Shows on BBC Select

What can I watch on BBC Select? Stream new and old documentaries from the BBC and beyond, many available in the US for the first time. Browse below to see just some of the TV series and films available to stream.

Global affairs documentaries

Never backing away from the big talking points, BBC Select keeps you well versed in current global affairs with this selection of BBC news documentaries.

The Whistleblowers: Inside the UN

Does the United Nations punish whistleblowers and protect abusers to cover up the truth?

The Rise and Fall of the Super League

The rise and rapid fall of soccer’s European Super League

Ukraine Lessons from the Battlefield BBC

Ukraine: Lessons From the Battlefield

Understanding how the conflict in Ukraine may reshape both history and future conflict.

Watch Tareena: Return From ISIS on BBC Select

Tareena: Return From ISIS

The extraordinary story of Tareena Shakil, the first British woman to be jailed when returning from ISIS.

Elon Musk Superhero or Supervillain

Elon Musk – Superhero or Supervillain?

A look beyond the hype and headlines at the world’s richest man.

Trump The Comeback Documentary

Trump: The Comeback?

Could Donald Trump return to the White House in 2024?

War Crimes in Ukraine BBC

War in Ukraine: The Missing Men of Mucha

A powerful account of love in the face of terror

Leaving Afghanistan BBC

Leaving Afghanistan

Exploring attempts to end the war in Afghanistan

Ukraine Eurovision Documentary

Eurovision: Ukraine’s Victory

How war-torn Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest

Watch The Spy Who Fell to Earth on BBC Select

The Spy Who Fell to Earth

The incredible story of an Israeli double agent who died in mysterious circumstances.

Watch Poaching Wars with Tom Hardy on BBC Select

Poaching Wars with Tom Hardy

Actor Tom Hardy is in Africa to investigate the poaching of rhinos and elephants

Watch Drowning in Plastic documentary on BBC Select

Drowning in Plastic

By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. We must act now.

Stream House of Maxwell on BBC Select

House of Maxwell

How the Maxwells, from father Robert to daughter Ghislaine, became embroiled in scandal.

Stream The Hunt for Bin Laden on BBC Select

The Hunt for Bin Laden

How was Osama Bin Laden able to evade capture despite the intense efforts to find him?

Watch Clothes to Die For on BBC Select

Clothes to Die For

How much did our desire for fast fashion drive a tragic industrial accident in Bangladesh?

Gorbachev: The Man Who Changed the World

Cold War, Chernobyl and change. How did Mikhail Gorbachev herald a new era of politics?

Watch History's Deadliest Tsunami on BBC Select

History’s Deadliest Tsunami

How did the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami go undetected and why was it so devastating?

Watch Vladimir Putin's Russia on BBC Select

Putin’s Russia

Votes for Vladimir. Meeting Putin’s biggest fans.

Watch Zelensky: The Making of a President on BBC Select

Zelensky: The Making of a President

The transformation of Ukraine’s President Zelensky from comic to respected world leader.

Watch Civilization - Is the West History? on BBC Select

Civilization – Is the West History?

The West once ruled the world. But ‘the Rest’ caught up. Has its dominance had its day?

Watch Afghanistan: The British Lion’s Last Roar? on BBC Select

Afghanistan: The British Lion’s Last Roar?

Why did the British army’s attempts at defeating the Taliban go so disastrously wrong?

Stream What If Putin Goes Nuclear Documentary

What If Putin Goes Nuclear?

As Putin put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert, could he really push the button?

Putin’s War in Ukraine

Exploring the invasion of Ukraine, Putin’s motives and the world’s response.

Watch The Decade the Rich Won on BBC Select

The Decade the Rich Won

How did policies following the 2008 financial crisis make the rich even richer?

Watch Prince Andrew and the Epstein Scandal: The Newsnight Interview on BBC Select

Prince Andrew and The Epstein Scandal – The Newsnight Interview

In this candid interview, Andrew reveals his connection to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Watch The Man Putin Couldn't Kill documentary on BBC Select

The Man Putin Couldn’t Kill

Did Putin really try to kill a political rival with a plot involving poisoned underpants?

Stream the Prince and the Epstein Scandal on BBC Select

The Prince and The Epstein Scandal

As Prince Andrew steps back from the public eye, the victims of Jeffrey Epstein speak out

Stream House of Saud on BBC Select

House of Saud

Meet the prince pledging to change the world in the House of Saud

Watch North Korea: Voices from the Secret State on BBC Select

North Korea: Voices from the Secret State

The real lives of people trapped in the world’s most secretive state are finally exposed.

