Skip to:
Inspirational and award-winning documentaries from over 25 years of groundbreaking television
See all Documentaries on 4oD
Gypsy Blood
Gypsy Blood examines the violent culture that some gypsy and traveller fathers hand on to their children, exploring its impact on two fathers and their young sons
Bouncers
Funny, irreverent and often surprising film following the boys of Newport's biggest security firm over a summer of booze and brotherhood
MotherTruckers
How do women lorry drivers get on with their male colleagues, juggle families, and stay feminine? This amusing film meets the new queens of the road.
Love Rat
The story of three women who joined forces to foil a serial love-cheat and fraudster [S] More on Love Rat
Last broadcast: Friday 09 September, 7.35PM on Channel 4
Armadillo: Frontline Afghanistan
A first-hand account of how the reality of war can turn idealism into paranoia, mistrust, alienation and disillusion More on Armadillo: Frontline Afghanistan
Last broadcast: Tuesday 06 September, 10PM on More4
9/11: The Tenth Anniversary
Two films marking the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks [S] More on 9/11: The Tenth Anniversary
Last broadcast: Monday 05 September, 9PM on Channel 4
The Ground Zero Mosque
An examination of the hysteria, fury and politics surrounding the proposed mosque and Islamic community centre two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks in Manhattan [S] More on The Ground Zero Mosque
Last broadcast: Monday 05 September, 8PM on Channel 4
Great Migrations
Filmed in more than 20 countries across a three-year period, Great Migrations follows the journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species [S] More on Great Migrations
Last broadcast: Saturday 03 September, 7.15PM on Channel 4
The Homecoming
In this Cutting Edge film, journalist Rachel Roberts goes in search of the people with whom she once shared a children's home, with only a photo and childhood memories to help her [S] More on The Homecoming
Contact in the Outback
The remarkable tale of two cultures colliding in 1960s Australia, told through the story of one Aboriginal woman [S] More on Contact in the Outback
Last broadcast: 26 January 2011, on
Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags
Series charting the metamorphosis of Lily Allen from pop star to retailer as she and her sister Sarah launch their own fashion store [S] More on Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags
Last broadcast: 29 March 2011, on
The Merits of Ferrets
Becky Lomax's First Cut film tells the story of three friends and their rescue centre for traumatised ferrets [S] More on The Merits of Ferrets
Last broadcast: Friday 26 August, 7.35PM on Channel 4
419: The Internet Romance Scam
Barney Lankester-Owen's First Cut film examines the complex psychology of internet romance scams and features rare access to a former Nigerian scammer [S] More on 419: The Internet Romance Scam
Last broadcast: 29 July 2011, on
Wallis Simpson: The Secret Letters
This explosive film examines recently discovered letters written by Wallis Simpson that reveal her secret love, and chart her fear as she found herself becoming trapped into marrying Edward VIII [S] More on Wallis Simpson: The Secret Letters
Last broadcast: Wednesday 24 August, 9PM on Channel 4
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
A rare insight into the self-doubt and anger that fuels the comedic process, this acclaimed film exposes the private dramas of legendary comedian Joan Rivers More on Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Last broadcast: 09 November 2010, on
Fighting the Red Baron
Two Red Arrows pilots recreate the challenges the aviators of World War I faced, flying original WWI aircraft, to find out how this pioneering form of warfare changed so rapidly during the conflict [S] More on Fighting the Red Baron
The Pet Detectives
This documentary meets the detectives who track down kidnapped trophy pets and attempt to reunite them with their owners [S] More on The Pet Detectives
Last broadcast: Monday 22 August, 8PM on Channel 4
Bodyshock
Long-running documentary strand that investigates extraordinary and moving real-life stories about the extremes of the human body [S] More on Bodyshock
Last broadcast: 26 May 2011, on
The Ancient World with Bettany Hughes
