Chernobyl: 48 Hours to Escape • 2026

67:53

Follows the first 48 hours following the explosion at the nuclear power plant, charting the safety test that led to the disaster, the heroic efforts to prevent a second even worse explosion, and the evacuation of 50,000 people from the nearby city of Pripyat. Featuring contributions from first-hand witnesses, including the chief operator and medical personnel, historians and professors of radiochemistry.

2026 • Environment

44:08

On April 20th, 2010, at 9:49 PM, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes. For 87 days, more than 200 million gallons of crude oil pump into the Gulf of Mexico, leading to long-term effects on the environment, the local economy, and the health of tens of thousands. Now, in-depth analysis of the catastrophe, investigative reports, and personal testimony from oil workers and residents of the Gulf Coast reveal ten critical mistakes that ultimately led to the greatest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

S1E4 • Ten Steps to Disaster • 2021 • Environment

52:53

Between the blue sky above and the infinite blackness beyond lies a frontier that scientists have only just begun to investigate. In "At the Edge of Space," NOVA takes viewers on a spectacular exploration of the Earth-space boundary that's home to some of nature's most puzzling and alluring phenomena: the shimmering aurora, streaking meteors, and fleeting flashes that shoot upwards from thunderclouds, known as sprites.

Environment

58:57

A look at sharks and whales that go to great lengths to survive in the South Pacific.

S1E3 • South Pacific • Environment

58:02

In the final episode of the series, Anita Rani investigates the tsunami of single-use plastic that parents pick up in the form of give-away toys. It turns out that McDonald's are the largest toy distributor in the world, handing out over 1.4 billion plastic toys per year worldwide. They claim on their website that they are recyclable, but a visit to Simon Ellin, the CEO of the Recycling Association, makes it very clear that while that may be true in theory, in reality it’s not that simple. Meanwhile, Hugh is in Scotland. He’s learnt that at the same time as the public are trying to reduce the amount of plastics in their lives, the plastics industry has big plans to increase plastic production by 50% before 2040. To find out more, he visits the INEOS factory in Grangemouth, owned by the richest man in Britain, where they produce a staggering 60-70 billion tiny plastic pellets every day.

S1E3 • War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita • 2019 • Environment

58:01

Sir David Attenborough introduces us to inspiring people with solutions to help restore nature, and reveals the three finalists of the first ever Earthshot Prize for Nature.

S1E1 • The Earthshot Prize Repairing Our Planet • 2021 • Environment