Stream Fake News - A True History on BBC Select

Fake News: A True History

Fake news isn’t new: an entertaining look at 200 years of lies and the media

Stream Putin: A Russian Spy Story on BBC Select

Putin – A Russian Spy Story

The story of the Russian President’s rise to power.

History documentaries

From the dawn of civilization to the emergence of modern-day superpowers, BBC Select hosts a wide-ranging collection of world history documentaries.

Watch Napoleon with BBC Select

Napoleon

The story of Napoleon

Watch D-Day with BBC Select

D-Day

Explore the story behind the biggest seaborne invasion in history.

Watch Armada: The Untold Story on BBC Select

Armada: The Untold Story

The fierce naval conflict between England and Spain that changed the face of Europe.

Watch Antiques Roadshow on BBC Select

Antiques Roadshow

What treasures will be found as antique experts appraise the public’s heirlooms?

Watch Christmas Carols with Lucy Worsley on BBC Select

Christmas Carols with Lucy Worsley

From pagan fertility rituals to World War I, the story of Christmas carols is surprising.

Stream Inside Balmoral with BBC Select

Inside Balmoral

An insight into a secluded royal retreat in the Scottish Highlands.

Watch Who Killed The Princes in the Tower? on BBC Select

Who Killed The Princes in the Tower?

Did King Richard III murder two princes to ruthlessly gain the crown of England?

100 Years of BBC News

How has BBC News and the world changed over 100 years?

Watch WWI: The Final Hours on BBC Select

WWI: The Final Hours

The secret negotiations that ended World War I and changed history

Watch War's Secret Shame: Shell Shock on BBC Select

War’s Secret Shame: Shell Shock

Using previously unseen archives the hidden story of WWI soldiers is told.

Stream The Quintinshill Rail Disaster on BBC Select

The Quintinshill Rail Disaster

Reinvestigating the deadliest rail crash in British history that killed over 200 people

Watch The Normans on BBC Select

The Normans

How the extraordinary ambition of the Normans transformed the history of Europe.

Return of the Black Death

Could 25 medieval skeletons help to eradicate the Bubonic plague?

Stream The Pity of War on BBC Select

The Pity of War

Britain’s decision to enter the First World War might have been a tragic miscalculation.

Magna Carta

David Starkey explores the origins of the Magna Carta

Watch Jack the Ripper The Case Reopened

Jack the Ripper – The Case Reopened

Casting a new light on the Jack the Ripper case

Stream Rome's Invisible City on BBC Select

Rome’s Invisible City

Venture beneath the streets of Rome to explore a hidden city seen by very few

Stream The Hector: Canada's Mayflower on BBC Select

The Hector: Canada’s Mayflower

The horrific story of migrants who left Scotland in 1773 to settle in Nova Scotia

Watch A Life In Ten Pictures: Muhammad Ali on BBC Select

A Life In Ten Pictures: Muhammad Ali

Ten photographs show a different side of boxer Muhammad Ali

Watch Moon Landing on BBC Select

Moon Landing

Relive the drama and danger of the mission to the moon in this thrilling documentary

Watch The Industrial Revolution on BBC Select

The Industrial Revolution

Unraveling the mysteries behind the Industrial Revolution in 19th century Britain

Watch Death Camp Treblinka on BBC Select

Death Camp Treblinka

Those who survived the Treblinka Nazi extermination camp tell their story

Watch Italy's Invisible Cities on BBC Select

Italy’s Invisible Cities

The hidden history of Italian city life is uncovered.

Watch Hiroshima: The Real History on BBC Select

Hiroshima: The Real History

It ended World War II, but at what cost? Hiroshima unraveled.

Stream BBC at War on BBC Select

BBC at War

This enthralling series asks, how much did World War II shape the personality of the BBC?

Watch 1945: The Savage Peace on BBC Select

1945: The Savage Peace

Cruelty towards Germans began to escalate after World War II.

Watch 100 Days to Victory on BBC Select

100 Days to Victory

How did the Allies turn the tide and win the First World War?

Watch Who Were The Greeks? with BBC Select

Who Were The Greeks?

Explore the brutal, brilliant and still influential Ancient Greeks

Watch Nature And Us: A History Through Art on BBC Select

Nature And Us: A History Through Art

In the age of climate crisis, what can art teach us about our relationship with nature?

Watch The Bibles Buried Secrets

The Bible’s Buried Secrets

Can contemporary historical evidence confirm stories from the Bible?

Watch Treasures Of The Indus

Treasures of the Indus

Ancient treasures are used to chart the fascinating history of India and Pakistan.

Nuremberg Nazis on Trial Documentary

Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial

Could the Nuremberg trials help shed light on the motivations of leading Nazis?

