Popular Documentary TV Shows 2017 | Top Documentary TV Series from ChiliMovie.com

Ancient Aliens (2010)
Documentary, Mystery,
Ancient Aliens is an American television series that premiered on April 20, 2010 on the History channel. Produced by Prometheus Entertainment, the program presents hypotheses of ancient astronauts and proposes that historical texts, archaeology and legends contain evidence of past human-extraterrestrial contact. The show has been criticized for presenting pseudoscience and pseudohistory. The series' de facto pilot was a TV special of the same name that aired on March 8, 2009. The second season began on October 28, 2010, and the third season began airing July 28, 2011. Season four premiered on February 17, 2012 but on H2 instead of the History channel. In June 2012, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos announced on Coast to Coast AM that the series has been renewed for a fifth season. Season 5 premiered on December 21, 2012.
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Ancient Aliens

VICE (2013)
Documentary, News,
Vice is a documentary TV-series created and hosted by Shane Smith of Vice magazine. Produced by Bill Maher, it uses CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria as a consultant, and covers topics such as political assassinations, young weapons manufacturers, and child suicide bombers using an immersionist style of documentary filmmaking. It aired on HBO in April 2013. Rolling Stone wrote that the show "feels a little like your buddy from the bar just happened to be wandering through eastern Afghanistan with a camera crew."
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VICE

Mayday (2003)
Drama, Documentary,
Revealing the dark truth that aviation safety improves one crash at a time, Mayday investigates legendary aviation disasters to find out what went wrong and why. Based on cockpit voice recorders, accident reports and eyewitness accounts, every episode also features interviews, state-of-the-art CGI and gripping reenactments.
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Mayday

Top Gear (2002)
Comedy, Documentary,
Top Gear is a British television show about motor vehicles, primarily cars, and is the world's most widely watched factual television programme. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous and sometimes controversial style. The show is currently presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, and has featured at least three different test drivers known as The Stig.
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Top Gear

The Sheriffs are Coming (2012)
Documentary,
A look at the work of high court enforcement officers, also known as sheriffs, as they strive to retrieve cash for members of the public that are owed money
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The Sheriffs are Coming

The Grand Tour (2016)
Comedy, Documentary,
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are back with a show about adventure, excitement and friendship... as long as you accept that the people you call friends are also the ones you find extremely annoying. Sometimes it's even a show about cars. Follow them on their global adventure.
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The Grand Tour

Austin City Limits (1975)
Documentary,
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States. The show helped Austin to become widely known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," and is the only television show to receive the National Medal of Arts, which it was awarded in 2003. Initially created to celebrate the music of Texas—featuring western swing, Texas blues, Tejano music, progressive country, and rock n' roll—the series has gone on to feature regional, national and international artists performing a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, alternative country, alternative rock, folk music, and jam band. The show inspired the creation of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual live music festival at Zilker Park in Austin.
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Austin City Limits

Australian Story (1996)
Documentary, News,
Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television. Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations. Examples include Hazel Hawke, rugby league coach Wayne Bennett, Australia's first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard, comedian & broadcaster Red Symons, actor and author William McInnes, former Governor-General Peter Hollingworth, fashion designers Sass & Bide, art-activist Van Rudd, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and actress and singer Belinda Emmett. Lower profile Australians have also been profiled, such as Sabina Wolanski who was the Holocaust survivor chosen to represent the six million dead at the opening of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. There is no reporter narration – the stories are 'told' by the profile subjects and other individuals such as friends, family, colleagues and critics. The program aims to present a varied and contrasting picture of contemporary Australia and Australians, both known and unknown. But on the whole, the personal approach to story-telling has been very well received with the program winning many professional awards including seven Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism and four consecutive Logie Awards.
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Australian Story

NOVA (1974)
Documentary,
NOVA is a United States popular science television series produced by WGBH Boston. It is broadcast on Public Broadcasting Service in the U.S., and in more than 100 other countries. The series has won many major television awards. Nova often includes interviews with scientists doing research in the subject areas covered and occasionally includes footage of a particular discovery. Some episodes have focused on the history of science. Examples of topics covered include the following: Colditz Castle, Drake equation, elementary particles, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Fermat's Last Theorem, global warming, moissanite, Project Jennifer, storm chasing, Unterseeboot 869, Vinland, and the Tarim mummies. The Nova programs have been praised for their good pacing, clear writing, and crisp editing. Websites accompany the segments and have also won awards.
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NOVA

