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Documentaries

Inspirational and award-winning documentaries from over 25 years of groundbreaking television

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Life After People

If humans suddenly vanished off the face of the earth, what would happen to the planet? A visually compelling film about the possibilities of a world without us. More on Life After People
Living Goddess

True Stories documentary about three young girls worshipped as living goddesses in the mountain kingdom of Nepal More on Living Goddess
The Lost Boys

Moving, and occasionally very funny, documentary that follows the attempts of orphaned refugee boys from Sudan to relocate in the world's richest country - the USA More on The Lost Boys
Love and Money

These revealing programmes follow couples as they talk candidly about their attitudes to money, exposing the dark and complex power struggles it creates within relationships More on Love and Money
Love in Leeds

A six-part documentary that follows a group of single women trying to find love in this vibrant city More on Love in Leeds
Make Bradford British

Make Bradford British is a major two-part series exploring what it means to be British today More on Make Bradford British
The Making of Slumdog Millionaire

Looking behind the scenes of Danny Boyle's multi-award winning movie, and revealing the real story behind this hugely successful new take on the 'rags to riches' fable More on The Making of Slumdog Millionaire
The Man Who Predicted 9/11

The story of Rick Rescorla, the heroic Brit who died in the World Trade Center while saving the lives of his colleagues More on The Man Who Predicted 9/11
Mania

What happens when irresistible impulses and delusional thoughts take over people's minds? This documentary series investigates the manic behaviour caused by three psychological disorders. [S] More on Mania
Mary's Bottom Line

Mary Portas wants to energise the UK clothing industry by starting her own production line to manufacture a staple in any woman's wardrobe - 100% British knickers More on Mary's Bottom Line
Medicine Men Go Wild

Two young British doctors explore the mysterious world of tribal medicine to discover whether traditional forms of healing have anything to teach us about bodies, health and curing illness [S] More on Medicine Men Go Wild
Meet the Au Pairs

Cutting Edge follows three families going through the stresses and strains of finding the ideal carer for their precious offspring More on Meet the Au Pairs
Meet the Natives

Intriguing documentary that turns traditional anthropology on its head. Five tribesmen from a remote South Pacific island travel 10,000 miles to observe the natives of a strange and exotic land - Britain. [S] More on Meet the Natives
Mum, Heroin and Me

Jane Treays' moving documentary tells of the turmoil and heartbreak of Kate Mackenzie, whose daughter Hannah is addicted to heroin More on Mum, Heroin and Me
Mummy's War

Carol Thatcher travels to the Falkland Islands and Argentina to measure her own memories of the conflict against the experiences of people for whom the war was also a turning point in their lives More on Mummy's War
Murder Most Foul

Anthony Sher visits South Africa to investigate why the post-apartheid nation is tearing itself apart in an orgy of violent crime. Has the dream of a 'rainbow nation' finally disintegrated? More on Murder Most Foul
Murder in Paradise

The Bahamas of 1943 provides the setting for one of the greatest unsolved crimes of the 20th century and this film reveals the findings of a five-year investigation into the brutal murder of Sir Harry Oakes More on Murder in Paradise
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

Cutting Edge follows four Gypsy and Traveller brides as they plan their wedding day More on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding
My Crazy Parents

This series follows three families, all of whom have a parent with a long history of mental health problems, and reveals how these problems affect family life More on My Crazy Parents
My Enemy's Enemy

Klaus Barbie was ruthless Gestapo captain famed for his purging of resistance members in Nazi-occupied France. This is the story of his life after the war, and his trial for war crimes in 1987. More on My Enemy's Enemy
My Fake Baby

Documentary exploring the extraordinary world of 're-borns' - lifelike baby dolls, complete with beating hearts and human hair - and the women who buy them More on My Fake Baby
My Street

Cutting Edge film-maker Sue Bourne turns her camera on the street she has lived in anonymously for 14 years, and discovers an extraordinary range of people and circumstances on her doorstep [S] More on My Street
The Mystery of the Cocaine Mummies

Documentary questioning whether mummies found with high levels of cocaine provide proof of early trade routes between Egypt and South America More on The Mystery of the Cocaine Mummies
Naked Calendars

A light-hearted documentary that examines the peculiarly British phenomenon of the naked charity calendar - and our sometimes strange national attitude to nudity More on Naked Calendars
Nazi Pop Twins

Documentary about the controversial 'White Pride' pop band Prussian Blue, whose twin sister singers have become the poster girls of US Neo-Nazism More on Nazi Pop Twins
No End in Sight

