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TV Shows & Series: Best Documentaries TV Shows/Series

A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in terms of "a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception [that remains] a practice without clear boundaries". Early documentary films, originally called "actuality films", briefly lasted for one minute or less. Over time, documentaries have evolved to become longer in length and to include more categories. Some examples are educational, observational and docufiction. Documentaries are very informative, and are often used within schools as a resource to teach various principles. Documentary filmmakers have a responsibility to be truthful to their vision of the world without intentionally misrepresenting a topic. Social media platforms (such as YouTube) have provided an avenue for the growth of the documentary-film genre. These platforms have increased the distribution area and ease-of-accessibility. ()

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8,822 TV shows/series found (page 1/295):

Seven Deadly Sins(2008-2009)

1h per episode | Documentary
3.9/5 (with 1,141 votes)

The series traces the history of the seven deadly sins, how they became part of religious doctrine, and looks at historical figures who have been the worst perpetrators of each. Each of the seven sins is explored, from their origins and nature, their opposing virtue, and their corresponding punishment.

Sex, Explained(2020)

TV-MA
| 22min per episode | Documentary
3.3/5 (with 929 votes)

From the biology of attraction to the history of birth control, explore the ins and outs of sex in this entertaining and enlightening series.

Traveling with the Derbez(2019-)

3.7/5 (with 656 votes)

The series follows the fun and endearing Derbez family as they discover new cultures in foreign lands and for the first time – all together and unfiltered.

The Last Dance(2020)

TV-MA
| 50min per episode | Documentary
4.1/5 (with 591 votes)

A 10-part documentary chronicling the untold story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty with rare, never-before-seen footage and sound from the 1997-98 championship season – plus over 100 interviews with famous figures and basketball’s biggest names.

Planet Earth II(2016)

TV-G
| 50min per episode | Documentary, Kids & Family
4.3/5 (with 362 votes)

David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.

Top Gear(2002-)

TV-PG
| 1h per episode | Talk-Show, Action & Adventure, Comedy
3.7/5 (with 339 votes)

This fast-paced and stunt-filled motor show tests whether cars, both mundane and extraordinary, live up to their manufacturers' claims. The long-running show travels to locations around the world, performing extreme stunts and challenges to see what the featured cars are capable of doing. The current hosts are Paddy Mcguinness, Chris Harris and Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff.

Marvel Studios Legends(2021-)

3.7/5 (with 320 votes)

Revisit the epic heroes, villains and moments from across the MCU in preparation for the stories still to come. Each dynamic segment feeds directly into the upcoming series — setting the stage for future events. This series weaves together the many threads that constitute the unparalleled Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Maradona, Blessed Dream(2021)

1h per episode | Drama, Documentary
3.8/5 (with 320 votes)

The controversial life and history of Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona. From his beginnings in Villa Fiorito, one of the poorest barrios of Buenos Aires, to achieving glory on the international football league. Earning himself a well-deserved place in history. Living a life strewn with drugs, sex and public scrutiny, he played by his own rules regardless of the consequences. Watch the man who took the world by storm and made his way into the hearts of millions.

Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak(2020)

50min per episode | Documentary
3.4/5 (with 310 votes)

In this docuseries, meet the heroes on the front lines of the battle against influenza and learn about their efforts to stop the next global outbreak.

Hugo Chávez, El Comandante(2017)

NR
| 50min per episode | Documentary, Drama
3.6/5 (with 244 votes)

The life of Hugo Chavez; from childhood, his arrival to power, confrontations, and loves to his last days as president.

The Walking Dead: Origins(2021)

3.9/5 (with 238 votes)

The Walking Dead: Origins is a series of specials exploring the journeys of the series' most celebrated characters. Each episode charts the story of the zombie apocalypse from the point of view of a single character and features new interviews and narrations from the actors that portray these iconic characters, interwoven with clips from the most pivotal moments of their journeys so far.

Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer(2019)

TV-MA
| 1h 2min per episode | Documentary, Crime
3.8/5 (with 231 votes)

A group of online justice seekers track down a guy who posted a video of him killing kittens.

Directed by Mark Lewis
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Formula 1: Drive to Survive(2019-)

TV-MA
| 38min per episode | Documentary
4.1/5 (with 203 votes)

Drivers, managers and team owners live life in the fast lane - both on and off the track - during one cutthroat season of Formula 1 racing.

Welcome to Earth(2021)

TV-PG
| 40min per episode | Documentary
3.8/5 (with 202 votes)

Will Smith whose curiosity and wonder is positively infectious—is guided by National Geographic Explorers traveling to different corners of the world to get up close and personal with the weirdest, most unusual, dangerous and thrilling spectacles of the planet.