A new film about Alexandria provides the centrepiece of Bettany Hughes' definitive history of the ancient world and classical civilisation [S] More on The Ancient World with Bettany Hughes
Last broadcast: 05 May 2010, on
The Perfect Murder
Judy Kelly's First Cut film tells the remarkable story behind the murder of Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell [S] More on The Perfect Murder
Last broadcast: Friday 19 August, 7.35PM on Channel 4
Jaycee: My 18 Years in Captivity
Jaycee Lee Duggard tells her story of her kidnap and 18-year imprisonment, alongside new video evidence More on Jaycee: My 18 Years in Captivity
Last broadcast: Thursday 18 August, 10PM on Channel 4
Man on Earth
Tony Robinson examines how changes in climate have affected humans throughout history and asks what we can learn as we face our own climate crisis today [S] More on Man on Earth
Last broadcast: 28 December 2009, on
Countdown to Zero
The threat of nuclear war has never gone away. This True Stories film is a frightening exploration of present-day nuclear threats to humanity, from rogue states to terrorists and catastrophic accidents. More on Countdown to Zero
Last broadcast: Tuesday 16 August, 10PM on More4
Concrete Circus
Concrete Circus brings together the world's hottest names in urban sports with viral film-makers and Mike Christie, the director of extreme sport documentary Jump London, to capture unique portraits of the urban sports scene [S] More on Concrete Circus
Last broadcast: Monday 15 August, 9PM on Channel 4
The Secret Life of Buildings
Architecture critic Tom Dyckhoff explores the impact the design of buildings can have on us - on our identity and self-esteem, and on relationships, our chances at school, and even our weight and immune system [S] More on The Secret Life of Buildings
Last broadcast: Monday 15 August, 8PM on Channel 4
Life of Rhyme
Presented by acclaimed hip hop artist Akala, Life of Rhyme explores spoken word and rap, featuring performances and the story of how the UK scene evolved and developed [S] More on Life of Rhyme
Last broadcast: 14 August 2011, on
Graffiti Wars
Graffiti Wars examines street art and graffiti, and the creative tensions and conflicts within this artistic arena More on Graffiti Wars
Last broadcast: 14 August 2011, on
Starsuckers
Starsuckers is a hilarious, shocking documentary about the celebrity-obsessed media and how they feed our addiction to fame [S] More on Starsuckers
How Hip Hop Changed the World
Idris Elba reveals the defining moments in street music and culture over the last 35 years, featuring rare archive material, seminal music videos and insight from hip hop stars [S] More on How Hip Hop Changed the World
Last broadcast: 12 August 2011, on
Sex, Lies and Parkinson's
Oliver Cheetham's First Cut film meets Vicki, a mother-of-two diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's, as she deals with her condition and the effect her medication is having on her life More on Sex, Lies and Parkinson's
Last broadcast: 12 August 2011, on
Head Over Heels in Rats
Kate and Kevin Rattray have 27 rats. First Cut explores their unconventional love affair with their brood, from losing a beloved member of the 'family', to births and birthday parties. [S] More on Head Over Heels in Rats
Last broadcast: 28 January 2011, on
Superheroes of Suburbia
A small, secretive band of people are donning comic-book costumes and taking to Britain's streets to fight crime. Christian Watt's First Cut film meets three of these suburban superheroes. [S] More on Superheroes of Suburbia
Last broadcast: 05 August 2011, on
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
The story of General Butt Naked, the despised Liberian warlord responsible for the death of 20,000 people, who reinvented himself as an evangelical preacher More on The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Last broadcast: 02 August 2011, on
Born to Be Different
A candid and unsentimental documentary filmed over nearly 10 years that chronicles the pressures and joys of family life for parents bringing up a disabled child [S] More on Born to Be Different
Last broadcast: 23 June 2011, on
The Fairy Jobmother
Hayley Taylor takes on the challenge of getting the unemployed of Britain back into work [S] More on The Fairy Jobmother
Last broadcast: 28 June 2011, on
The Space Shuttle's Last Flight
