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    Home/Browse/TV Shows/Documentary TV Shows

    Documentary TV Shows

    The 40 most popular documentary TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.

    40shows
    1rated by members
    Top ratedMythBusters4.5
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    Bares für Rares
    TMDB3.8

    Bares für Rares

    2013 · DE

    In the show, selected applicants each present a curiosity, rarity or antique they have brought with them. Once they have received their expertise, they will have the opportunity on site to offer their exhibit to a changing five-person podium for sale and, ideally, to sell it to the highest bidder for „Bares“ ("cash").

    Panorama
    TMDB3.1

    Panorama

    1953 · UK

    Current affairs programme, featuring interviews and investigative reports on a wide variety of subjects.

    NOVA
    TMDB3.5

    NOVA

    1974 · US

    PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.

    Mayday
    TMDB4.1

    Mayday

    2003 · CA

    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.

    Great Performances
    TMDB3.0

    Great Performances

    1971 · US

    The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.

    Grands Reportages
    TMDB3.0

    Grands Reportages

    1998 · FR

    No overview available

    Fuse
    TMDB3.8

    Fuse

    1962 · SU

    Fitil is a popular Soviet/Russian television satirical/comedy short film series which ran for about 500 episodes. Some of the episodes were aimed at children, and were called Фитилёк, Fitilyok, Little Fuse. Each issue contained from the few short segments: documentary, fictional and animated ones. Directed by various artists, including Leonid Gaidai who presented his famous trio of Nikulin, Vitsin and Morgunov into the cast. It was called in USSR as "the anecdotes from the Soviet government".

    Horizon
    TMDB3.8

    Horizon

    1964 · UK

    Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.

    Frontline
    TMDB3.3

    Frontline

    1983 · US

    Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.

    BBC Proms
    TMDB3.9

    BBC Proms

    1947 · UK

    The World's Greatest Classical Music Festival. The BBC Proms is a classical music festival held every summer at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and in recent years has explored an innovative series of Proms around the UK with concerts in all four nations. Its aim: to bring the best in classical music to the widest possible audience, which remains true to founder-conductor Henry Wood’s original vision in 1895. Whether you are a classical connoisseur or think classical music isn’t for you, there is something for everyone in the eight-week stretch of concerts.

    Nature
    TMDB4.0

    Nature

    1982 · US

    Consistently stunning documentaries transport viewers to far-flung locations ranging from the torrid African plains to the chilly splendours of icy Antarctica. The show's primary focus is on animals and ecosystems around the world. A comic book based on the show, meant to be used an as educational tool for kids, was briefly distributed to museums and schools at no cost in the mid-2000s.

    Democracy Now!
    TMDB3.5

    Democracy Now!

    2001 · US

    A United States daily progressive, nonprofit, independently syndicated program of news, analysis, and opinion.

    Chiisana Tabi
    TMDB4.5

    Chiisana Tabi

    1983 · JP

    No overview available

    Ancient Aliens
    TMDB3.6

    Ancient Aliens

    2010 · US

    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.

    Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
    TMDB3.4

    Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

    2007 · US

    Host Guy Fieri takes a cross-country road trip to visit some of America's classic "greasy spoon" restaurants — diners, drive-ins and dives — that have been doing it right for decades.

    American Experience
    TMDB3.3

    American Experience

    1988 · US

    TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

    This Old House
    TMDB2.9

    This Old House

    1979 · US

    TV's original home-improvement show, following one whole-house renovation over several episodes.

    MythBusters
    TMDB3.9
    FF4.5

    MythBusters

    2003 · US

    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.

    Media Watch
    TMDB3.1

    Media Watch

    1989 · AU

    An Australian media analysis television program currently focusing on critiquing the Australian media.

    Countryfile
    TMDB2.7

    Countryfile

    1988 · UK

    The people, places and stories making news in the British countryside.

    The South Bank Show
    TMDB2.8

    The South Bank Show

    1978 · UK

    The South Bank Show is a television arts magazine show produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky Arts from 27 May 2012. Presented by Melvyn Bragg, the show aims to bring both high art and popular culture to a mass audience.

    Dateline
    TMDB3.3

    Dateline

    1992 · US

    Dateline NBC, or simply Dateline, is a weekly American television newsmagazine series. It was previously the network's flagship newsmagazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasional editions that focus on other topics.

    Independent Lens
    TMDB3.3

    Independent Lens

    1999 · US

    This acclaimed Emmy Award-winning anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers and featuring unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history.

    Unanswered Questions
    TMDB4.0

    Unanswered Questions

    1992 · KR

    A current affairs/journalism program that investigates unsolved cases and looks into various problems in society, religion and more.

    Fantástico
    TMDB4.2

    Fantástico

    1973 · BR

    'Fantástico' is a journalistic program shown on Sundays, presented by Poliana Abritta and Maju Coutinho. Every week, he presents special reports, shows and various paintings.

    Intimate Portrait
    TMDB2.3

    Intimate Portrait

    1993 · US

    Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network focusing on different celebrities, which includes interviews with each subject. Among the people profiled were Grace Kelly, Natalie Wood, Carly Simon, Jackie Kennedy, Katharine Hepburn, Carol Burnett, Tanya Tucker, and Marla Maples.

    Eisenbahn-Romantik
    TMDB4.5

    Eisenbahn-Romantik

    1991 · DE

    Railway-related documentary covering modern railway systems, museum railways and their facilities as well as items on model railway layouts. Politics and criticism is not left out; the series reports on closures, controversial model ideas, delays to reconstruction plans or smart commuter transport concepts.

