BBC Documentaries
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- StarsSigourney WeaverDavid AttenboroughNikolay DrozdovA documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughTim CraggAnthony Geffen3D technology reveals a whole new dimension in the lives of plants, from the most bizarre to the most beautiful. In this sensational series, shot over the course of a year, David Attenborough explores their fascinating world. Using 3D time-lapse and pioneering techniques in 3D macro photography, he traces them from their beginnings on land to their vital place in nature today, exposing new revelations along the way. He moves from our time scale to theirs, revealing the true nature of plants as creatures that are every bit as dynamic and aggressive as animals. David discovers a microscopic world that's invisible to the naked eye, where insects feed and breed, where flowers fluoresce and where plants communicate with each other and with animals using scent and sound. He meets the extraordinary animals and fungi that have unbreakable ties with the plant world, from hawk moths and bats to tiny poison dart frogs, a giant tortoise and a fungus that can control the mind. And he does all this in one unique place, a microcosm of the whole plant world where, some 90% of all known plant species are represented: The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. This spectacular adventure through the Kingdom of Plants is so immersive and compelling it has the capacity to amaze even the least green-fingered.
- StarsJohn HurtRoger MunnsA cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's study of the world of plants, which demonstrates, with the aid of time-lapse photography, the rich and varied ways in which they flourish.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's comprehensive and richly detailed study of birds, examining the variety of different species and their ways of life.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's groundbreaking study of the evolution of life on our planet.
- StarsMarcus du SautoyEleanor RobsonLeonhard EulerThe history of mathematics from ancient times to the present day. Narrated by Oxford mathematics professor Marcus du Sautoy, the series covers the seminal moments and people in the development of maths.
- CreatorNicola CookAdriana TimcoCatherine WylerStarsPaul VaughanJack FortuneDilly BarlowBritish documentary series that covers a variety of subjects in science and philosophy.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliThe story of the discovery that everything is made from atoms, one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in history, and the brilliant minds behind it.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliJim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.
- DirectorNic StaceyStarsJim Al-KhaliliChaos theory has a bad name, conjuring up images of unpredictable weather, economic crashes and science gone wrong. But there is a fascinating and hidden side to Chaos, one that scientists are only now beginning to understand. It turns out that chaos theory answers a question that mankind has asked for millennia - how did we get here? In this documentary, Professor Jim Al-Khalili sets out to uncover one of the great mysteries of science - how does a universe that starts off as dust end up with intelligent life? How does order emerge from disorder? It's a mindbending, counterintuitive and for many people a deeply troubling idea. But Professor Al-Khalili reveals the science behind much of beauty and structure in the natural world and discovers that far from it being magic or an act of God, it is in fact an intrinsic part of the laws of physics. Amazingly, it turns out that the mathematics of chaos can explain how and why the universe creates exquisite order and pattern. And the best thing is that one doesn't need to be a scientist to understand it. The natural world is full of awe-inspiring examples of the way nature transforms simplicity into complexity. From trees to clouds to humans - after watching this film you'll never be able to look at the world in the same way again.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliAndrea SellaHal SosabowskiSeries in which Jim Al-Khalili traces the story of how the elements, the building blocks that make up our entire world, were discovered and mapped.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliRichard DawkinsJames DysonCharismatic men of action and reclusive eccentrics. Eureka moments and serendipitous strokes of luck. Discoveries born of crisis and insatiable curiosity. The history of scientific progress in Britain offers an astonishing breadth of personalties and has had an awe-inspiring effect on world progress. Each episode in this five-part series brings an era of scientific thought to vivid life, with modern-day geniuses examining the legacies of their heroes. Stephen Hawking takes on Isaac Newton, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins discusses Alan Turing, acclaimed naturalist David Attenborough profiles Joseph Banks, and many more. Also in the mix: industrial designer James Dyson, Nobel-prize winning geneticist Paul Nurse, and others. Along the way, learn intriguing facts about famous scientists and discover unheralded people whose revelations have changed the way we live today, paving the path for everything from the steam engine to current thinking about the atom and evolution.