Shows on BBC Select
BBC Select is the place to stream BBC documentaries, many available in the US for the first time. Browse below to see what’s trending and what’s new on BBC Select.
The Mystery Collection
Throughout May, BBC Select brings you a collection of compelling crime documentaries that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Mystery Collectionglobal Affairs
The Mystery of the Missing Princess
The staggering story of the Middle Eastern princess attempting to escape her life.
The Trump Show
Protests, impeachment, and a pandemic: A front row seat to Trump’s unpredictable Presidency.
Royal Cousins at War
It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.
Queen Victoria and her Nine Children
Devastated by her husband’s death Queen Victoria starts to meddle in her children’s lives.
Louis Theroux: Selling Sex
Oldest profession, new rules. Louis Theroux gets between the sheets of the sex industry.
The Birth of Empire: The East India Company
The world’s first megacorp. How Britain’s East India Company grew into an imperial power.
Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners
People as property: historian David Olusoga on the untold stories of British slavery.
Dark Son: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
The fascinating story of the biggest unsolved serial murder in British criminal history.
Conspiracy Files: Vaccine Wars
Anti vaxxers are blamed for dangerous surges in diseases. What do they really believe?
The Black American Fight for Freedom
America. The land of the free? Or a racist system built on inequality?
54 Days: America and the Pandemic
The President and the pandemic. Why did it take 54 days for Trump to act on coronavirus?
Grayson Perry’s Big American Roadtrip
Britain’s most unpredictable artist, Grayson Perry, sits America down for its portrait.
Inside The American Embassy
Trump era diplomacy is revealed as the doors are opened at the American Embassy in London.
ISIS: Origins of Violence
How does ISIS justify violence? Tracing the complex roots of its policy of brutality.
The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty
A story of succession. Rupert Murdoch and the sibling rivalry to inherit his empire.
George Soros: The Billionaire Global Mastermind?
Billionaire boogeyman. How George Soros became a boogeyman around the world.
North Korea: Voices from the Secret State
The real lives of people trapped in the world’s most secretive state are finally exposed.
The Making of Merkel
The world’s most powerful woman? The political journey of Germany’s formidable chancellor.
Fall of an Icon
Why is an iconic Nobel Peace Prize winner fighting accusations of genocide?
Secrets of Silicon Valley
What happened to Silicon Valley’s glittering promise to build a better world?
Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline
The islands that are being lost to climate change from Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline
The Super-Rich and Us
How did the super-rich become super-rich, and what effect does their wealth have on us?
Meat: A Threat To Our Planet?
Is our love of eating meat swiftly destroying the planet? What can we do to fix it?
Are You Scared Yet, Human?
Should we worry about the effect that Artificial Intelligence could have on our lives?
Australia on Fire: Climate Emergency
Are the recent apocalyptic bushfires in Australia a vision of a climate change future?
Inside The EU: The Mad World of Brexit
Go behind the scenes of the European Parliament during the tumultuous time of Brexit.
The Anti-Vax Conspiracy
Who is behind the international anti-Covid-vaccine movement and why are they doing it?
The Man Putin Couldn’t Kill
Did Putin really try to kill a political rival with a plot involving poisoned underpants?
history
Bacchus Uncovered: Ancient God of Ecstasy
What does Bacchus, the ancient god of wine and excess, have in common with Jesus Christ?
Genius of the Ancient World
The original free thinkers. The stories of the Buddha, Confucius and Socrates.
Mars Uncovered: Ancient God of War
What can the ancient, immortal, Roman god Mars teach us about warfare in the modern age?
Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love
Forget everything you thought you knew about the frequently nude, love goddess Venus.
The Persians: A History of Iran
How was the world’s first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?
A History of Christianity
Where did Christianity originate and how did the religion develop and take hold globally?
Archaeology: A Secret History
Better living through archeology. How can our past make sense of our present?
Fake News: A True History
Fake news isn’t new: an entertaining look at 200 years of lies and the media
Royal Cousins at War
It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.
American History’s Biggest Fibs
American history is fake, fact? Historian Lucy Worlsey delves deeper into US mythology.
The Birth of Empire: The East India Company
The world’s first megacorp. How Britain’s East India Company grew into an imperial power.
The Romantic Revolution
Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.
Racism: A History
Where did the notion of racism come from and how did such an abhorrent idea develop?
Queen Victoria and her Nine Children
Devastated by her husband’s death Queen Victoria starts to meddle in her children’s lives.
The Flu That Killed 50 Million
Is Spanish flu the warning from history that should have crushed coronavirus?
Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream
The rise of one of the great cities and how it offers a window into power, faith and war.
Filthy Cities
Dan Snow explores the murky histories of London, Paris and New York from the bottom up.
Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners
People as property: historian David Olusoga on the untold stories of British slavery.
Secret Cities
How much can the artistic history of a great city tell us about its character?
Genius of the Modern World
Emigres, recluses, enemies of the state. How Marx, Nietzsche and Freud changed the world.
Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds
Paris, Vienna and New York. The seismic influence of three cities on the artistic world.
Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness
Can the thoughts and ideas of history’s greatest thinkers help in our day to day lives?
Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard
World renowned historian, Mary Beard, is back to shatter myths about the Roman Empire.
War Art with Eddie Redmayne
Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne discovers the artists who saved lives during WW1
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.
The World’s First Computer
Think your computer’s had it? Meet one found in a shipwreck that’s 2,000 years old.
travel
Joanna Lumley’s Japan
A fantastic voyage around Japan with British national treasure Joanna Lumley.
Kolkata with Sue Perkins
What’s life like in an Indian megacity? The Great British Baking Show host finds out.
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby
How does a hotel become extraordinary? Our food critic and chef duo meet the pioneers.
Extraordinary Places to Eat
They’re the experts who know food like no one else. These are the restaurants they love.
Pilgrimage with Simon Reeve
The vice, thrills and dangers that awaited those adventurers who embarked on pilgrimage.
The Last Igloo
Can one man survive in the wilderness using traditional methods to hunt and find shelter?
Hotel Secrets with Richard E Grant
A-list attraction: Behind-closed-doors secrets of the world’s most exclusive hotels.
Africa with Ade Adepitan
It’s Africa, but not as you know it. Ade Adepitan explores a constantly evolving land.
A Year in Tibet
What is daily life like in one of the remotest, and mysterious, places on the planet?
The Persians: A History of Iran
How was the world’s first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?
Secret Cities
How much can the artistic history of a great city tell us about its character?
Feasts
From India’s Tiger Dance to Japan’s Naked Man: the world’s most extraordinary festivals.
Reggie Yates in China
Welcome to the future. Meet the kids reinventing China’s glittering megacities.
royalty
Queen Victoria and her Nine Children
Devastated by her husband’s death Queen Victoria starts to meddle in her children’s lives.
Royal Cousins at War
It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.
The Persians: A History of Iran
How was the world’s first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?
Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream
The rise of one of the great cities and how it offers a window into power, faith and war.
world War
Auschwitz: Nazis & The Final Solution
Mass-murder on an unimaginable scale. A history of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Stalin: Inside the Terror
A man synonymous with bloodshed, murder and hate. What desires drove Joseph Stalin?
The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler: Leading Millions into the Abyss
From failure to Fuhrer. How did Adolf Hitler charm the German people?
Touched by Auschwitz
Six survivors of Auschwitz concentration camp tell their extraordinary stories in Touched by Auschwitz
The Wheelchair President
How did the physical and emotional issues facing FDR shape his approach to WWII?
World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel
How influential was Stalin on the defeat of Hitler and eventual outcome of WWII?
Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley
Hitler’s Terrifying Battle of Britain Bombing. Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley, BBC’s leading historian
Lost Home Movies Of Nazi Germany
What was life really like within Nazi Germany? These amateur home movies reveal all.
true Crime
Confessions of a Serial Killer
Meet Samuel Little. One of America’s most dangerous killers.
The Murder Detectives
You’re in the room as detectives and suspects unravel a real-life murder mystery.
A Black and White Killing
A murder that shook America to its core. What’s behind alleged racist killings in the U.S.?
The Mystery of the Missing Princess
The staggering story of the Middle Eastern princess attempting to escape her life.
$50 Million Dollar Art Swindle
The amazing true crime case of a maverick art dealer who executed an audacious swindle.
How I Created A Cult
What drives legions of ordinary people to join cults? The creator of one reveals all.
Stacey Dooley Investigates: Beaten by My Boyfriend
Why are domestic abuse cases so prevalent? Stacey Dooley meets victims and abusers.
Dark Son: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
The fascinating story of the biggest unsolved serial murder in British criminal history.
Crime and Punishment
The disturbing true crime documentary series about the UK criminal justice system returns.
Louis Theroux: The Night in Question
Meeting the American college students accused of sexual assault. Louis Theroux on-campus.
The Black American Fight for Freedom
America. The land of the free? Or a racist system built on inequality?
art
$50 Million Dollar Art Swindle
The amazing true crime case of a maverick art dealer who executed an audacious swindle.
Grayson Perry: All Man
As a ‘lifelong cissy’ artist, Grayson Perry has spent his whole life messing with machismo.
Grayson Perry: Rites of Passage
Our traditions don’t help us. Artist Grayson Perry is on a quest to design ones that do.
Grayson Perry’s Art Club
Artist Grayson Perry releases a torrent of quarantine-creativity in his lockdown art club.
Grayson Perry’s Big American Roadtrip
Britain’s most unpredictable artist, Grayson Perry, sits America down for its portrait.
The World’s Greatest Paintings
What makes a particular artwork an iconic masterpiece? Andrew Marr investigates.
The Art Mysteries
Think you know these works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Seurat? Think again.
The Story of Women and Art
Restless, resistant and radical. How female artists transformed art from the outside
The Romantic Revolution
Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.
Hokusai: Old Man Crazy To Paint
You may not know his name but you’ll instantly recognize Hokusai’s most famous work.