Stream Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King on BBC Select

Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King

The amazing story of the former British King who may have had Nazi sympathies during WWII.

The Art of Gothic

Why were Brits in the 19th-century obsessed with art that was horrific, macabre and weird?

Stream The Body Beautiful: Ancient Greeks, Good Looks and Glamour on BBC Select

The Body Beautiful: Ancient Greeks, Good Looks and Glamour

Why were the Ancient Greeks so preoccupied with images concerning the naked human form?

Watch Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific on BBC Select

Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific

The momentous impact of the West’s contact with the peoples and cultures of the Pacific.

Stream The Silk Road on BBC Select

The Silk Road

The world’s first superhighway that carried goods and ideas between Europe and China.

Stream Confucius on BBC Select

Confucius

The remarkable story of a great thinker who helped to form a nation and shape the world.

Watch The Wild West on BBC Select

The Wild West

What is the truth behind the iconic figures of the Wild West – and what is pure myth?

Watch The High Art of the Low Countries on BBC Select

The High Art of the Low Countries

Size doesn’t matter. How one small region spawned the greatest artists of all time.

Watch Simon Schama's Shakespeare and Us on BBC Select

Simon Schama’s Shakespeare and Us

A Bard’s tale. How Shakespeare united the intellectual and populist like no one else.

Watch Rallying: The Killer Years on BBC Select

Rallying: The Killer Years

How rallying’s unregulated mayhem ended in 1986 after a series of horrific tragedies.

Watch Ancient Worlds on BBC Select

Ancient Worlds

An epic quest through the birth of civili`ation and the development of humanity

Ancient Treasures with Bettany Hughes

How did our ancient ancestors, and the amazing treasures they left behind, shape the modern world?

The Crusades BBC Documentary

The Crusades

Why were the Crusaders willing to endure pain, death and starvation in the name of God?

Watch Countdown to World War II documentary on BBC Select

Countdown to War

The story of the 3 days between the Nazis invading Poland and the beginning of World War II.

Stream The Six Queens of Henry VIII on BBC Select

The Six Queens of Henry VIII

Rediscover the Queens who shaped a King & his legacy in The Six Queens of Henry VIII, BBC’s new look at the King’s infamous wives.

Stream CLimate Change - Ade on the Frontline

History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered

In space, you can hear the Earth scream… History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered

Stream Nixon - In the Den on BBC Select

Nixon in the Den

Was President Nixon a visionary on China? Davin Reynolds investigates in Nixon in the Den

Watch Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley on BBC Select

Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley

Hitler’s Terrifying Battle of Britain Bombing. Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley, BBC’s leading historian

Stream Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History on BBC Select

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History

From slavery to settlement, award-winning historian David Olusoga explores the history of black Britain.

Watch Harry Potter - A History of Magic on BBC Select

Harry Potter – A History of Magic

They’re the fastest-selling books in history. But what inspired the enchanting world of Harry Potter?

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.

Stream Russia 1917 - Countdown to Revolution on BBC Select

Russia 1917: Countdown to Revolution

Three men rise from obscurity to unleash a bloody revolution that changed history forever.

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 Secret Cities on BBC Select

Secret Cities

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

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?

Stream Filthy Cities on BBC Select

Filthy Cities

Dan Snow explores the murky histories of London, Paris and New York from the bottom up.

Stream Queen Victoria and her Nine Children on BBC Select

Queen Victoria and her Nine Children

How Queen Victoria’s grief changed her as a mother and a monarch

Stream Archaeology - A Secret History on BBC Select

Archaeology: A Secret History

Better living through archeology. How can our past make sense of our present?

Stream Simon Schama's Power of Art on BBC Select

Simon Schama’s Power of Art

Eight masterpieces. Eight big names who changed the world. An electrifying feast of art.

Stream Vienna - Empire, Dynasty and Dream on BBC Select

Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream

The rise of one of the great cities and how it offers a window into power, faith and war.

The Birth of Empire - The East India Company on BBC Select

The Birth of Empire: The East India Company

The world’s first megacorp. How Britain’s East India Company grew into an imperial power.

Stream Genius of the Ancient World with Bettany Hughes on BBC Select

Genius of the Ancient World

The original free thinkers. The stories of the Buddha, Confucius and Socrates.

Stream Genius of the Modern World on BBC Select

Genius of the Modern World

Emigres, recluses, enemies of the state. How Marx, Nietzsche and Freud changed the world.

Stream American History's Biggest Fibs on BBC Select

American History’s Biggest Fibs

American history is fake, fact? Historian Lucy Worlsey delves deeper into US mythology.