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010)
Documentary,
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is an American reality television series on Bravo that debuted on October 14, 2010. It is the sixth installment in the network's The Real Housewives franchise.
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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Life Below Zero (2013)
Documentary, Reality,
When bears, wolves and foxes are your only neighbors, life can be pretty lonely. Add minus-60-degree days and a constant battle for the most basic necessities, and you have the daily challenges of people who live in remote corners of Alaska. This series takes viewers deep into an Alaskan winter to meet six tough and resilient residents as they try to stay one step ahead of storms and man-eating beasts to make it through to spring. The closest neighbor to Sue Aikens is more than 300 miles away. Eric Salitan subsists solely on what he hunts and forages. Chip and Agnes Hailstone catch fish for currency in bartering for supplies, and Andy and Kate Bassich use their pack of sled dogs for transportation.
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Life Below Zero

Ghost Adventures (2008)
Documentary, Mystery, Reality,
Paranormal investigator Zak Bagans and his crew, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin, search for haunted locations both domestically and internationally. During their investigations, Zak and crew acquaint themselves with the general area; interview locals about the hauntings; and go face-to-face with the evil spirits who reportedly haunt these locations.
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Ghost Adventures

Adam Ruins Everything (2015)
Comedy, Documentary,
Host Adam Conover employs a combination of comedy, history and science to dispel widespread misconceptions about everything we take for granted.
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Adam Ruins Everything

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Comedy, Documentary,
MythBusters is a science entertainment television program created and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The show's hosts, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, use elements of the scientific method to test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages, Internet videos, and news stories.
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Once Upon a Time in Mexico

60 Days In (2016)
Documentary, Reality,
An unprecedented look at life behind bars at Indiana's Clark County Jail as seven innocent volunteers are sent to live among its general population for 60 days without officers, fellow inmates, or staff knowing their secret.
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60 Days In

Teen Mom (2009)
Documentary, Reality,
Teen Mom is an American reality television series which aired from December 8, 2009, until August 28, 2012, on MTV. It follows the lives of four girls from the first season of 16 and Pregnant as they navigate their first years of motherhood. The series also focuses on the themes of their changing relationships between family, friends, and boys, while highlighting the struggles teenage mothers have to go through to raise their children. The series aired a total of four seasons. The pilot episode was the network's highest-rated premiere in over a year, with 2.1 million total viewers; the record was surpassed by the controversial series Skins, which had 3.26 million viewers. The first season finale brought in 3.6 million viewers. The second season finale pulled in over 5.6 million viewers, at which time a spin-off Teen Mom 2 was announced for January 11, 2011. The third season premiered on July 5, 2011, and the final season premiered on June 12, 2012.
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Teen Mom

Wheeler Dealers (2003)
Documentary,
Wheeler Dealers is a British television series produced by Attaboy TV for the Discovery Channel, fronted by Mike Brewer and mechanic Edd China. The premise of the show is that Brewer and China are on a mission to save repairable enthusiast vehicles, by repairing or otherwise improving an example of a particular make and model to a budget, then selling it to a new owner. While Edd spends large amounts of time repairing each car, that time is not included in the final cost of the repairs. There have so far been ten series of the programme and three different theme tunes have been used; the current one being Balaclava by The Wideboys. The previous theme was from V-The Production Library by Music 4. Series 1 originally aired in 2003. The second half of Series 6 was aired in Autumn of 2009 on Discovery Real Time. Series 5 was renamed to Wheeler Dealers: On the Road; in this series Mike and Edd expanded their car search by heading out into Europe hoping to find classic cars to buy and restore. Beginning with part 2 of Series 8, Mike further expanded their horizon by touring the United States. In April 2013, a spin-off series titled Wheeler Dealers Trading Up was launched. This series has Mike traveling around the world to buy and sell used cars in different countries on a set budget.
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Wheeler Dealers

Frontline (1983)
Documentary, News,
Frontline is a public affairs television program that produces and broadcasts in-depth documentaries about various subjects. Produced at WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts and distributed through the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, the program has been critically acclaimed and received numerous awards. Some programs are made by independent filmmakers and broadcast as part of the Frontline series. Since the series debut, there have been more than 500 films broadcast. Although primarily seen through television, the program shows a large portion of their shows in interactive webcasts on their main website.
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Frontline

Escaping Polygamy (2014)
Documentary, Reality,
LMN presents “Escaping Polygamy,” a new original documentary series that follows the work of three sisters who left the Kingston clan, a secretive polygamist group based in Salt Lake City, Utah known as the Order, as they help both loved ones and strangers break free of polygamy. The series follows three sisters – Andrea, Jessica and Shanell – who, over 10 years ago, bravely escaped polygamy. Now, their mission in life is to help other young men, women and children escape the abusive polygamous lifestyle into which they were born and raised, and manage their new lives on the outside.
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Escaping Polygamy

