Travel documentaries
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.
Secrets of South America
A fascinating and occasionally disturbing look at the pressures felt by young people in South America today.
Traveling across Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, reporter Billie JD Porter delves into the darker side of life on the continent in this documentary about South America, where beauty and sex are obsessions and teens will go to extreme lengths to get the perfect body or try to exude the perfect life.
This show is not currently available on BBC Select but see below to browse through more global affairs documentaries available to stream on BBC Select.
Secrets of China
How can a country considered one of the most powerful on the planet, with the world’s largest population, still be so unknown? We all have ideas about life in China, but what really goes on there?
Documentary filmmaker Billie JD Porter finds out what’s it like to grow up in the state and what happens if you challenge the status quo. Love and liberty in modern China are investigated in this eye-opening documentary.
This show is not currently available on BBC Select but see below to browse through more global affairs documentaries available to stream on BBC Select.
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.
Joanna Lumley’s Britain
Joanna Lumley heads home to take you on an epic tour of Great Britain, inspired by her own personal history. Explore Joanna Lumley’s home sweet home and discover the beauty of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in this entertaining travel show.