Documentaries (IMDB), a list by Mark Gauci

7.8

/355/

75

/18/

73

/3/

This docuseries aims to provide a complete picture of the most famous 160 minutes in maritime history, telling the astonishing story of the sinking of the Titanic in real time. From the crucial seconds just before the ship hits the iceberg, to the moment the hull sinks beneath the waves, this boxset series pieces together the events, minute by minute, to reveal exactly what happened to the 2240 passengers and crew on 14 and 15 April, 1912.

85

70

8.7

/2707/

80

/175/

88

/30/

4.3

/20792/

88

/16/

86

age 11+

A behind-the-scenes docuseries event chronicling the development, impact, and inner workings that created the phenomenon that was Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour, as well as providing an intimate look at Taylor's life as her tour made headlines and thrilled fans around the world. The series also spotlights performers, family members, and friends — including Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran, and Florence Welch — offering never-before-seen insight into what it took to create a phenomenon.

76

7.4

/11106/

73

/736/

70

/52/

3.6

/25768/

90

/10/

87

67

/5/

age 16+

A revealing look at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' journey from music mogul to high-profile sexual offender, featuring footage and insider accounts that expose both his groundbreaking success with Bad Boy Entertainment and the troubling shadows behind his empire.

75

?

7.1

/322/

65

/20/

90

/3/

3.5

/282/

Follow Caroline's mother, Christine, as she investigates the truth about her daughter's final months - uncovering new shocking details, asking difficult questions, and exposing the misrepresentations, pressures, and failures from institutions and decision makers that shaped Caroline's final days.

78

?

8.9

/315/

79

/14/

68

/6/

Filmed across five years in a single spectacular location, the lives and fates of our four families - leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and lions - are inextricably linked as they strive for a foothold in a remote and fertile river valley in Zambia.

71

?

7.4

/251/

73

/28/

67

/6/

3.6

/925/

This two-part documentary provides a fascinating glimpse into the making of the Oscar-winning box office phenomenon "Avatar: The Way of Water" and features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, and interviews with cast and filmmakers.

66

?

7.6

/285/

71

/10/

53

/3/

3.5

/443/

age 13+

From the pinnacle of athletic success to the depths of scandal, Alex Rodriguez saw his prolific baseball career marred by a high-profile suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. Told through a series of intimate interviews with Rodriguez, explore the dualities of one of the most polarizing figures in sports.

59

?

7.3

/338/

75

/19/

30

/3/

3.5

/327/

age 15+

An unprecedented look at the NBA legend's story. This unflinching docu-series uses never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews to reveal his remarkable rise from a poverty-stricken upbringing to cultural icon. It chronicles his sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering loyalty to family and community, showing how he redefined the game and empowered future generations.

66

?

7.5

/532/

65

/38/

60

/2/

age 13+

Experience thrilling highs and crushing lows as the world's best chefs pursue the ultimate accolade: a Michelin Star. These anonymous inspectors have never let anyone in on their mysterious ways, until now.

78

37

7.6

/1120/

68

/55/

69

/6/

3.7

/447/

100

/8/

The beloved and, to be fair, revered broadcaster returns to Britain after a year in Saudi Arabia to ask some important questions.

68

?

7.2

/425/

64

/17/

age 14+

Matchroom is home to the biggest names in sport - from snooker to darts to fishing to boxing - and is the epicentre of some of the most lucrative deals and sporting events globally. With unprecedented access to Barry Hearn, his son Eddie and the whole Matchroom team at the Essex based HQ, this documentary series will dive into the drama of the family empire that has become synonymous with British sporting culture.

71

7.6

/11331/

76

/530/

76

/43/

3.6

/20253/

75

/16/

81

57

/6/

RogerEbert

2.5

age 16+

Actor Charlie Sheen tells his story in this candid two-part documentary tracing his dazzling Hollywood rise, tabloid-topping fall and road to recovery.

70

?

7.0

/471/

67

/34/

73

/3/

Mom vlogger Ruby Franke and rogue therapist Jodi Hildebrandt preach discipline — and yet behind closed doors, their teachings fuel a cult-like system of control, isolation and abuse. When a child escapes, the truth unravels and echoes beyond prison walls.

77

60

7.0

/2496/

74

/159/

63

/12/

3.8

/4219/

100

/10/

75

82

/4/

age 15+

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, survivors reflect on the disastrous storm that forever changed their lives and the systemic inequities it exposed.

71

?