As Atlantis completes its 135th and final mission, this definitive documentary charts the legacy and tragedies of the most ambitious space programme ever undertaken - the space shuttle More on The Space Shuttle's Last Flight
Last broadcast: 23 July 2011, on
Katie: My Beautiful Face
Katie was young and beautiful, but a vicious acid attack destroyed her face. Cutting Edge follows Katie as she tries to re-build her life. [S] More on Katie: My Beautiful Face
The Mystery of the Nevada Triangle
An investigation of the 'new Bermuda Triangle' in America's Sierra Nevada mountains, where hundreds of aircraft have disappeared [S] More on The Mystery of the Nevada Triangle
After the Apocalypse
The story of the people of Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan, who were used as guinea pigs in the Soviet Union's testing of nuclear weapons More on After the Apocalypse
Last broadcast: 19 July 2011, on
Emergency in the Womb
This Cutting Edge film follows the life and death stories of critically ill babies undergoing radical surgery in the womb [S] More on Emergency in the Womb
Double Lesson
The fictional story of a secondary school teacher who, one Monday afternoon, attacks a pupil in his class [S] More on Double Lesson
Last broadcast: 15 July 2011, on
Bodysnatchers of New York
The chilling story of New York surgeon Dr Michael Mastromarino, who illegally carved up hundreds of corpses without permission before selling the bones and tissue on for transplants [S] More on Bodysnatchers of New York
Last broadcast: 26 October 2010, on
Special Needs Pets
From parrots on anti-depressants to paralysed rabbits in wheelchairs, Cutting Edge follows owners striving to come to terms with their beloved pets' disabilities [S] More on Special Needs Pets
A Very Dangerous Doctor
The story of the doctor who dared to accuse mothers of abusing their own children, and the mothers who say he abused his power in order to use their children for research More on A Very Dangerous Doctor
Last broadcast: 12 May 2011, on
Voices from the Killing Fields
The Khmer Rouge slaughtered nearly two million people in the late 1970s. Yet the Killing Fields of Cambodia remain unexplained. Investigative journalist Thet Sambath records shocking testimonies, from the foot soldiers to Pol Pot's right-hand man. More on Voices from the Killing Fields
Last broadcast: 05 July 2011, on
7/7: The Miracle of Carriage 346
An inspirational documentary about survival and rescue, which tells the stories of people who emerged alive against all the odds from the Kings Cross train bombing [S] More on 7/7: The Miracle of Carriage 346
7/7: The Angels of Edgware Road
On 7 July 2007, a bomb exploded on a tube train at Edgware Road station. Hear these uplifting stories of people who, in the aftermath, put their own lives at risk trying to save strangers. [S] More on 7/7: The Angels of Edgware Road
Men of Iron
A three-part series charting a whole generation of great Victorian engineers, told through the rivalries of two great engineering families - the Stephensons and the Brunels [S] More on Men of Iron
The September Issue
Watch Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, as she prepares the prestigious September 2007 issue of the fashion bible, with all the autumn fashions More on The September Issue
Last broadcast: 24 August 2010, on
The Model Agency
This new series goes inside the offices of Premier Model Management to reveal the realities of life in the world's most glamorous industry [S] More on The Model Agency
Last broadcast: 06 April 2011, on
For Neda
The story of Neda Agha Soltan, the young Iranian woman shot dead in Tehran in 2009 - who she was, why she became a powerful symbol and what she was fighting for [S] More on For Neda
Last broadcast: 21 June 2011, on
What Really Happened
On a mission to extract reality from rumour, investigative journalist Jacques Peretti picks apart the most sensational high-profile scandals of recent years [S] More on What Really Happened
Father Ray Comes Out
Anna Llewellyn's First Cut film follows an Anglican vicar as he shares a personal secret with his congregation: he is gay [S] More on Father Ray Comes Out
Last broadcast: 11 February 2011, on
| Abbreviation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| [S] | Subtitles |
| [AD] | Audio Description |
Channel 4 © 2012. Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of external websites.