Stream Suffragettes

Suffragettes

The violence, valor and sacrifices made by the women fighting for their right to vote.

Stream Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners on BBC Select

Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners

People as property: historian David Olusoga on the untold stories of British slavery.

Travel documentaries

All aboard! Join a star-studded cast of travel guides as they take you to some of the most remote and fascinating corners of the globe. BBC Select is home to BBC travel documentaries you can watch in the US and Canada today.

Watch Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon

Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon

Ab Fab’s Joanna Lumley takes a personal odyssey to retrace her grandad’s steps in Bhutan.

Watch Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific on BBC Select

Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific

The momentous impact of the West’s contact with the peoples and cultures of the Pacific.

Stream The Silk Road on BBC Select

The Silk Road

The world’s first superhighway that carried goods and ideas between Europe and China.

Stream Rituals on BBC Select

Rituals

Some of the most incredible, intimate and grueling rituals on Earth are explored.

Watch Secrets Of The Bermuda Triangle on BBC Select

Secrets Of The Bermuda Triangle

Exploring the planet’s most notorious and mysterious body of water: the Bermuda Triangle.

Watch Joanna Lumley's Unseen Adventures on BBC Select

Joanna Lumley’s Unseen Adventures

Ab Fab legend Joanna Lumley takes viewers behind the scenes of her epic travels.

Watch Joanna Lumleys Greatest Cities of the World

Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World

Joanna Lumley explores Berlin, Paris and Rome

Watch The Mekong River with Sue Perkins on BBC Select

The Mekong River with Sue Perkins

An Englishwoman abroad: Sue Perkins traverses the Mekong – one of Asia’s greatest rivers.

Watch The Art of Spain on BBC Select

The Art of Spain

Territory, politics and religious conflict: the untold history of Spain’s cultural legacy.

Watch Cuba with Simon Reeve on BBC Select

Cuba With Simon Reeve

Cubans reveal what life is like in the communist state as it flirts with capitalism.

Stream Brazil with Michael Palin on BBC Select

Brazil with Michael Palin

From the lost world of Amazonia to buzzing Rio de Janeiro, Michael Palin explores Brazil.

Watch Joanna Lumley's Britain on BBC Select

Joanna Lumley’s Britain

Explore Great Britain in this charming travel series

Watch Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean : Havana to Haiti on BBC Select

Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti

Ab Fab superstar Joanna Lumley soaks up the sun, sights and sensations of Cuba and Haiti.

Watch World’s Most Luxurious Holidays on BBC Select

The World’s Most Luxurious Holidays

Need a getaway? Discover the most exclusive holiday hotspots where the mega-rich unwind.

Watch Write Around the World on BBC Select

Write Around the World

Revisit your favourite reads with Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant

Stream Joanna Lumley - Trans-Siberian Adventure

Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure

From China, Mongolia and Russia with love: Join Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure

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.

Stream Secret Cities on BBC Select

Secret Cities

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

Stream Archaeology - A Secret History on BBC Select

Archaeology: A Secret History

Better living through archeology. How can our past make sense of our present?

Stream Hotel Secrets with Richard E Grant on BBC Select

Hotel Secrets with Richard E Grant

A-list attraction: Behind-closed-doors secrets of the world’s most exclusive hotels.

Kolkata with Sue Perkins on BBC Select

Kolkata with Sue Perkins

What’s life like in an Indian megacity? The Great British Baking Show host finds out.

Stream Amazing Hotels - Life Beyond the Lobby on BBC Select

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby

How does a hotel become extraordinary? Our food critic and chef duo meet the pioneers.

Stream Joanna Lumley's Japan on BBC Select

Joanna Lumley’s Japan

A fantastic voyage around Japan with British national treasure Joanna Lumley.

Stream Pilgrimage with Simon Reeve on BBC Select

Pilgrimage with Simon Reeve

The vice, thrills and dangers that awaited those adventurers who embarked on pilgrimage.

Royalty documentaries

Explore the history of the British monarchy with our collection of Royal Family documentaries. From Henry VIII and Queen Victoria to today.

The Unseen Queen BBC Select

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen

The story of Queen Elizabeth II in her own words

Stream Elizabeth and Philip - Love and Duty on BBC Select

Elizabeth and Philip: Love and Duty

A look at the Queen and Prince Philip’s marriage as they celebrated 70 years together.

Watch Elizabeth I & II: Golden Queens on BBC Select

Elizabeth I and II: The Golden Queens

Exploring the parallels between Queen Elizabeth I and II

Stream Queen Victoria and her Nine Children on BBC Select

Queen Victoria and her Nine Children

How Queen Victoria’s grief changed her as a mother and a monarch

Stream the Queen's Palaces on BBC Select

The Queen’s Palaces

What secrets lurk within the walls of Buckingham Palace and other royal residences?