Below Deck Mediterranean (2016)
Documentary, Reality,
The series follows nine crew members living and working aboard a 150’ mega-yacht as it undertakes a new charter season in the Mediterranean. Providing unparalleled service to wealthy and uncompromising guests is made even more difficult as the team faces everything from love triangles to seeing fellow crew members shockingly cross the line with guests. Voyaging from Santorini, Mykonos and many of the Greek islands, each episode features a new group of elite clientele who present a new set of challenges, all while offering the crew a glamorous lifestyle and exotic perks that most people only dream of experiencing. For these young, attractive and adventurous yachties, the “work hard, play harder” nature of the job combined with the pressure of working in the most exclusive yachting scene in the world pushes the team close to the breaking point.
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Below Deck Mediterranean

Bering Sea Gold (2012)
Documentary,
In the frontier town of Nome, Alaska, there’s a gold rush on. But you've never seen gold mining like this before — here, the precious metal isn't found in the ground. It’s sitting in the most unlikely of places: the bottom of the frigid, unpredictable Bering Sea. And there are a handful of people willing to risk it all to bring it to the surface.
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Bering Sea Gold

30 for 30 (2009)
Documentary,
30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN and its sister networks and online properties. The series, which highlights people and events in the sports world that have generally received small amounts of attention, has featured two "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.
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30 for 30

Homicide Hunter: Lt Joe Kenda (2011)
Documentary, Reality,
Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda is an American documentary television series showcasing the career of retired Colorado Springs police detective Joseph Kenda. In each episode, Kenda recounts a murder investigation on which he worked, going from the 911 call to the final resolution of the case. Through re-enactments, discussions with investigation teams, and interviews with victims' families and other involved persons, the show highlights Kenda's successes with his 400 homicide case history and 92 percent solution rate.
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Homicide Hunter: Lt Joe Kenda

American Masters (1986)
Documentary, News,
American Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on artists, actors and writers of the United States who have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City. The show debuted on PBS in 1986. Groups or organizations featured include: Actors Studio, Algonquin Round Table, Group Theatre, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Women of Tin Pan Alley, Negro Ensemble Company, Juilliard School, the Beat Generation, The Singer-songwriters of the 1970s, Sun Records, Vaudeville, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
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American Masters

How the Universe Works (2010)
Documentary,
A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.
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How the Universe Works

Most Haunted (2002)
Documentary, Mystery,
Most Haunted is a British paranormal mystery documentary reality television series. The series was first shown on 25 May, 2002 and ended on 21 July, 2010. Led by Yvette Fielding, the programme investigated purported paranormal activity in many locations in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and other countries. It was produced by Antix Productions and broadcast on the satellite and cable channels Living TV, Livingit, and Channel One. In the United States it was broadcast on the Travel Channel.
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Most Haunted

Planet Earth (2006)
Documentary,
David Attenborough celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.
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Planet Earth

Expedition Unknown (2015)
Documentary,
Expedition Unknown chronicles the adventures of Josh Gates as he investigates iconic mysteries across the globe. Gates begins by interviewing key eyewitnesses and uncovering recent developments in the story, then springboards into a fully immersive exploration. This authentic, roughshod adventure leads Gates closer to the truth behind these unanswered global enigmas, such as the disappearance of Amelia Earhart’s plane. Josh Gates is an adventurer and avid explorer with a unique brand of humor and passion for off-the-map excursions.
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Expedition Unknown

Intervention (2005)
Documentary,
Intervention is an American television reality show dealing with the struggles faced by many different kinds of addicts. Each episode follows one or two participants, each of whom has a substance dependence or other mentally and/or physically damaging problem. The subjects believe they are being filmed for a documentary on their problem, but their situations are actually being documented in anticipation of an intervention by family and/or friends. During the intervention, each participant is given an ultimatum: go into rehabilitation immediately, or risk losing contact, income, or other privileges from the loved ones who instigated the intervention. Often, other tactics are used to persuade the addicted person into treatment, which vary depending on the situation; some of these include threats to invoke outstanding arrest warrants, applying for custody of the addict's children, foreclosing on the addict's property, and break-up of marriages or other relationships. The producers usually follow up months later to monitor the addicted person's progress and film it for "follow-up" episodes of the series or for shorter "web updates" available on the show's website. On May 24, 2013, A&E announced that they were cancelling the show with the remaining episodes to begin airing in June 2013. The series finale aired on July 18th, 2013—the episode concluded with reflections from past addicts and a thank you from the producers to the interventionists, family members, treatment centers, and addicts themselves.
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Intervention

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013)
Documentary,
Bourdain travels the across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain takes viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and meets with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communes with an internationally lauded chef on his journeys.
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Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away! (2014)
Documentary,
Camera follow teams of High Court Enforcement Agents, dealing with the execution of High Court Writs.
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Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!