Tiger King(2020-2021)

TV-MA
| 43min per episode | Documentary, Crime
3.5/5 (with 202 votes)

A zoo owner spirals out of control amid a cast of eccentric characters in this true murder-for-hire story from the underworld of big cat breeding.

Directed by Eric Goode, Rebecca Chaiklin

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez(2020)

TV-MA
| 55min per episode | Documentary, Crime
3.7/5 (with 200 votes)

A boy’s brutal murder and the public trials of his guardians and social workers prompt questions about the system’s protection of vulnerable children.

With Rodrigo Alfonso

Lore(2017-2018)

TV-14
| 40min per episode | Mystery, Drama, Documentary
3.5/5 (with 190 votes)

This anthology series brings to life Aaron Mahnke's “Lore” podcast and uncovers the real-life events that spawned our darkest nightmares. Blending dramatic scenes, animation, archive and narration, Lore reveals how our horror legends - such as vampires, werewolves and body snatchers - are rooted in truth.

1000 Ways to Die(2009-2012)

TV-14
| 30min per episode | Documentary, Comedy
3.9/5 (with 189 votes)

The science of living and the randomness of death are combined with a dash of Darwinism. Forensic experts, pathologists, toxicologists, herpetologists, and other experts offer eloquent explanations of mortality.

Súbete a mi moto(2020)

NR
| 1h per episode | Drama, Documentary
3.8/5 (with 183 votes)

The Story behind the the iconic boy band Menudo according to the creator and manager of the band

The Story of God with Morgan Freeman(2016-2019)

3.7/5 (with 182 votes)

Morgan Freeman presents his quest in order to find how most religions perceive life after death, what different civilizations thought about the act of creation and other big questions that mankind has continuously asked.

Prehistoric Planet(2022-2023)

4.2/5 (with 180 votes)

Experience the wonders of our world like never before in this epic series from Jon Favreau and the producers of Planet Earth. Travel back 66 million years to when majestic dinosaurs and extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas, and skies.

Directed by Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones

Imperio De Mentiras(2020-2021)

3.8/5 (with 174 votes)

Elisa Cantú never imagined that, upon returning to Mexico from New York, where she resides, she would encounter an unexpected tragedy that changes her life. The night Elisa would celebrate her birthday, fate leads her to meet Leonardo Velasco, a policeman in love with Julia, a teacher, to whom he was to marry. At the end of the evening, Leonardo receives an emergency call, in which the discovery of two bodies is reported, one of them is that of his fiancée, who lies next to the body of Augusto Cantú, millionaire businessman and father of Elisa. Elisa and Leonardo will come together to search for the truth of what happened.

Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich(2020)

TV-MA
| 56min per episode | Crime, Documentary
3.6/5 (with 165 votes)

Stories from survivors fuel this docuseries examining how convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein used his wealth and power to carry out his abuses.

Cosmos: A Personal Voyage(1980)

1h per episode | Documentary
4.3/5 (with 163 votes)

Carl Sagan covers a wide range of scientific subjects, including the origin of life and a perspective of our place in the universe.

Directed by Adrian Malone

MATARIFE(2020-)

25min per episode | Documentary
4.1/5 (with 162 votes)

Matarife, an unmentionable genocide | The series has generated great controversy in Colombia because it exposes former president Alvaro Uribe Vélez in its plot like never before.

Our Planet(2019-2023)

TV-G
| 50min per episode | Documentary, Action & Adventure
4.3/5 (with 157 votes)

Experience our planet's natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel(2021)

TV-MA
| 54min per episode | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
3.5/5 (with 156 votes)

The notorious Cecil Hotel grows in infamy when guest Elisa Lam vanishes. A dive into crime's darkest places.

Directed by Joe Berlinger

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes(2019)

TV-MA
| 1h per episode | Documentary, Crime
3.7/5 (with 153 votes)

A unique look inside the mind of an infamous serial killer with this cinematic self-portrait crafted from statements made by Ted Bundy, including present-day interviews, archival footage and audio recordings from death row.

Mars(2016-2018)

3.5/5 (with 152 votes)

The maiden crew of the Daedalus spacecraft must push itself to the brink of human capability in order to successfully establish the first sustainable colony on Mars. Set both in the future and in the present day, this series blends scripted elements set in the future with documentary vérité interviews with today’s best and brightest minds in modern science and innovation, illuminating how research and development is creating the space technology that will enable our first attempt at a mission to Mars.

Haunted(2018-2021)

25min per episode | Documentary
3.5/5 (with 147 votes)

Real people sit down with friends and family to share terrifying true stories from their past, re-created through chilling re-enactments.

With Erika Guntherová, Eliska Krenková, Petra Bučková, Anna Kadeřávková, Vanda Chaloupková, Hana Baroňová, ...
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