This analysis of Iraq's descent into insurgency, civil war and chaos as the result of the Bush administration's policy is a brutal retelling of what followed the fall of Baghdad in 2003 More on No End in Sight
No Going Back

Millions fantasise about escaping the rat race and transforming their lives to follow their dreams. This show offers unique insight into the reality of what life is really like away from the daily 9 to 5 grind. More on No Going Back
The Oldest People in the World

Award-winning filmmaker Daisy Asquith asks some of the oldest people in the world the question everyone wants answered: what is the secret to long life? More on The Oldest People in the World
Ou Dede and His Daughters

Ou Dede and His Daughters takes the viewer to a China few have seen before - centuries away from the bright neon lights of Shanghai and Beijing More on Ou Dede and His Daughters
Our Daily Bread

This beautiful and evocative high-end documentary provides a powerful look at agricultural processes throughout Europe More on Our Daily Bread
Our Holocaust

Daisy Asquith meets some of the last remaining survivors of the Holocaust, telling their stories with sensitivity, humour and compassion More on Our Holocaust
Our Man In

Our Man In joins the British consular staff in Spain as they deal with the huge number and variety of cases they are confronted with during the summer holiday season More on Our Man In
Our Year Without Oil

This True Stories documentary follows a family as they embark on an oil detox, and try to live their lives without using fossil fuels More on Our Year Without Oil
Paul Burrell: In His Own Words

Paul Burrell reads extracts from his autobiography in a film that is as revealing of the man as it is of the dramatic events he recounts More on Paul Burrell: In His Own Words
Peter Kay Raider of the Pop Charts

The story of Peter Kay's star-studded Comic Relief video 'Is This the Way to Amarillo?'. The song stayed top of the charts for seven weeks in 2005, raising over £1.5m for the charity. More on Peter Kay Raider of the Pop Charts
Pharaohs and Kings

Egyptologist David Rohl sets out to prove that Egyptian chronology has been wrongly extended by several centuries - and examines how this has distorted our understanding of ancient history More on Pharaohs and Kings
Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness

Written and presented by Alain de Botton, this series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded More on Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness
Plane Crash

Two pilots crash a passenger jet loaded with cameras, sensors and crash test dummies, providing insight into how planes react in potentially fatal accidents More on Plane Crash
Posh Rock

This fly on the wall documentary spends a summer in Rock, a village in North Cornwall that descends into chaos every summer when they receive an influx of public school teenagers More on Posh Rock
Private Lives of the Pharaohs

In this three part ground-breaking series, scientific and forensic tests reveal the truth behind the great civilisation of Ancient Egypt More on Private Lives of the Pharaohs
Promises

Featuring Palestinian and Israeli children who live in and around Jerusalem, this True Stories documentary offers an intimate, refreshing and sometimes hilarious insight into the Middle East crisis More on Promises
Psycho

This dark series examines the pathology of the human mind through stories of bizarre criminal behaviour More on Psycho
Queen Camilla

The formerly closed world of Prince Charles and his consort Camilla is revealed in this engrossing documentary that does much to penetrate their veil of secrecy and present the inside story More on Queen Camilla
The Queen Mother in Love

The story of the woman who loved two kings, married one, and stabilised the rocking throne of Britain's monarchy More on The Queen Mother in Love
The Queen in 3D

The story of two innovative cameramen who shot a 3D newsreel of the Queen's Coronation in 1953, and a chance to see their previously unbroadcast footage More on The Queen in 3D
The Queen's Lost Uncle

The story of the Queen's scandalous uncle, Prince George, Duke of Kent. The true black sheep of the family of George V was not the Duke of Windsor, but his younger brother George. More on The Queen's Lost Uncle
Queer as Old Folk

Queer as Old Folk explores the present-day lives and relationships of gay men who came of age when homosexuality was still illegal before 1967, and who are now growing old disgracefully More on Queer as Old Folk
Quest for the Lost Ark

Professor Tudor Parfitt's search for the fabled Ark of the Covenant, the sacred container for the stone tablets on which Moses inscribed the Ten Commandments, which has been lost for over 2500 years More on Quest for the Lost Ark
Quest for the Lost Civilisation

Beneath the Pacific Ocean off a small Japanese island, is an underwater mystery that could rewrite our human history. Graham Hancock goes on a quest to trace the remains of a lost civilisation More on Quest for the Lost Civilisation
The Real Casanova

A documentary that explores the man behind the myth, painting a vivid portrait of the 18th century Venetian, but one that's far removed from his popular reputation More on The Real Casanova