American Experience (1988)
Documentary, News,
American Experience is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service Public television stations in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American history. A trademark of the series is its ability to take lesser-known events in history, such as the history of Coney Island or Tupperware, and expand on the topic, showing how that event reflected larger, more important themes in American culture or society. The series premiered on October 4, 1988, and was originally titled The American Experience, although the "The" was dropped during a later brand and image update. The show has had a presence on the Internet since 1995, and more than 100 American Experience programs are accompanied by their own websites, which have more background information on the subjects covered as well as teachers' guides. The show is produced primarily by WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, though occasionally in the early seasons of the show, it was co-produced by other PBS stations such as WNET in New York and KCET in Los Angeles. The documentaries are extensively researched, often taking years to complete. Some programs now considered part of the American Experience collection were produced prior to the creation of the series. Vietnam: A Television History was one of them, airing in 1983 after taking six years to assemble. Also, in 2006, American Experience rebroadcast Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, the first half of the award-winning 1986 documentary about the African American civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s.
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American Experience

Gold Rush (2011)
Documentary, Reality,
Gold Rush follows three teams of miners who risk everything in the face of an economic meltdown - their families, their dignity, and in some cases, their lives - to strike it rich mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska and the Yukon Territory.
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Gold Rush

Horizon (1964)
Documentary,
Horizon is a current and long-running BBC popular science and philosophy documentary programme.
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Horizon

Cyberwar (2016)
Documentary,
Ben Makuch travels the world to meet with hackers, government officials, and dissidents to investigate the ecosystem of cyberwarfare.
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Cyberwar

Booze Traveler (2014)
Documentary, Reality,
Actor/adventurer Jack Maxwell learned a lot working in South Boston bars, and one lesson stood out: Enjoy a couple of drinks with a stranger, and the whole world opens up. Those experiences inspired "Booze Traveler," which follows Maxwell to various countries to quench his curiosity about what people drink, why, and the tales it prompts. In Armenia, Belize, Lithuania, Mongolia, Nepal and elsewhere, Maxwell learns its intoxicating traditions, meets with locals, joins in activities, and even helps with the alcohol-making process. He finds a unique drink, makes friends and shares stories in each spot.
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Booze Traveler

Independent Lens (1999)
Drama, Documentary,
Airing weekly on Monday nights on PBS through ITVS, the Emmy Award-winning, Oscar-nominated series Independent Lens introduces new documentary films made by independent filmmakers like Eugene Jarecki, Kirby Dick, Connie Field, and Frederick Wiseman. Past seasons of Independent Lens have been presented by hosts Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Howard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, America Ferrera, and Mary-Louise Parker. Stanley Tucci is returning for his second stint as host for the 2013-2014 season. The series began in 1999 and for three years aired 10 episodes each fall season. In 2002, PBS announced that in 2003 the series would relaunch and expand to 29 primetime episodes a year. The 2013-2014 season is regarded as the 12th season for the series. Independent Lens has won six Primetime Emmy Awards and 16 films have won News & Documentary Emmy Awards. In 2012, "Have You Heard From Johannesburg?" won for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking; in 2007, A Lion in the House won for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking; and A Lion's Trail won in 2006 for Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Programming. Three other films won for Best Documentary: Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life in 2008, Be Good, Smile Pretty in 2004, and Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle in 2000. As well, five Independent Lens films garnered Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, The Weather Underground, Waste Land, Hell and Back Again, and How to Survive a Plague. Other awards conferred upon Independent Lens films include the George Foster Peabody Award, International Documentary Association Documentary Awards, Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, and Sundance Film Festival Awards.
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Independent Lens

Web of Lies (2014)
Documentary,
In the online world, you never really know who you're talking to. This series reveals stories of deception and homicide triggered by online interactions. From the black widow wives hiding behind alter-egos to jilted lovers stalking their exes, from obsessive lovers enacting their disturbing fantasies to shocking tales of kidnap, violence and deception - each episode follows stories with jaw-dropping twists and turns as the web of lies is revealed.
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Web of Lies

24 Hours in A&E (2011)
Documentary,
24 Hours in A&E is a British medical documentary set in King's College Hospital. 91 cameras filmed round the clock for 28 days, 24 hours a day in A&E it offers unprecedented access to one of Britain's busiest A&E departments.
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24 Hours in A&E

Hate Thy Neighbor (2017)
Documentary,
With the far-right on the rise around the world, comedian Jamali Maddix goes on a tour to confront groups spreading hate across the world.
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Hate Thy Neighbor

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