    20/20
    TMDB3.1

    20/20

    1978 · US

    20/20 is an American television newsmagazine that has been broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Created by ABC News executive Roone Arledge, the show was designed similarly to CBS's 60 Minutes but focuses more on human interest stories than international and political subjects. The program's name derives from the "20/20" measurement of visual acuity. The hour-long program has been a staple on Friday evenings for much of the time since it moved to that timeslot from Thursdays in September 1987, though special editions of the program occasionally air on other nights.

    Galileo
    TMDB2.4

    Galileo

    1998 · DE

    This daily German magazine show delivers interesting facts on numerous topics centering around technology, life, and bizarre knowledge.

    Exclusiv - Das Star-Magazin
    TMDB2.0

    Exclusiv - Das Star-Magazin

    1994 · DE

    Exclusiv: das Starmagazin reports on the latest news and topics from the world of celebrities on a regular weekly basis. It covers the latest headlines relating to the stars as well as rumors and insights into the everyday lives of famous personalities around the globe. In addition to the 15-minute weekday magazine, there is a particularly detailed one-hour weekend edition on Sundays with additional reports and background reports on the celebrities.

    Omnibus
    TMDB3.6

    Omnibus

    1967 · UK

    Omnibus was an arts-based BBC television documentary series, broadcast mainly on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. The programme was the successor to the long-running arts-based series 'Monitor'. It ran from 1967 until 2003, usually being transmitted on Sunday evenings. During its 35-year history, the programme won 12 Bafta awards. Among the series' best remembered documentaries are Cracked Actor, a profile of David Bowie, and Rene Magritte, a graduate film by David Wheatley, 'Madonna: Behind the American dream', a film produced by Nadia Hagger, and a profile of the British film director Ridley Scott. For a season in 1982, the series was in a magazine format presented by Barry Norman. The series was replaced by 'Imagine' hosted by Alan Yentob.

    Last Chance U
    TMDB3.6

    Last Chance U

    2016 · US

    In a docuseries set at one of NCAA football's most fertile recruiting grounds, guys with red flags seek to prove their worth on the field and in class.

    Great Minds
    TMDB2.6

    Great Minds

    2021 · KR

    A current affairs program that began airing on EBS in August 2021. Co-produced by the Ministry of Education, the National Institute for Lifelong Learning, and EBS, the program is part of the Korean MOOC (Korean Massive Open Online Course) program, which aims to disseminate world-class knowledge to the public amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, which has widened the knowledge gap between classes and spread fake information on social media. Hear great thoughts from some of the world's leading minds right now, including Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, Michael Sandel of What is Justice, and world-renowned conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim.

    Natural World
    TMDB3.7

    Natural World

    1983 · UK

    Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.

    The Curse of Oak Island
    TMDB3.6

    The Curse of Oak Island

    2014 · US

    Follow brothers Marty and Rick Lagina through their effort to find the speculated - and as of yet undiscovered - buried treasure believed to have been concealed through extraordinary means on Oak Island.

    World in Action
    TMDB3.5

    World in Action

    1963 · UK

    World in Action was Granada Television’s flagship ITV current affairs series, running from 7 Jan 1963 to 7 Dec 1998, and built a reputation for film-led investigative reporting and a forceful editorial stance. Its journalism produced major public and political repercussions—including investigations associated with miscarriages of justice such as the Birmingham Six—and it also served as a platform for landmark documentary projects, including the first broadcast of “Seven Up!” as part of the strand in 1964.

    Quarks
    TMDB4.7

    Quarks

    1993 · DE

    No overview available

    Austin City Limits
    TMDB3.1

    Austin City Limits

    1975 · US

    Now the longest-running music series in American television history, ACL showcases popular music legends and innovators from every genre.

    Strip-Tease
    TMDB2.6

    Strip-Tease

    1985 · BE

    Strip-Tease was created by Jean Libon and Marco Lamensch. The aim of the creators was to produce documentary films of a new genre, in which the commentators take a back seat to let the protagonists have their say. The program mainly deals with excerpts from everyday life (family meals, washing up, the life of a farmer's wife). Viewers can thus recognize themselves in their daily intimacy.

    Click
    TMDB3.0

    Click

    2000 · UK

    Your user-friendly guide to the latest technology news, issues, gadgets and apps.

    About Documentary TV Shows

    Documentary

    Documentary series use length the way films can't — returning to subjects, following developments, and building cases across many hours. Streaming turned the format into a genuine cultural force.

    In this list

    Years covered
    1947–2021
    Best reviewed
    Mayday (8.2)
    Often also
    News, Talk, Reality
    Longest run
    80 seasons

    Common questions

    What are the best documentary TV shows?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are Bares für Rares, Panorama, and NOVA. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any show for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    Documentary TV shows are ordered by overall popularity, which blends how often a title is viewed, searched, and logged. It updates as viewing habits shift, so the list reflects what people are actually watching rather than a fixed critical canon.
    Where can I watch these TV shows?
    Every show page lists current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region, alongside community ratings and reviews from Flickfolio members.

    Keep browsing

    Documentary by Country

    Japanese DocumentaryKorean DocumentaryFrench DocumentaryItalian DocumentaryBritish DocumentaryGerman DocumentarySpanish DocumentaryIndian DocumentaryChinese DocumentaryHong Kong DocumentarySwedish Documentary
    Mexican Documentary
    Brazilian Documentary
    Russian Documentary

    Documentary by Decade

    2020s Documentary2010s Documentary2000s Documentary1990s Documentary1980s Documentary1970s Documentary1960s Documentary1950s Documentary

    Other Genres

    AnimationDramaComedyWesternCrimeMysteryFamilyAction & AdventureKidsRealitySci-Fi & FantasySoapWar & Politics

    In Theaters Too

    Documentary Movies