My Years with the Queen

What’s it like to be close friends with Queen Elizabeth II? Lady Pamela Hicks reveals all.

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Documentary

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

The fascinating story of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Stream Inside Balmoral with BBC Select

Inside Balmoral

An insight into a secluded royal retreat in the Scottish Highlands.

Princess Diana: A Life After Death

How Princess Diana’s tragic death and legacy changed the British monarchy forever.

Born To Be The King

What will new British monarch King Charles III bring to the role?

Secrets Of Royal Travel

The unseen luxury and decadence within the royal family’s planes and trains.

Watch Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique with BBC Select

Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique

Scandal and gossip stalked Princess Margaret on the luxurious island of Mustique.

Elizabeth Fashioning A Monarch

How the Queen used clothing and jewelry to send a message to the world

Elizabeth: Her Passions and Pastimes

A look back at the pastimes, passions and pleasures of Queen Elizabeth II

BBC When The Queen Spoke to the Nation

When the Queen Spoke to the Nation

Exploring the Queen’s annual Christmas Day messages and other special addresses.

Picturing Elizabeth Her Life in Images

Picturing Elizabeth: Her Life in Pictures

The stories behind some of the most famous and era-defining pictures of Queen Elizabeth II.

Watch A Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen

A Tribute to Her Majesty The Queen

A look back at the life of Queen Elizabeth II

Stream The Platinum Jubilee Interview: Tina Brown on BBC Select

The Platinum Jubilee Interview: Tina Brown

Writer Tina Brown speaks with Katty Kay about decades chronicling the British royal family

Stream Young Victoria on BBC Select

Young Victoria

How a modest little girl turned into Queen Victoria, one of history’s most powerful women.

Watch A Royal Guide To

A Royal Guide to…

A revealing look into some of the more peculiar protocols followed by the Royal Family.

The Duke In His Words Documentary

The Duke in his Own Words

This reflective film remembers The Duke of Edinburgh

Watch The Queen Mother on BBC Select

The Queen Mother

The triumphs and pain that came to define the woman affectionately known as the Queen Mum.

Watch The Princes and the Press on BBC Select

The Princes and the Press

Explore the changing relationship between the Royal Family and British tabloid press

Stream Cousins at War on BBC Select

Royal Cousins at War

It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.

World war documentaries

From the murder of Franz Ferdinand to the fall of the Nazis, World War I and II shook the world to its core. BBC Select is the place to dig deeper into these monumental moments in history. Watch BBC world war documentaries with BBC Select in the US and Canada today.

Stream Could Hitler Have Been Stopped? on BBC Select

Could Hitler Have Been Stopped?

Leading historians debate whether Adolf Hitler and the Nazis could have been stopped.

Stream Churchill: Winning the War, Losing the Peace on BBC Select

Churchill: Winning the War, Losing the Peace

Why was Winston Churchill ousted from power after World War II?

Nuremberg Nazis on Trial Documentary

Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial

Could the Nuremberg trials help shed light on the motivations of leading Nazis?

Watch Schindler: The Real Story on BBC Select

Schindler: The Real Story

How did Oskar Schindler differ from the one seen in the famous film?

Watch WWI: The Final Hours on BBC Select

WWI: The Final Hours

The secret negotiations that ended World War I and changed history

Watch War's Secret Shame: Shell Shock on BBC Select

War’s Secret Shame: Shell Shock

Using previously unseen archives the hidden story of WWI soldiers is told.

Stream The Pity of War on BBC Select

The Pity of War

Britain’s decision to enter the First World War might have been a tragic miscalculation.

Watch Churchill's First World War on BBC Select

Churchill’s First World War

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s extraordinary experiences during World War I.

Surviving the Holocaust

Surviving the Holocaust

Watch Death Camp Treblinka on BBC Select

Death Camp Treblinka

Those who survived the Treblinka Nazi extermination camp tell their story

Watch Hiroshima: The Real History on BBC Select

Hiroshima: The Real History

It ended World War II, but at what cost? Hiroshima unraveled.

Stream BBC at War on BBC Select

BBC at War

This enthralling series asks, how much did World War II shape the personality of the BBC?

Watch 1945: The Savage Peace on BBC Select

1945: The Savage Peace

Cruelty towards Germans began to escalate after World War II.

Watch 100 Days to Victory on BBC Select

100 Days to Victory

How did the Allies turn the tide and win the First World War?

Watch D-Day with BBC Select

D-Day

Explore the story behind the biggest seaborne invasion in history.