7.2

/728/

65

/36/

78

/4/

3.5

/468/

Chained in a soundproof box by the man who stalked her for over a decade, Samantha must rely on her mind to survive. As she escapes, she faces a brutal choice: put Christopher behind bars on lesser charges or risk everything in pursuit of justice.

78

58

8.2

/1888/

76

/112/

68

/4/

4.0

/1730/

100

/8/

81

70

/4/

RogerEbert

3.0

Team owner Jerry Jones' journey transforming the Cowboys. Leading players/coaches to 3 NFL titles in '90s, becoming innovative sports leader with world's most valuable franchise.

77

?

8.1

/264/

74

/11/

78

/4/

In 2024, the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs aimed to make history by becoming the first NFL team to win three straight Super Bowls. "The Kingdom" – a new six-part ESPN Original Series – chronicles the Chiefs’ dramatic pursuit of a three-peat, the legacy of the franchise, and the unforgettable characters who built its modern-day football dynasty.

75

?

7.1

/298/

55

/6/

100

/1/

3.7

/388/

age 13+

Basketball legend Diana Taurasi shares the inside story of her life and career - with no stone left unturned.

75

?

7.1

/560/

72

/42/

82

/6/

Follow college football's most elite players and coaches in this unfiltered documentary series that goes behind the scenes of a dramatic SEC season.

83

?

8.1

/429/

79

/18/

90

/2/

There are 50,000 bodies lying unnamed and unmourned across America with no way of identifying them, until now. This powerful new series follows the DNA Doe Project - a leading organization in genetic investigation and identification - as they partner with law enforcement agencies to solve the coldest of cases, name these unidentified bodies, and bring resolution to families across the country.

66

13

7.1

/1021/

60

/58/

67

/3/

3.5

/736/

Four close friends' seemingly perfect lives unravel after one vanishes on a hunting trip. Nearly 20 years later, the truth emerges with devastating consequences.

76

58

8.0

/2066/

76

/186/

77

/24/

3.7

/2372/

67

/6/

82

From Monday Night RAW to WrestleMania, this series goes backstage with WWE Superstars and staff as they bring the company's biggest spectacles to life.

77

?

7.8

/346/

74

/35/

80

/5/

The incredible inside story of a huge police operation to infiltrate dangerous global crime gangs through their encrypted phone network. Operation Dark Phone : Murder by Text is the inside story the biggest ever joint law enforcement operation against a global network of organised crime groups who believed their encrypted phones were safe. Until a collaboration between international authorities - led in the UK by the National Crime Agency - managed to hack their phones to reveal the astonishing details of their messages. For the first time since the EncroChat network was infiltrated in 2020, the messages sent and the criminals exposed are exclusively revealed in a four part documentary series that tells the story in compelling and shocking detail. For 74 frantic days the authorities could read all the messages and sought to save lives and bring down the gangs, before the criminals realised their data was being captured.

75

48

7.9

/1174/

68

/68/

51

/13/

4.1

/1946/

100

/9/

80

/4/

Offers the most intimate and profound exploration into the wide-ranging impacts of the Hurricane Katrina disaster to date. Weaving together critical moments of the crisis and the past events that precipitated it, the series delivers an unparalleled, emotionally raw examination of the storm’s personal, political and societal fallout.

76

44

8.2

/821/

77

/118/

69

/10/

86

/7/

68

/4/

From critical emergencies to the operating room, this documentary series follows London's trauma centres as they treat the most severely injured.

85

61

8.6

/2840/

85

/79/

88

/9/

4.0

/6739/

92

/24/

92

72

/9/

An expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting. With unprecedented access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with extensive, in-depth one-on-one interviews, the documentary intimately explores the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations.

74

32

7.5

/482/

77

/26/

60

/15/

86

/4/

Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi reveals humanity's incredible story across 300,000 years of human evolution – and how the story is stranger and more surprising than ever imagined.

72

?

7.4

/358/

69

/33/

73

/7/

Explore hidden corners of Earth with a trio of experts as they try to save six endangered species from extinction. With crafty camerawork and survival skills, the team race to find, record, and protect these elusive creatures before it's too late.

74

?

7.6

/329/

78

/18/

69

/5/

3.6

/347/

A look at the legacy of Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 in reshaping global charity and politics. Featuring interviews with Bob Geldof, Bono, Sting, and African and western leaders of the time.

78

?

