#1. Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (1980–)
Carl Sagan covers a wide range of scientific subjects, including the origin of life and a perspective of our place in the universe.
📺 TV Series Guide
Top Documentary Series Under 60 Mins / Episode
Looking for quick, bite-sized episodes? Discover the top-rated Documentary TV shows with episodes under 60 minutes.
#2. Blue Planet II (2017–)
There is nowhere more powerful and unforgiving yet more beautiful and compelling than the ocean. Join us and explore the greatest yet least known parts of our planet.
#3. Planet Earth II (2016–)
David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.
#4. Planet Earth (2006–)
David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.
#5. Our Planet (2019–)
Experience our planet's natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope.
#6. Cosmos (2014–)
Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson provides clarity for the vision of the cosmos as he voyages across the universe with never-before-told stories that delve into the scientific concepts of the laws of gravity and the origins of space and time.
#7. Seven Worlds, One Planet (2019–)
Millions of years ago, incredible forces ripped apart the Earth’s crust creating seven extraordinary continents. This documentary series reveals how each distinct continent has shaped the unique animal life found there.
#8. Be Eternal: Champions of America (2022–)
This series takes an unprecedented closeup look at Lionel Messi and the Argentine team's battle to break a 28-year title drought in 2021's Copa América.
#9. The Century of the Self (2002–)
The legacy of famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud informs the lives of people throughout the world even to this day, though it's a phenomenon to which most are unaware. The film is an exhaustive examination of his theories on human desire, and how they're applied to platforms such as advertising, consumerism and politics.
#10. Life (2009–)
David Attenborough looks at the extraordinary ends to which animals and plants go in order to survive. Featuring epic spectacles, amazing TV firsts and examples of new wildlife behaviour.
#11. Frozen Planet (2011–)
David Attenborough travels to the end of the earth, taking viewers on an extraordinary journey across the polar regions of our planet.
#12. The Blue Planet (2001–)
Sir David Attenborough narrates this critically acclaimed series that dives deep into the marine environment of Planet Earth. Although two-thirds of the world's surface is covered with water, scientists know less about the oceans than they do about the surface of the moon. This limited series travels from various coasts to the poles to examine watery denizens ranging from the gigantic blue whale to microscopic coral polyps.
#13. The Beatles: Get Back (2021–)
The three-part documentary series, compiled from over 60 hours of unseen footage, captures the warmth, camaraderie, and creative genius that defined the legacy of music's most iconic foursome. The series also includes – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles' final performance at London's Savile Row.
#14. Apocalypse: The Second World War (2009–)
A six-part French documentary about the Second World War composed exclusively of actual footage of the war as filmed by war correspondents, soldiers, resistance fighters and private citizens. The series is shown in color, with the black and white footage being fully colorized, save for some original color footage. The only exception to the treatment are most Holocaust scenes, which are presented in the original black and white.
#15. Africa (2013–)
Africa, 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.