New to BBC Select
This Summer

Featured this week:
The Art of Architecture

Created by British architect David Adjaye, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC presented a complicated brief. The building needed to be sympathetic to both the historic structures surrounding it and the often harrowing struggle of African Americans and the horrors of slavery. How could the building’s architecture reflect that story? Watch on BBC Select as this arts documentary charts Adjaye’s creative journey.

BBC Select - Summer banner

This summer BBC Select is bringing you a host of new shows, many premiering in the US and Canada. Exploring everything from art and travel to history and science, BBC Select is home to hundreds of hours of critically acclaimed titles and award-winning documentaries.

Start your free trial today

BBC Select is available on Amazon Prime Video Channels and the Apple TV app for only $6.99 a month. Start your free 30-day trial today to enjoy BBC Select on Smart TVs, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. Restrictions apply*.

Here’s the full range of documentaries coming to BBC Select this summer:

Premiering July 1

Art of America

Andrew Graham-Dixon tries to reach the heart of America through its art and artists.

Stream The Black American Fight for Freedom on BBC Select

The Black American Fight for Freedom

America. The land of the free? Or a racist system built on inequality?

The Wheelchair President

How did the physical and emotional issues facing FDR shape his approach to WWII?

Art of America

Andrew Graham-Dixon tries to reach the heart of America through its art and artists.

Stream The Black American Fight for Freedom on BBC Select

The Black American Fight for Freedom

America. The land of the free? Or a racist system built on inequality?

The Wheelchair President

How did the physical and emotional issues facing FDR shape his approach to WWII?

Premiering July 8

Stream Africa with Ade Adepitan on BBC Select

Africa with Ade Adepitan

It’s Africa, but not as you know it. Ade Adepitan explores a constantly evolving land.

The Man Who Shot Beautiful Women

Why is Erwin Blumenfeld, whose vision helped to shape modern photography, forgotten today?

Stream The Persians - A History of Iran on BBC Select

The Persians: A History of Iran

How was the world’s first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?

Stream Africa with Ade Adepitan on BBC Select

Africa with Ade Adepitan

It’s Africa, but not as you know it. Ade Adepitan explores a constantly evolving land.

The Man Who Shot Beautiful Women

Why is Erwin Blumenfeld, whose vision helped to shape modern photography, forgotten today?

Stream The Persians - A History of Iran on BBC Select

The Persians: A History of Iran

How was the world’s first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?

Premiering July 15

Stream Secret Cities on BBC Select

Secret Cities

How much can the artistic history of a great city tell us about its character?

The Super-Rich and Us

How did the super-rich become super-rich, and what effect does their wealth have on us?

Inside The American Embassy

Trump era diplomacy is revealed as the doors are opened at the American Embassy in London.

Stream Secret Cities on BBC Select

Secret Cities

How much can the artistic history of a great city tell us about its character?

The Super-Rich and Us

How did the super-rich become super-rich, and what effect does their wealth have on us?

Inside The American Embassy

Trump era diplomacy is revealed as the doors are opened at the American Embassy in London.

Premiering July 22

Stream A Year in Tibet on BBC Select

A Year in Tibet

What is daily life like in one of the remotest, and mysterious, places on the planet?

Danceworks

How do you create dance? Go behind the scenes of leading dance companies to find out.

Stream Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness on BBC Select

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness

Can the thoughts and ideas of history’s greatest thinkers help in our day to day lives?

Stream Story Of Maths on BBC Select

The Story Of Maths

It’s not just a numbers game. In what ways has math completely changed our world?

Stream Stacey Dooley Investigates - Beaten by my Boyfriend

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Beaten by My Boyfriend

Why are domestic abuse cases so prevalent? Stacey Dooley meets victims and abusers.

Premiering July 29

Lost Home Movies Of Nazi Germany

What was life really like within Nazi Germany? These amateur home movies reveal all.

Mars Uncovered: Ancient God of War

What can the ancient, immortal, Roman god Mars teach us about warfare in the modern age?

Bacchus Uncovered: Ancient God of Ecstasy

What does Bacchus, the ancient god of wine and excess, have in common with Jesus Christ?

Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love

Forget everything you thought you knew about the frequently nude, love goddess Venus.

Premiering August 5

Apples Pears And Paint: How To Make A Still Life Painting

What can still life images of ordinary objects tell us about the artists who created them?

Hyper Evolution: Rise Of The Robots

In the near future, will we be controlling robots or will the robots be controlling us?

The Impressionists

Who were the Impressionists and what fueled their desire to alter the direction of art?

Stream Meat: A Threat to Our Planet? on BBC Select

Meat: A Threat To Our Planet?

Is our love of eating meat swiftly destroying the planet? What can we do to fix it?

Stream Racism - A History on BBC Select

Racism: A History

Where did the notion of racism come from and how did such an abhorrent idea develop?

Premiering August 12

Stream Are You Scared Yet, Human? on BBC Select

Are You Scared Yet, Human?

Should we worry about the effect that Artificial Intelligence could have on our lives?

World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel

How influential was Stalin on the defeat of Hitler and eventual outcome of WWII?

Australia on Fire: Climate Emergency

Are the recent apocalyptic bushfires in Australia a vision of a climate change future?

Stream Crime & Punishment on BBC Select

Crime and Punishment

The disturbing true crime documentary series about the UK criminal justice system returns.

Watch A History of Chritianity on BBC Select

A History of Christianity

Where did Christianity originate and how did the religion develop and take hold globally?

Vincent: The Full Story

What do we really know about Vincent van Gogh, arguably the world’s most famous artist?

Stream Dark Son - Hunt for a Serial Killer on BBC Select

Dark Son: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

The fascinating story of the biggest unsolved serial murder in British criminal history.

Premiering August 19

The Art Mysteries

Think you know these works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Seurat? Think again.

Stream The Art of Architecture on BBC Select

The Art of Architecture

What does it take to plan and build some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring structures?

Inside The EU: The Mad World of Brexit

Go behind the scenes of the European Parliament during the tumultuous time of Brexit.

Watch Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard on BBC Select

Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard

World renowned historian, Mary Beard, is back to shatter myths about the Roman Empire.

Premiering August 26

The Joy Of Chance

Can the study of probability help us to avoid getting wet or even live longer lives?

The Joy Of Logic

A sharp, witty and exuberant foray into the world of logic with Professor Dave Cliff.

The Joy Of Stats

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the wonderful world of statistics.

The Joy Of Chance

Can the study of probability help us to avoid getting wet or even live longer lives?

The Joy Of Logic

A sharp, witty and exuberant foray into the world of logic with Professor Dave Cliff.

The Joy Of Stats

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the wonderful world of statistics.

Collections

3rd October 2023

Natural History Launch

Read more

3rd August 2023

Documentaries From Down Under

Read more

12th April 2023

Mauripol Peabody Nomination

Read more

See more