8.2

/724/

72

/63/

81

/9/

age 8+

Follow the story of the heroic underdogs of the natural world – the good, the bad and the frankly ugly. From their hidden talents to their bold hygiene choices, unsavory courtship rituals, devious camouflage techniques and “tough love” parenting skills, Underdogs will celebrate and champion the unique and unpredictable behaviors of a little known and surprising cast of animal characters.

72

?

8.0

/492/

78

/27/

58

/5/

4.1

/2878/

This series shows in a new and imaginative way how over the past 40 years in Britain extreme money and hyper-individualism came together in an unspoken alliance. Together they undermined one of the fundamental structures of mass democracy - that it could create a shared idea of what was real. And as that fell apart, with it went the language and the ideas that people had turned to for the last 150 years to make sense of the world they lived in.

71

?

7.8

/263/

75

/4/

62

/5/

Learn the incredible life of the legendary Hunkpapa Lakota chief. A fierce warrior, loving father, and holy man, the story of Sitting Bull provides a new perspective on the United States as the nation rapidly evolved around the legendary figure.

49

?

7.8

/256/

60

/11/

10

/1/

An immersive look at how a young woman from a small village in 18th-century England became one of the UK's best-loved novelists.

69

?

7.1

/473/

58

/29/

78

/5/

This fresh look at the epic history of the American West delves into the desperate struggle for the land itself – and how it still shapes the America we know today.

82

69

8.4

/4750/

80

/162/

80

/25/

4.2

/22460/

82

/19/

RogerEbert

3.5

age 14+

A kaleidoscopic portrait told in two parts tracing the life of the imaginative artist.

87

?

8.8

/804/

80

/46/

93

/3/

4.1

/935/

age 15+

The untold story of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s ascent as NASCAR's preeminent figure. His charm resonated beyond the sport, yielding fame and fortune. An intimate exploration of a working-class icon's impact on his family and the racing world.

65

?

7.1

/371/

59

/21/

65

/2/

Three women from around the world fall in love with the same handsome man, but their online boyfriend is not who he seems, and it could cost them everything.

79

47

8.0

/1049/

73

/74/

72

/10/

100

/8/

72

/4/

Follow Stanley Tucci as he returns to Italy for more food-based adventures, seeking out the essence of each region and its people through the food they eat.

77

7.7

/10422/

75

/686/

75

/58/

3.7

/14971/

100

/8/

60

age 15+

Featuring rare footage and interviews with CIA insiders, this edge-of-your-seat documentary series traces the epic hunt for Osama bin Laden.

75

52

8.0

/1968/

76

/169/

79

/16/

3.7

/346/

80

/5/

59

/4/

Best friends Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman gear up for their fourth Long Way series—this time going from Ewan's home in Scotland to Charley's in England. They'll take the scenic route, of course, through 17 European countries on cranky old bikes.

74

?

7.2

/490/

60

/34/

65

/4/

3.6

/426/

100

/7/

age 10+

This is a documentary about being murdered by your lover, getting lost in Mexico, finding a unicorn, a competitive quilter, Tracy Morgan, and exploring our connection with a possible alien. In other words, it's a documentary about the octopus. Narrated by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

68

?

7.3

/241/

65

/16/

66

/5/

A fearless warrior and ruthless conqueror, Genghis Khan’s epic rise and the Mongolian Empire’s incredible expansion are brought to thrilling life in this six-part series. Drawing on a new translation of “The Secret History of the Mongols,” the series reveals stunning insights into the life and many battles of the legendary ruler known widely as Genghis Khan.

81

57

7.9

/2683/

76

/147/

70

/17/

4.0

/1674/

100

/5/

age 15+

This thought-provoking documentary series examines the harrowing consequences of the Vietnam War, from the Gulf of Tonkin incident to the fall of Saigon.

74

?

7.6

/453/

65

/55/

70

/4/

83

/6/

80

/4/

age 13+

The Emmy-nominated series celebrates four culinary giants — Jamie Oliver, José Andrés, Alice Waters and Thomas Keller — who changed how the world eats.

72

?

8.6

/297/

74

/11/

56

/3/

Nothing is off limits as a group of autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled interviewers ask the questions.

68

43

7.0

/2067/

67

/131/

68

/18/

3.4

/848/

67

/6/

This stranger-than-fiction crime caper follows the attempted robbery of a precious gem, told by the gangsters who did it and the police on their tail.

72

?

7.5

/473/

73

/31/

68

/4/

3.6

/387/

Discover the shadowy world of political donations and fundraising 15 years after the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizen’s United case, which enabled unlimited spending by hidden sources on many political campaigns.

75

?

7.5

/254/

64

/16/

87

/3/