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliSimon SchafferCarlos FrenkTwo-part documentary which deals with two of the deepest questions there are - what is everything, and what is nothing? In two episodes, Professor Jim Al-Khalili searches for an answer to these questions as he explores the true size and shape of the universe and delves into the amazing science behind apparent nothingness. EVERYTHING: The first part, Everything, sees Professor Al-Khalili set out to discover what the universe might actually look like. The journey takes him from the distant past to the boundaries of the known universe. Along the way he charts the remarkable stories of the men and women who discovered the truth about the cosmos and investigates how our understanding of space has been shaped by both mathematics and astronomy. NOTHING: Explores science at the very limits of human perception, where we now understand the deepest mysteries of the universe lie. Jim Al-Khalili sets out to answer one very simple question - what is nothing? His journey ends with perhaps the most profound insight about reality that humanity has ever made. Everything came from nothing. The quantum world of the super-small shaped the vast universe we inhabit today, and Jim Al-Khalili can prove it
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliJon AgarPatricia FaraUntil recently, electricity was seen as a magical power. It could slay the living, revive the dead, and bend the laws of nature. It is now the lifeblood of the modern world, fueling our lives and underpinning every aspect of technological advancement. Without it, we would be lost. Professor Jim Al-Khalili tells the electrifying story of our quest to master nature's most mysterious force.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliAnnabel TroostIrving FinkelProfessor Jim Al-Khalili unwraps the evolutionary histories responsible for the modern human condition, as currently represented by our sophistication in energy manipulation and information technology.
- StarsJim Al-KhaliliEliza SheaProfessor of physics Jim Al-Khalili investigates the most accurate and yet perplexing scientific theory ever - quantum physics.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughBarack ObamaDavid Attenborough revisits the Great Barrier Reef after nearly 60 years. His visit takes him from the most exposed part of the reef as well as down to 300m below the surface discovering corals never seen before.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughAnthony GeffenMartin WilliamsFilmed in one of the most extreme and hard-to-reach locations in the world, 'Galapagos' explores the unique environments and species of the Galapagos. It will take viewers on a voyage to understand the stunning archipelago which changed the way we see the world and has long-remained a place of true interest with the nation's favourite naturalist.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughJustin MarshallJean-Bernard CaronDavid Attenborough goes back in time to investigate the origins of life.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughAlec BaldwinChadden HunterFocuses on life and the environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
- StarsOprah WinfreyDavid AttenboroughDoug AllanDavid Attenborough's legendary BBC crew explains and shows wildlife all over planet earth. From giving an overview of the challenges facing life to hunting the deep sea and various major evolutionary groups of creatures.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughJoe StevensShane MooreThis exploration of the planet's most breathtaking natural events follows vast migrations, huge ocean convergences, powerful weather systems and mighty floods.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough explores Charles Darwin's controversial theory of evolution by natural selection.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughA nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, that looks at the evolution and habits of amphibians and reptiles.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's ground-breaking exploration of a group of organisms that are vast in number, yet often too small to be noticed: the invertebrates.
- StarsNigel SpiveyVilayanur RamachandranStefano MariottiniDocumentary series looking at the influence of art on the current day situation of our society.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's comprehensive study of how a remarkable group of animals evolved - a group that includes ourselves.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughPierce BrosnanPeter ScoonesMammoth series, five years in the making, taking a look at the rich tapestry of life in the world's oceans.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughSeries exploring the natural history of Antarctica.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughEach of the twelve 50-minute episodes features a different aspect of the journey through life, from birth to adulthood and continuation of the species through reproduction.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough's comprehensive study of fossils, which give many clues to how life existed on pre-historic Earth.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough discusses the biomass and life in a variety of eco-systems spanning many of the environments found on Earth (from tropical to polar).
- StarsDavid AttenboroughSimon BlakeneyBill RudolphAfrica, the world's wildest continent. David Attenborough takes us on an awe-inspiring journey through one of the most diverse places in the world. We visit deserts, savannas, and jungles and meet up with some of Africa's amazing wildlife.