Stream Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King on BBC Select

Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King

The amazing story of the former British King who may have had Nazi sympathies during WWII.

Watch Countdown to World War II documentary on BBC Select

Countdown to War

The story of the 3 days between the Nazis invading Poland and the beginning of World War II.

Stream Winston Churchill's War on BBC Select

Winston Churchill’s War

What aspects of Winston Churchill’s character helped him to defeat Hitler and win the war?

Stream Fighting for King and Empire on BBC Select

Fighting for King and Empire: Britain’s Caribbean Heroes

During World War II, thousands of black volunteers from the Caribbean joined the fight against Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Watch Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley on BBC Select

Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley

Hitler’s Terrifying Battle of Britain Bombing. Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley, BBC’s leading historian

Stream The Wheelchair President on BBC Select

The Wheelchair President

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

Stream Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany on BBC Select

Lost Home Movies Of Nazi Germany

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

Stream World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel on BBC Select

World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel

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

Watch the Rise of the Nazis on BBC Select

Rise of the Nazis

How did Hitler seize and retain power in Germany?

Stream Stalin - Inside the Terror on BBC Select

Stalin: Inside the Terror

A man synonymous with bloodshed, murder and hate. What desires drove Joseph Stalin?

Stream The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler - Leading Millions into the Abyss on BBC Select

The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler: Leading Millions into the Abyss

From failure to Fuhrer. How did Adolf Hitler charm the German people?

Stream Auschwitz - The Nazis and the Final Solution on BBC Select

Auschwitz: Nazis & The Final Solution

The story of the concentration camp told by those who were there

True crime documentaries

BBC Select delves into the world of past and present true crime.

Stream Look Away on BBC Select

Look Away

Decades of coercion and sexual abuse within the music industry are investigated.

Stream Married to a Psychopath on BBC Select

Married to a Psychopath

The gripping true crime story of a detective’s relentless pursuit of a ruthless killer.

Stream Taken: Hunting the Sex Traffickers on BBC Select

Taken: Hunting the Sex Traffickers

Can a secret police investigation find the masterminds behind a human trafficking gang?

Stream Deepfake Porn: You Could Be Next on BBC Select

Deepfake Porn: You Could Be Next

The rise of deepfake porn, a new form of image-based sexual abuse.

Stream Louis Theroux: Dark States - Murder in Milwaukee on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: Dark States – Murder in Milwaukee

Louis Theroux is in Milwaukee to investigate the city’s spiraling homicide rate.

The Trial of Louise Woodward Documentary

The Trial of Louise Woodward

Exploring the trial that gripped America, 25 years on

Life and Death Row

Life and Death Row

A look at what it’s like to live on death row

Watch Jack the Ripper The Case Reopened

Jack the Ripper – The Case Reopened

Casting a new light on the Jack the Ripper case

I Shot My Parents

This true crime film asks, what drove a 14-year-old boy to try and kill both his parents?

Watch When Louis Met ... Jimmy Savile on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: Jimmy Savile Revisited

Louis Theroux scrutinizes his relationship with disgraced entertainer Jimmy Savile

Watch One Deadly Weekend in America: A Killing at the Carwash on BBC Select

One Deadly Weekend in America: A Killing at the Carwash

Tavin Price’s shoes were his death warrant. How life in gangland LA hangs on the trigger.

Watch Louis Theroux: Law and Disorder in Lagos on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: Law and Disorder in Lagos

Armed police. Outlaw gangs. Louis follows chaos and corruption in the Nigerian city.

Watch Secrets of the Falklands on BBC Select

Secrets of the Falklands

A Royal Marine walks out of a bar … and disappears without a trace.

Murder in the Badlands

Four young women. Four decades. Four brutal murders. All unsolved.

Stream Catching the Black Cab Rapist on BBC Select

Catching The Black Cab Rapist

John Worboys preyed on the women of London, drugging, raping and sexually assaulting over 100 victims in his taxi cab between 2000 and 2008.

Watch A Very British Murder on BBC Select

A Very British Murder

Lucy Worsley investigates why we are so fascinated by grisly, gruesome murders

Stream Crime & Punishment on BBC Select

Crime and Punishment

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

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.

Stream The Murder Detectives on BBC Select

The Murder Detectives

You’re in the room as detectives and suspects unravel a real-life murder mystery.

Stream The $50m Art Swindle on BBC Select

$50 Million Dollar Art Swindle

The amazing true crime case of a maverick art dealer who executed an audacious swindle.

Stream Confessions of a Serial Killer on BBC Select

Confessions of a Serial Killer

Meet Samuel Little. One of America’s most dangerous killers.

