15 Best Non-Fiction Mini-Series Ever
by christian94 | created - 21 Jul 2013 | updated - 1 week ago | PublicThe required television documentary mini-series. In order from very best to very good.
Runner Up:
The Human Sexes (1997)
Pornography: A Secret History of Civilisation (1999)
Korea: The Unfinished War (2003)
Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates (2019)
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. The Human Animal (1994)
Documentary
A man is an extraordinarily strong, having a loud voice, enterprising and in a high degree gregarious monkey. Time to study the pattern of her behavior.
Stars: Desmond Morris, Eileen Daly, Wendy-Ann Paige
Votes: 179
2. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014)
TV-PG | 43 min | Documentary
An exploration of our discovery of the laws of nature and coordinates in space and time.
Stars: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Christopher Emerson, Keythe Farley, Piotr Michael
Votes: 128,701
3. Cosmos (1980)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary
Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the universe.
Stars: Carl Sagan, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jonathan Fahn, Jean Charney
Votes: 44,143
4. Life (2009)
TV-G | 43 min | Documentary
David 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.
Stars: Oprah Winfrey, David Attenborough, Doug Allan, Roger Munns
Votes: 42,814
5. Wonders of the Universe (I) (2011)
TV-G | 59 min | Documentary, Family
Professor 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 ... See full summary »
Stars: Brian Cox, Steven Mackintosh
Votes: 4,343
6. Wonders of the Solar System (2010)
TV-PG | 60 min | Documentary, Family
In 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.
Stars: Brian Cox, Richard Hoover, Carolyn Porco, Alan Hildebrand
Votes: 4,718
7. Unnatural Selection (2019– )
TV-MA | 66 min | Documentary
DNA, the very essence of life, can now be altered. Not only by Harvard geneticists and multi-billion dollar corporations, but also by renegade biohackers working out of their garages.
Stars: David Ishee, Jeffrey Kahn, Jackson Kennedy, Kevin Esvelt
Votes: 2,191
8. The Hunt (II) (2015)
TV-PG | 64 min | Documentary
The fascinating relationship between predators and their prey, and the strategies predators use to catch their food and prey use to escape death.
Stars: David Attenborough, Jamie McPherson, Huw Cordey, Damien Boisseau
Votes: 4,367
9. Planet Earth II (2016)
TV-G | 50 min | Documentary
David Attenborough returns with a new wildlife documentary that shows life in a variety of habitats.
Stars: David Attenborough, Chadden Hunter, Gordon Buchanan, Elizabeth White
Votes: 158,253
10. Planet Earth (2006)
TV-PG | 49 min | Documentary, Family
A 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.
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, David Attenborough, Nikolay Drozdov, Thomas Anguti Johnston
Votes: 220,292
11. Human Planet (2011)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary
A cinematic experience bringing you the most amazing human stories in the world. Humans and wildlife surviving in the most extreme environments on Earth
Stars: John Hurt, Roger Munns
Votes: 27,795
12. Blue Planet II (2017)
TV-G | 52 min | Documentary
David Attenborough returns to the world's oceans in this sequel to the acclaimed documentary filming rare and unusual creatures of the deep, as well as documenting the problems our oceans face.
Stars: David Attenborough, Peter Drost, Roger Munns, Roger Horrocks
Votes: 46,563
13. Galapagos (2006)
180 min | Documentary
The history of these beautiful Islands from their creation as uprising lava to their being studied by Darwin to their modern day inhabitants.
Stars: Tilda Swinton, Richard Wollocombe, Tom Hiddleston, Stacy Keach
Votes: 1,437
14. The Mind, Explained (2019–2021)
TV-14 | 20 min | Documentary
Ever wonder what's happening inside your head? From dreaming to anxiety disorders, discover how your brain works with this illuminating series.
Stars: Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Jewel Jordan, Faith Jones
Votes: 6,037
15. Operation Iceberg (2012– )
Documentary
A British-Canadian team of scientists mounts an elaborate expedition to investigate more thoroughly then ever the life of an iceberg. They start at the coastal Greenland glaciers, to see ... See full summary »
Stars: Alisdair Simpson, Chris Packham, Helen Czerski, Andy Torbet
Votes: 32
16. Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)
TV-MA | 62 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A group of online justice seekers track down a guy who posted a video of himself killing kittens.
Stars: Deanna Thompson, John Green, Claudette Hamlin, Anna Yourkin
Votes: 62,250
17. Roman Empire (2016–2019)
TV-MA | 48 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Chronicles some of the most famous leaders of the Roman Civilization.
