Mandemænd

Documentary

Glittering facades, vibrant life, and people facing the daily struggle for survival. ZDF correspondents each profile a megacity within their reporting area. How do people celebrate, laugh, and love in such a city? How are problems like housing shortages, food supply, transportation, and climate change solved – in metropolises with over ten million inhabitants?

Documentary

China: The Making of a Nation is the story of the painful transformation of the vast Qing Empire into the Chinese nation after the 1911 revolution. Spanning more than a century up to the Xi Jinping era, the story pits the two pivotal leaders of this transformation against each other: Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Republic of China for 47 years, and Mao Zedong, who rose from ‘red bandit’ to master of the mainland in 1949. Sworn enemies, they fought a merciless battle: first military, then diplomatic, and finally, beyond their deaths, in the conflicting memories of the Taiwanese and the Chinese of the People's Republic. Beyond their fierce hatred, the two tyrants also had much in common: a certain vision of Chinese territory and the greatness of China, the desire to regain the country's sovereignty and the quest for a Chinese identity in a nation that also includes Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols... and a certain ability to rewrite history.

Documentary

Artist Sir Grayson Perry visits Silicon Valley to explore how AI and robotics will shape the future, in a series that raises profound questions about what it is to be human.

Documentary

A two part film series exploring the struggles, strength & healing of Black men. “My Vulnerability is NOT weakness.”

Documentary

In beautifully crafted episodes, presenter Ben Fogle embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to understand China - to see its most staggering sights, go beyond the stereotypes and discover its true identity. Ben delves into an epic 3000-year tale of how China has got to where it is today - how centuries of Imperial rule gave way to Communist revolution under Chairman Mao and the breakneck economic transformation as the state capitalist China of recent years has emerged. Mixing both the experiences from the people themselves, and a tour of this magnificent region Ben takes the temperature of a country now at the very centre of humanity in the 21st century. So why and how has contemporary China become so important to all our lives?

Documentary · Mystery

Soon after his birth-mother contacted him for the first time, Gary L. Stewart decided to search for his biological father. His disturbing identity would force Stewart to reconsider everything he thought he knew about himself.

Documentary

The journey through Ireland begins in the Rugged North, in the middle of the rough and untamed nature. From there, we travel to the West of Ireland, where the original, traditional life is preserved. From the traditional west, our route takes us to the popular south, with a milder climate and lush vegetation. Our journey ends in the lively East, where the contrast between today and the past is not only palpable, but also visible. On our journey we meet people who would never leave their homeland despite the harsh living conditions, we wander through spectacular landscapes, get an insight into the traditional ways of life and experience the four sides of Ireland in a completely new way.

Documentary

For the 1994 World Cup, Germany entered as the favorite and defending champion, but was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Internal conflicts, media campaigns, and public criticism of coach Berti Vogts led the so-called "eleven friends" – players like Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann, Stefan Effenberg, Bodo Illgner, and Matthias Sammer – to maneuver themselves into a collective nightmare within just a few weeks. This documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at Germany’s memorable World Cup and shows how one of the strongest German teams of all time spectacularly failed.

Documentary

National identity, social class, inequality. David Olusoga shines a light on our fractured modern society through the lens of the past, exposing the fault lines dividing the UK.

Documentary

In celebration of the biggest movie release of this summer - Christopher Nolans' The Odyssey, Richard E. Grant recreates the route of Odysseus' 20-year voyage, travelling to Malta, Sicily, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey, Corfu and Ithaca, exploring the ancient worlds and modern places which formed the inspiration for Homer’s masterpiece.

Documentary

Artist and social commentator Grayson Perry crosses the US, exploring its biggest fault lines, from race to class and identity, making art as he goes

War & Politics · Documentary

Prize-winning journalist Feurat Alani gives his personal perspective on global current affairs, including his own experiences of reporting on the ground. Animated by Ulysse Gry.

Documentary · Reality

What do we need to live a happy life? Follow Ronja von Rönne, author and self-proclaimed sceptic, as she explores this age-old question by meeting people with fascinating or surprising answers. A unique insight into the different mindsets and strategies that people employ to find happiness.

Documentary · Crime

Extraordinary stories of romance fraud, exposing the lies and jaw-dropping scams of heartless manipulators; and the fight to bring them to justice.

Documentary

Grand boulevards are monumental witnesses to history. Their architectural splendour has endured for centuries, while they have remained stages for political and cultural change. Home to government buildings and renowned cultural institutions, they are also vital public spaces for residents and major attractions for tourists. Today, however, these iconic boulevards face global challenges. Luxury brands, international property companies, climate-neutral urban planning and changing patterns of use are reshaping their future. The challenge is to preserve historic façades and cultural identity while adapting to new needs. Traffic, urban transformation, housing and workplaces must be carefully balanced.

Documentary

Sandi Toksvig will trace the footsteps of literary giants, including Seamus Heaney, James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, C.S. Lewis, as well as contemporary greats. Her journey will examine how Ireland’s landscapes and culture helped shape their work. Along the way, she will meet contemporary writers, poets and performers to explore how Ireland’s storytelling traditions continue to thrive and evolve.

Documentary

Where do we come from? Why do we suffer in life? And how do we deal with the deaths of those we love? This documentary series explores humanity’s oldest questions and presents faith not as something distant or a thing of the past, but as a force that continues to shape our world to this day.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Drama

One gunshot, one death, one moment out of time that irrevocably links eight minds in disparate parts of the world, putting them in each other's lives, each other's secrets, and in terrible danger. Ordinary people suddenly reborn as "Sensates."

Documentary

An in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.

Documentary

Motoring programme featuring reviews of and reports about cars of all types.

Documentary

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

Documentary

Explores the experiences of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who were both befriended and sexually abused by singer Michael Jackson, and the complicated feelings that led them both to confront their experiences.

Documentary

Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.

Documentary

Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.

Documentary

A celebration of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s iconic careers and decades-long partnership. Director Ethan Hawke brings life and color to this definitive history of their love, lives, and philanthropy.

Documentary

This compelling series investigates the motives and m.o. of female murderers. While males are often driven by anger, impulse and destruction, women usually have more complex, long-term reasons to kill.

Documentary

Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.

Documentary

A look at the life of Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, who opens her personal archives and reflects on a career in which she has sold 80 million records and reinvented herself, and by extension pop, several times. Home movies, personal photographs and new interviews reveal the picture, as Kylie addresses how she’s faced public scrutiny, personal loss and illness.

Documentary

An insider's look at the engineering and scientific miracles behind the things that form the modern world.

Documentary

Explore the history of the American LGBTQ movement through the lens of TV in this five-part docuseries. Combining archival footage with new interviews, the series looks at homophobia, the evolution of LGBTQ characters, and coming out in the TV world.

Documentary

30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN

Documentary

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

Documentary

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

Documentary

Oscar and Grammy Award-winning producer and artist Mark Ronson explores the intersection of technology and musical innovation with his heroes and fellow hitmakers – including Paul McCartney, DJ Premier, Charli XCX, Dave Grohl, and Questlove.

Documentary

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

Documentary

Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment. Dive into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view—past and present—as Martin reflects on how his beginnings led to his unexpectedly fulfilling life today.

Documentary · Crime

Through bodycam footage, texts and interviews with loved ones, this documentary investigates the horrifying murder of four University of Idaho students.

Documentary

Come one, come all to The Circus. This real-time documentary series pulls back the curtain on the current political stories, revealing the intense, inspiring and infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events are presented in real time, as they are happening.