Stream Murder 24/7 on BBC Select

Murder 24/7

True crime in real time. This is how you really catch a murderer.

Art documentaries

Learn about the most creative and imaginative minds and their influence on our world with these art documentaries on BBC Select.

Watch Nature And Us: A History Through Art on BBC Select

Nature And Us: A History Through Art

In the age of climate crisis, what can art teach us about our relationship with nature?

Stream Rembrandt on BBC Select

Rembrandt

Did scandal and torment drive the artist to even greater creative glories?

The Art of Gothic

Why were Brits in the 19th-century obsessed with art that was horrific, macabre and weird?

Stream Gauguin: The Full Story on BBC Select

Gauguin: The Full Story

Why was the life of influential artist Paul Gauguin mired in controversy and conflict?

Watch Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific on BBC Select

Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific

The momentous impact of the West’s contact with the peoples and cultures of the Pacific.

Watch Van Gogh: Painted with Words on BBC Select

Van Gogh: Painted with Words

Powerful docudrama exploring the work and passions of Vincent Van Gogh

Watch The Genius of Carl Faberge on BBC Select

The Genius of Carl Faberge

Would you spend $100 million on eggs? You might if they were Faberge.

Watch The High Art of the Low Countries on BBC Select

The High Art of the Low Countries

Size doesn’t matter. How one small region spawned the greatest artists of all time.

Watch The Art of Spain on BBC Select

The Art of Spain

Territory, politics and religious conflict: the untold history of Spain’s cultural legacy.

Stream the Art of Scandinavia on BBC Select

Art of Scandinavia

Scandi noir? Does Scandinavian art deserve its dark reputation?

Watch Art of China on BBC Select

Art of China

Historian Andrew Graham-Dixon marvels at a millennia of Chinese art

Watch The Art of France on BBC Select

Art of France

A stunning journey through the history of French art

Grayson Perry: Who Are You?

“Who are you?” is a surprisingly difficult question. Artist Grayson Perry seeks an answer.

Stream War Art with Eddie Redmayne on BBC Select

War Art with Eddie Redmayne

Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne discovers the artists who saved lives during WW1

Stream The World's Greatest Painitings with Andrew Marr

The World’s Greatest Paintings

What makes a particular artwork an iconic masterpiece? Andrew Marr investigates.

Stream The Beauty of Anatomy on BBC Select

The Beauty of Anatomy

Think your body’s a work of art? 17th-century Dutch anatomists would agree.

Stream Apples, Pears And Paint - How to Make a Still Life Paintingon BBC Select on BBC Select

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?

Stream The Impressionists on BBC Select

The Impressionists

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

Stream Vincent Van Gogh - The Full Story on BBC Select

Vincent: The Full Story

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

Stream The Art Mysteries on BBC Select

The Art Mysteries

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

Stream A Brief History of Graffiti on BBC Select

A Brief History of Graffiti

From cave art to street art – what drives human beings to draw on the walls?

Stream Soup Cans & Superstars - How Pop Art Changed the Worldon BBC Select

Soup Cans and Superstars: How Pop Art Changed the World

Obsessed with sex, surface and celebrity. Was pop art radically ahead of its time?

Stream The Story of Women and Art on BBC Select

The Story of Women and Art

Restless, resistant and radical. How female artists transformed art from the outside

Stream Simon Schama's Power of Art on BBC Select

Simon Schama’s Power of Art

Eight masterpieces. Eight big names who changed the world. An electrifying feast of art.

Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds - A Tale of Three Cities on BBC Select

Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds

Paris, Vienna and New York. The seismic influence of three cities on the artistic world.

Stream The Romantic Revolution on BBC Select

The Romantic Revolution

Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.

Stream Grayson Perry - Art Club on BBC Select

Grayson Perry’s Art Club

Artist Grayson Perry releases a torrent of quarantine-creativity in his lockdown art club.

Stream Grayson Perry - Rites of Passage on BBC Select

Grayson Perry: Rites of Passage

Our traditions don’t help us. Artist Grayson Perry is on a quest to design ones that do.

Stream Grayson Perry - Big American Road Trip on BBC Select

Grayson Perry’s Big American Roadtrip

Britain’s most unpredictable artist, Grayson Perry, sits America down for its portrait.

Stream Shock of the Nude on BBC Select

Shock of The Nude

Peek behind the fig leaf to find the truth behind the nude in art.

Politics documentaries

BBC Select has a broad selection of political documentaries that venture into the tangled world of politics.

Thatcher and Reagan Documentary

Thatcher & Reagan

What was the attraction between these two world leaders and how did it change history?