- StarsBenedict CumberbatchMike RoweRichard WollocombeA documentary series on life in and adapted to the conditions of the Southern part of the Pacific Ocean, a vast aquatic region with an unequaled number of islands. Both wildlife and human cultures developed in a unique variety, largely determined by such natural conditions as huge distances, sea depths, currents and winds.
- StarsHugh QuarshieIngrid KvaleMartin DohrnThe Great Rift Valley in Africa was created when the African and Arabian tectonic plates separated about 35 million years ago. This series investigates the forces that created the rift and focuses on the landscape and wildlife.
- StarsBernard HillAn in-depth look at some of China's most impressive natural sites such as the ancient Han kingdom, the Mongol steppes, the Silk Road and the Tibetan Plateau.
- StarsPeter FirthMary Beth SchwartzJeff HenryFilmed over the course of a year in Yellowstone, this documentary tracks the area's wildlife as they grapple with life and death within one of America's last remaining wilderness regions.
- StarsBrian CoxSteven MackintoshProfessor Brian Cox visits some of the most dramatic parts of the globe to explain the fundamental principles that govern the laws of nature - light, gravity, energy, matter and time. With the world's most profound science at its heart, Wonders Of The Universe reveals how the story of humanity is intimately entwined with that of the complex story of the origins of the universe.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughGavin ThurstonTim FoggOver 80% of Madagascar's animals and plants are found nowhere else on Earth. Discover what made Madagascar so different from the rest of the world, and how evolution ran wild there.
- StarsIain StewartLeo HouldingVictor BakerIn each episode, geologist Dr. Iain Stewart explains the effects and importance of a specific force of nature, such as wind or volcanism. He also examines the various ways in which it shapes planet earth itself and influences life on it, often in conjunction with other natural forces, and sometimes with lifeforms, as in the 'apocalyptically' grave case of global warming.
- DirectorStephen NealStarsBrian CoxJim Al-KhaliliPaul FootProfessor Cox takes a diamond and with the help of an audience of stars explains quantum theory.
- DirectorKate BroomeStarsDavid AttenboroughDavid Attenborough investigates the latest scientific research to discover whether or not there is a global environmental crisis, and, if so, what solutions there are to it.
- StarsIain StewartAli HaleyalurIn each episode, geologist Iain Stewart describes how a certain geological force played a determinant part in human history. Culture may render people less dependent on nature, it still interacts with it, and actually increases the importance of such natural resources as minerals and fossil fuels.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughBarry PaineJohn ShrapnelStrand of documentaries on wildlife and the environment.
- StarsAlice RobertsJeffrey RoseClive FinlaysonThis series explains the evidence for the theory of early human migrations out of Africa and subsequently around the world, supporting the Out of Africa Theory.
- StarsChristopher CottenMichael MosleyInside The Human Body - takes us deep under our skin where we are dwarfed by even the smallest cell, where blood vessels becomevast cathedrals and the tiniest cluster of cilia becomes an expansive forest.
- StarsRichard HammondEdgar D. MitchellJürg SchweizerThis documentary features state-of-the-art camera technology used to focus on what humans cannot see with the naked eye.
- StarsMichael MosleySimon ChaplinFloor LagerweyMichael Mosley takes an informative and ambitious journey exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path.
- StarsRichard HammondSven WieskottenRalph ErnstRichard Hammond reveals secret animal abilities from the natural world, and discovers how those same animals have inspired a series of unlikely human inventions at the very frontiers of science.
- StarsRichard HammondStephen RalphsHugh HuntWith hands-on experiments and intrepid investigative work, Richard Hammond reveals the secrets behind modern-day superstructures.
- StarsSimon SchamaMichael KitchenSamuel WestA comprehensive historical survey of the British Isles.
- StarsJacob BronowskiJoss AcklandRoy DotriceAn account of man's development through his scientific and technological achievements.
- StarsAndrew MarrPierre MaraisJoe VazAndrew Marr's History of the World is a 2012 BBC documentary television series presented by Andrew Marr that covers 70,000 years of world history from the beginning of human civilisation, as African nomadic peoples spread out around the world and settled down to become the first farmers, up to the twentieth century.
