bang is when the cosmos started and time itself began. With stunning animation based on space telescope images, NOVA winds back the ages to discover new clues about this ultimate genesis and what happened in the universe’s first few seconds.
S1E5 • Nova: Universe Revealed • 2021 • Astronomy
Black holes! From Stephen Hawking to Interstellar, black holes are mammoths in the world of science AND sci-fi. But what exactly IS a black hole? Do events happen inside black holes? Are black holes really a hole? Are black holes really black?! Join Gabe on this week’s episode of PBS Space Time as he debunks popular black hole misconceptions, and rethinks what the term, ‘black hole’, even means. Thought you knew what a black hole was? Think again!
PBS Space Time • 2015 • Astronomy
Environment Documentaries
Which places on earth are poised to generate the next mega-tsunamis and the science of what happens as the wave emerges from open ocean and bears down on land.
S1E2 • Secrets of the Earth • 2013 • Environment
From artificial photosynthesis to vegan diets, changes in science and behavior are helping improve Earth's air quality.
S1E2 • Age of Humans • 2021 • Environment
Every minute of every day, a truckload of plastic enters our oceans. It destroys because it endures, breaking down into smaller pieces and particles.
1/3 • War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita • 2019 • Environment
Renowned marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle reveals why the dual threats of ocean pollution and overfishing could have a devastating impact on mankind.
2017 • Environment
Plastics have transformed how we live, but progress comes at a high price: 7.8 billion tons of waste. Are plastics a miracle or a catastrophe?
S1E4 • History 101 • 2000 • Environment
Randoms! Documentaries
3,000- years-old, the Nebra Sky Disk is the oldest sky map in the world, predating Babylonian and Egyptian sky maps. Found in Germany, the Nebra Sky Disk is an archaeological mystery. Who were the people who designed this beautiful and functional ancient artifact with exact proportions?
17 • Cosmic Front • 2014 • Astronomy
We explore the meaning of 'homo sapiens' (meaning 'wise being') and hear what experts say about the importance of using wisdom as a guiding value to address climate change, income inequality, discrimination, and more. This short film features Dr. Jane Goodall, Vandana Shiva, Chris Hedges, Clayton Thomas-Muller, Dacher Keltner, Ernest Callenbach, and John Perkins.
Thought Café • 2021 • Environment
In the Vega Archipelago, in the north of Norway at the Arctic Circle, people have formed a unique partnership with wild eider ducks. The provide the birds with shelter in hatcheries, and in return, after the breeding season, collect the precious eiderdown, with which the ducks line their nests.
4/5 • Paradise Preserved • 2019 • Environment
Adamantium, bolognium, dilithium. Element Zero, Kryptonite. Mythril, Netherite, Orichalcum, Unobtanium. We love the idea of fictional elements with miraculous properties that science has yet to discover. But is it really possible that new elements exist beyond the periodic table?
PBS Space Time • 2022 • Science
Using time-lapse photography this episode examines the ways in which plants travel from place to place in search of a new area to grow in.
1/6 • Private Life of Plants • 1995 • Nature
To celebrate the webs big 50th birthday, Nat Geo takes a fun, nostalgic throwback romp down the cyber highway, from the early days through today. I LOVE THE INTERNET is one part glorious memory lane, one part "how the web changed everything" - our friendships, our habits, even our brains. It's nostalgia entertainment with enough gravitas to make it must-have content on Nat Geo.
2019 • Technology