Travel documentaries
Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon
Bhutan, the beautiful land-locked nation in the Eastern Himalayas, has always been steeped in mystery.
In this revealing BBC travel documentary, Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley retraces the steps her grandparents took in the country 60 years before. Through her eyes, a world that challenges accepted ideas of wealth and happiness is explored.
But what family secrets will Joanna uncover?
Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World
Join Joanna Lumley in this enjoyable 3-part travel series as she explores Berlin, Paris and Rome and discovers cities full of culture and intrigue.
From the Notre-Dame to Trevi Fountain and Sistine Chapel, Joanna visits the famous landmarks but also meets the people that make these incredible cities what they are today. There’s a photographer who captured life in Soviet-controlled East Berlin, a holocaust survivor, a former refugee who became an inner-city beekeeper and Rome’s famous paparazzo.
The Art of Gothic
This BBC Select art history documentary spends some time down in the dungeon as it delves into the world of the Gothic.
Acclaimed art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how a group of 19th-century architects and artists spurned the modern age and turned to Britain’s medieval past to create iconic works and buildings with a distinctly creepy edge.
But what attracted them to the dark side?
The Silk Road
Covering 5,000 miles, passing through 13 countries and crossing some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet, this is the fascinating story of the lucrative trade route which changed the course of civilization forever.
In this extraordinary BBC Silk Road documentary series, Dr Sam Willis explores how the fortunes, ideas and history of the West were shaped and exchanged by travelers from the East.
Cuba With Simon Reeve
Cuba was once considered America’s glamorous playground, brimming with nightclubs and fun. The communist revolution changed its personality. But in recent years, more economic freedoms have been allowed.
In this BBC travel documentary, adventurer and journalist Simon Reeve meets Cuban entrepreneurs opening new businesses and attempting to thrive while the remnants of the totalitarian communist state remains.