- StarsSimon SchamaAllan CordunerPaul PopplewellFocusing on eight iconic works of art, Power of Art reveals the history of visual imagination through the ages.
- DirectorRussell EnglandStarsAlastair SookeArt Critic Alastair Sooke goes in search of the most expensive paintings ever sold at auction and the people prepared to pay over $100,000,000 to own one.
- StarsMichael WoodChris BailyMichael Wood visits places and interviews experts all over India to cover the great chapters of the subcontinent's history.
- StarsTilda SwintonRichard WollocombeTom HiddlestonThe history of these beautiful Islands from their creation as uprising lava to their being studied by Darwin to their modern day inhabitants.
- StarsStephen FryDoug AllanDidier NoirotThis is a documentary about the magical world of dolphins and whales. We explore the intimate life of the biggest animals on our planet, we look at the learning abilities of dolphins, and how whales and dolphins communicate with each other.
- StarsMonty HallsDan NachtrabKarl StefanovicMonty Halls explores Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders of the world and the largest living structure on our planet. Monty explores its full 2000-kilometre length, from the wild outer reefs of the Coral Sea to the tangled mangrove and steaming rainforest on the shoreline; from large mountainous islands to tiny coral cays barely above sea level; from the dark depths of the abyss beyond the reef to colourful coral gardens of the shallows.
- StarsBrian CoxPhysicist and professor Brian Cox travels across the globe to uncover the secrets of the most extraordinary phenomenon in the universe: life.
- StarsBrian CoxBill AndersCharles DukeBrian travels the globe to discuss these topics with examples from our planet and others in the universe.
- StarsBrian CoxCarolyn PorcoRichard HooverIn this spellbinding series Professor Brian Cox visits the most extreme locations on Earth to explain how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the solar system.
- DirectorJoe AhearneStarsDavid SuchetMartin McDougallJoanne McQuinnThis two-part science fiction docu-drama examines the possibilities of a dangerous, manned space mission to explore the inner and outer planets of the Solar system.
- DirectorDavid DuganStarsIain AgnewNeil RossMarinus SmitTV documentary about the scientific race to reach the temperature of absolute zero at -273.15°C and about the important discoveries made along the way.
- StarsAndrew Graham-DixonKen RussellA six-part television documentary series tracing the history of British art from 1066 to the modern day.
- StarsAndrew Graham-DixonAndrew Graham-Dixon travels to 3 areas of Spain to examine and interpret the various art of this country. He also has other series about art, one of German art and the other in Sweden.
- StarsAndrew Graham-DixonArt critic Andrew Graham-Dixon presents the incredible story of Russian art - its mystery and magnificence.
- StarsAndrew Graham-DixonAndrew Graham-Dixon looks at neglected, but rich German art from the time of the Middle Ages.
- StarsAndrew Graham-DixonThis 3 part series is presented by the British Art Critic, Andrew Graham-Dixon. He explores the Low Countries of the Netherlands and Belgium and how history has influenced the area's art, architecture and culture. Cloth was used in the area's first expression of art in the making of tapestries going back to the 14 th century. They were the No. 1 luxury item of the day. The Low Countries were well placed geographically for markets for their art.
- StarsAndrew Graham-DixonAndrew Graham-Dixon undertakes an epic journey to uncover the art of China.
- StarsAndrew Graham-DixonSøren MallingAlexander AhndorilAn examination of the relationship between art, history and landscape in Norway, Denmark and Sweden from the Middle Ages to the present.
- StarsMark HallileySasa VasilievskiJerry SoftenThe Planets is a made for television documentary series that explores in depth the planets that make up our solar system.
- StarsSam NeillExplore the wonders of our universe with Sam Neill.
- StarsNikolay DrozdovKenneth BranaghAvery BrooksDocumentary-style series about the era of the dinosaurs, mixing real locations and CGI.
- StarsKenneth BranaghStockard ChanningLarry AgenbroadUsing the latest digital technology, the era between the dinosaurs and man is superbly recreated by the BBC and Discovery Channel in another winning production from the coalition.
- StarsLyall B. WatsonMichael SheenJames D'ArcyA docu-drama covering the rise and the fall of the Roman world, including the establishment of strong individual rule by Julius Caesar and the rebuilding of Rome under Nero.