Stream Kissinger: Statesman or War Criminal? on BBC Select

Kissinger: Statesman or War Criminal?

Henry Kissinger: canny political operator or a despicable war criminal?

Watch Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific on BBC Select

Oceans Apart: Art and the Pacific

The momentous impact of the West’s contact with the peoples and cultures of the Pacific.

Trump The Comeback Documentary

Trump: The Comeback?

Could Donald Trump return to the White House in 2024?

Stream The Making of Merkel on BBC Select

The Making of Merkel

The political journey of Germany’s formidable chancellor.

Watch Vladimir Putin's Russia on BBC Select

Putin’s Russia

Votes for Vladimir. Meeting Putin’s biggest fans.

Watch Meet the Trumps: From Immigrant to President on BBC Select

Meet the Trumps: From Immigrant to President

The remarkable true story of Donald Trump’s family history.

Watch Mad Dog: Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi on BBC Select

Mad Dog: Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi

Regime of terror: a horrifying portrait of Libya’s leader from the insiders who made him.

Watch Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists

Louis Theroux gets close to the extreme end of the West Bank’s Jewish settler movement.

Watch Gandhi on BBC Select

Gandhi

His reputation is uncontroversial. The reality couldn’t be more different.

Watch Louis Theroux: The Return Of America’s Most Hated Family on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: The Return Of America’s Most Hated Family

What happens when you’ve become the US’s most reviled family? Louis pays another visit.

Watch Trump Takes on the World on BBC Select

Trump Takes on the World

Donald Trump’s top advisers lift the lid on the critical moments of his foreign policy.

Watch Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge

Celebrate a magnificent quarter-century of documentary-making in Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge

Anti-vaxx protesters holding up signs

The Anti-Vax Conspiracy

Who is behind the international anti-Covid-vaccine movement and why are they doing it?

Watch The Cult of Consiracy: QAnon documentary on BBC Select

The Cult of Conspiracy: QAnon

Who are QAnon and what effect are they having on US democracy?

Watch The Man Putin Couldn't Kill documentary on BBC Select

The Man Putin Couldn’t Kill

Did Putin really try to kill a political rival with a plot involving poisoned underpants?

Stream Barack Obama Talks to David Olusaga

Barack Obama: Reflections On a Presidency with David Olusoga

In this revealing interview former President Barack Obama talks about his life and legacy.

Stream Nixon - In the Den on BBC Select

Nixon in the Den

Was President Nixon a visionary on China? Davin Reynolds investigates in Nixon in the Den

Watch China: A New World Order on BBC Select

China: A New World Order

President Xi Jinping’s extraordinary first years ruling China.

Stream Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History on BBC Select

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History

From slavery to settlement, award-winning historian David Olusoga explores the history of black Britain.

Watch Inside the American Embassy on BBC Select

Inside The American Embassy

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

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?

Stream Inside the EU - The Mad World of Brexit on BBC Select

Inside The EU: The Mad World of Brexit

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

Stream The Trump Show on BBC Select

The Trump Show

Protests, impeachment, and a pandemic: A front row seat to Trump’s unpredictable Presidency.

Stream The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler - Leading Millions into the Abyss on BBC Select

The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler: Leading Millions into the Abyss

From failure to Fuhrer. How did Adolf Hitler charm the German people?

Stream American History's Biggest Fibs on BBC Select

American History’s Biggest Fibs

American history is fake, fact? Historian Lucy Worlsey delves deeper into US mythology.

Stream Grayson Perry - Big American Road Trip on BBC Select

Grayson Perry’s Big American Roadtrip

Britain’s most unpredictable artist, Grayson Perry, sits America down for its portrait.

Big thinking documentaries

From modern-day conspiracies to ancient philosophy – get your gray matter fired up.

Stream Magic Numbers on BBC Select

Magic Numbers

Brilliant mathematician Hannah Fry explores the mystery of math and the wonder of numbers.

Watch 21st Century Mythologies on BBC Select

21st Century Mythologies

What hidden meanings lurk behind the messages and media we’re exposed to every day?

Stream Confucius on BBC Select

Confucius

The remarkable story of a great thinker who helped to form a nation and shape the world.

Stream Secrets of Living: Algorithm on BBC Select

The Secret Rules of Modern Living: Algorithms

You may not have noticed, but algorithms now run your life. Should we all be scared?

Watch The Joy of Winning on BBC Select

The Joy of Winning

What’s a statistically proven way to live your best life? Do the math.

Watch Don't Panic: The Truth About Population on BBC Select

Don’t Panic: The Truth About Population

Want to stop worrying about the future? Watch this exuberant statistical tour-de-force.

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?

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