Stars: Aaron Irvin, Corey Brennan, Jerry Toner, Steve West
Votes: 9,376
18. Alien Worlds (2020)
TV-PG | 174 min | Documentary, Animation, Sci-Fi
Applying the laws of life on Earth to rest of the galaxy, this series blends science facts and fiction to imagine alien life on other planets.
Stars: Sophie Okonedo, Leigh Joel Scott, Douglas Vakoch, Natalie Batalha
Votes: 4,191
19. Our Universe (2022– )
TV-PG | 45 min | Documentary
Follows different aspects of the natural world, from an expansive look into the origin of the Universe, to life on planet Earth and how its oceans function. Narrated by Morgan Freeman
Star: Morgan Freeman
Votes: 2,936
20. Human Playground (2022– )
TV-MA | 40 min | Documentary
This docuseries explores the origins and evolution of play across the globe, from age-old rituals to billion-dollar businesses.
Stars: Idris Elba, Kiki Bosch, Clementine Chardin, Mathieu Noguès
Votes: 882
21. Lenox Hill (2020)
TV-MA | Documentary, Biography
An intimate look at the lives of four doctors - two brain surgeons, an emergency room physician, and a Chief Resident OBGYN - as they navigate the highs and lows of working at the renowned Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Stars: John Boockvar, David Langer, Amanda Little-Richardson, Mirtha Macri
Votes: 2,924
22. Our Planet (2019–2023)
TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary
Explores and unravels the mystery of how and why animals migrate, showing some of the most dramatic and compelling stories in the natural world through spectacular and innovative cinematography.
Star: David Attenborough
Votes: 51,150
23. Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (2023)
TV-14 | 39 min | Documentary, Adventure
Travel around the world with author Dan Buettner to discover five unique communities where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.
Stars: Dan Buettner, Marion Nestle
Votes: 3,190
25. Beckham (2023)
TV-MA | 71 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
With never-before-seen footage, this docuseries follows David Beckham's meteoric rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom.
Stars: David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Fisher Stevens, John Carlin
Votes: 35,193
26. Planet Earth III (2023)
TV-PG | 58 min | Documentary
Discover amazing landscapes, the most amazing fights of animals on our planet, from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, from the darkest caves to the hottest deserts with new technology.
Stars: David Attenborough, Tom Greenhalgh, Fredi Devas, Keron Murray
Votes: 2,675
27. The Century of the Self (2002)
59 min | Documentary
A documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful means of persuasion for both governments and corporations.
Stars: Adam Curtis, Robert Reich, Ann Bernays, Alfred Pritz
Votes: 6,360
28. The Power of Nightmares (2004)
60 min | Documentary, History
A series of three documentaries about the use of fear for political gain.
Stars: Gilles Kepel, William Kristol, Melvin Goodman, Richard Perle
Votes: 4,542
29. Pandora's Box (1992)
276 min | Documentary
The consequences of exploiting technological and political ideas without understanding and concern for the outcome.
Stars: George Ball, Milton Friedman, Tony Benn, Jerry Pournelle
Votes: 596
30. Can't Get You Out of My Head (2021)
75 min | Documentary, History
Love, power, money, ghosts of empire, conspiracies, artificial intelligence and You. An emotional history of the modern world by Adam Curtis.
Star: Adam Curtis
Votes: 2,358
31. Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone (2022)
Documentary, History
What it felt like to live through the collapse of communism and democracy.
Votes: 977
32. The Mayfair Set (1999)
240 min | Documentary
The effects on Britains economic and political power brought by unscrupulous, reckless gamblers from the notorious gambling club in the 60s - the Clermont Club.
Stars: James Goldsmith, David Stirling, Tiny Rowland, Jim Slater
Votes: 511
33. Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War (2024)
60 min | Documentary
The series chronicles the creation of the atomic bomb and the spread of nuclear arms over the following decades. It continues past the dissolution of the Soviet Union to Vladimir Putin's ascent and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Stars: Mary Sarotte, Garrett Graff, Robert Gates, Tom Nichols
Votes: 2,425
34. Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (2021)
TV-14 | 52 min | Documentary, History, War
This unflinching series documents the 9/11 terrorist attacks, from Al Qaeda's roots in the 1980s to America's forceful response, both at home and abroad.
Stars: Mark Fallon, James LaPorta, Michel Paradis
Votes: 11,289
Tell Your Friends