- StarsJonathan MillerArthur MillerRichard DawkinsJonathan Miller interviews five atheists and one theologian on the subject of atheism.
- StarsRichard DillaneSteve NicolsonRavil IsyanovThe BBC's Space Race is a documentary/drama chronicling the major events and characters in the American/Soviet space race, leading up to the first moon landing. The series concentrates on Sergei Korolev, the Soviet chief rocket designer, and Wernher von Braun, his American counterpart, as their rivalry intensifies and the pressure to be the first builds.
- StarsBernard HillJonathan MillerRichard DawkinsA mini-series which follows the history of atheism.
- StarsPeter SnowDan SnowSimon ArmstrongFather and son historians Peter and Dan Snow go through every major battle fought on British land,sea and air from the ancient Romans to the Battle of Britain.
- DirectorPaul WilmshurstStarsJohn HurtShuntaro HidaGeorge ElseyDocumentary with dramatic reenactments with actors to describe what dropping the bomb on Hiroshima was like.
- DirectorJames HawesStarsJoanne WhalleyEve BestBruce GreenwoodFactual drama exploring the truth behind the space shuttle Challenger's 1986 disintegration.
- StarsLinda HuntSamuel WestGert HeidenreichThe history of the Final Solution phase of the Nazi Holocaust, particularly with the most infamous of the death camps.
- StarsWaldemar JanuszczakShaun GreenhalghChristianity slowly emerged from being a persecuted minority to the state religion of the Roman Empire. This episode is a history of the ways believers grappled with a way to depict Jesus. Simple symbolic meaning developed into splendid art and churches.
- StarsPeter GuinnessStephen BeckettBenjamin Till"Days That Shocked the World" is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Two on 17 September 2003 and ran for three series. Each 60-minute episode explores one or two major events in history through a combination of dramatization, archival footage and eyewitness accounts.
- StarsAdrian RawlinsLee RossWilliam HopeA dramatized documentary about the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in May 1940.
- StarsAubrey ManningGeorge PlafkerVincent CourtillotA BBC documentary series on geology presented by Aubrey Manning.
- DirectorEdward BazalgetteStarsOrgil MakhaanUnubold BatbayarUnurjargal JigjidsurenGenghis Khan, ruthless leader of the Mongols and sovereign over the vastest empire ever ruled by a single man, was both god and devil - not just in the Middle Ages, but for centuries to come.
- StarsMichael RedgraveRalph RichardsonEmlyn WilliamsOne of the greatest achievements of television -broadcast from 1964 in 26 episodes. Use of extensive archive footage and sound effects, linked with contemporary classic music of that area. Concentrated by the commentaries by Michael Redgrave, and some of the finest male actors of the twentieth century. Still manages to be breathtaking despite the lack of special effects or modern gimmicks.
- StarsJames MayFrancis RossiRick ParfittJames May covers various inventions and discoveries over the past century and discusses their implications on our daily lives.
- StarsStephanie FlandersJohn Maynard Keynes, Friedrich Hayek, and Karl Marx. Although many people don't know who they are, their theories have infl uenced decisions at the highest level. Narrated by BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders, this documentary explores their lives, their thinking, and how each has shaped the global economy and touched our everyday lives. From the producers of The Story of Math and The Code.
- StarsSamuel WestAdolf BuchnerJutta RüdigerAn examination of how a cultured people could have allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.
- StarsSamuel WestAdolf HitlerJoseph StalinDocumentary examining Operation Barbarossa, Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
- StarsAleksey PetrenkoBob GuntonPaul HumpoletzA story showing the 3 allied leader's, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin's actions and relationships behind the scenes during World War 2. It isn't as friendly as it seems. Shows how close the war was to favoring the axis if the Soviet Union joined forces with Hitler's Nazi's.
- StarsMatthew MacfadyenRichard OveryJohn DoliboisProfiles on the major defendants of the Nuremberg war crimes trials.
- StarsRageh OmaarSoner CagaptayRageh Omaar recounts the epic story of one of the largest and most influential empires in world history, that of the Ottomans.