In Search of Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo’s face is iconic. Musician Emeli Sandé uncovers the woman behind the art.
Soup Cans and Superstars: How Pop Art Changed the World
Obsessed with sex, surface and celebrity. Was pop art radically ahead of its time?
Simon Schama’s Power of Art
Eight masterpieces. Eight big names who changed the world. An electrifying feast of art.
The Beauty of Anatomy
Think your body’s a work of art? 17th-century Dutch anatomists would agree.
Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds
Paris, Vienna and New York. The seismic influence of three cities on the artistic world.
A Brief History of Graffiti
From cave art to street art – what drives human beings to draw on the walls?
Me, My Selfie and I
Know thy selfie: We’re so obsessed with how we look, are we forgetting who we are?
The Man Who Shot New York
More than just a photographer, New Yorker Harold Feinstein had an unquenchable thirst for life.
Art of America
Andrew Graham-Dixon tries to reach the heart of America through its art and artists.
The Persians: A History of Iran
How was the world’s first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?
The Man Who Shot Beautiful Women
Why is Erwin Blumenfeld, whose vision helped to shape modern photography, forgotten today?
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?
The Impressionists
Who were the Impressionists and what fueled their desire to alter the direction of art?
Vincent: The Full Story
What do we really know about Vincent van Gogh, arguably the world’s most famous artist?
The Art of Architecture
What does it take to plan and build some of the planet’s most awe-inspiring structures?
War Art with Eddie Redmayne
Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne discovers the artists who saved lives during WW1
politics
The Trump Show
Protests, impeachment, and a pandemic: A front row seat to Trump’s unpredictable Presidency.
Inside The American Embassy
Trump era diplomacy is revealed as the doors are opened at the American Embassy in London.
Fall of an Icon
Why is an iconic Nobel Peace Prize winner fighting accusations of genocide?
The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty
A story of succession. Rupert Murdoch and the sibling rivalry to inherit his empire.
The Making of Merkel
The world’s most powerful woman? The political journey of Germany’s formidable chancellor.
54 Days: America and the Pandemic
The President and the pandemic. Why did it take 54 days for Trump to act on coronavirus?
The Wheelchair President
How did the physical and emotional issues facing FDR shape his approach to WWII?
A Black and White Killing
A murder that shook America to its core. What’s behind alleged racist killings in the U.S.?
North Korea: Voices from the Secret State
The real lives of people trapped in the world’s most secretive state are finally exposed.
big Thinking
A Black and White Killing
A murder that shook America to its core. What’s behind alleged racist killings in the U.S.?
Conspiracy Files: Vaccine Wars
Anti vaxxers are blamed for dangerous surges in diseases. What do they really believe?
The Black American Fight for Freedom
America. The land of the free? Or a racist system built on inequality?
Fake News: A True History
Fake news isn’t new: an entertaining look at 200 years of lies and the media
Grayson Perry’s Big American Roadtrip
Britain’s most unpredictable artist, Grayson Perry, sits America down for its portrait.
The Romantic Revolution
Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.
Racism: A History
Where did the notion of racism come from and how did such an abhorrent idea develop?
The Last Igloo
Can one man survive in the wilderness using traditional methods to hunt and find shelter?
Eat To Live Forever With Giles Coren
Starve yourself older? Go Stone Age for Old Age? Can these extreme diets extend your life?
Transgender Kids: Who Knows Best?
What is the best approach for parents to take when their child is facing gender dysphoria?
Me, My Selfie and I
Know thy selfie: We’re so obsessed with how we look, are we forgetting who we are?
Secrets of Silicon Valley
What happened to Silicon Valley’s glittering promise to build a better world?
Grayson Perry: Rites of Passage
Our traditions don’t help us. Artist Grayson Perry is on a quest to design ones that do.
Grayson Perry: All Man
As a ‘lifelong cissy’ artist, Grayson Perry has spent his whole life messing with machismo.
Mark Zuckerberg: Inside Facebook
The early days of a social-network phenomenon – Mark Zuckerberg: Inside Facebook
The Super-Rich and Us
How did the super-rich become super-rich, and what effect does their wealth have on us?
Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness
Can the thoughts and ideas of history’s greatest thinkers help in our day to day lives?
Bacchus Uncovered: Ancient God of Ecstasy
What does Bacchus, the ancient god of wine and excess, have in common with Jesus Christ?
Mars Uncovered: Ancient God of War
What can the ancient, immortal, Roman god Mars teach us about warfare in the modern age?
Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love
Forget everything you thought you knew about the frequently nude, love goddess Venus.
Meat: A Threat To Our Planet?
Is our love of eating meat swiftly destroying the planet? What can we do to fix it?
Are You Scared Yet, Human?
Should we worry about the effect that Artificial Intelligence could have on our lives?
Hyper Evolution: Rise Of The Robots
In the near future, will we be controlling robots or will the robots be controlling us?
Australia on Fire: Climate Emergency
Are the recent apocalyptic bushfires in Australia a vision of a climate change future?
Inside The EU: The Mad World of Brexit
Go behind the scenes of the European Parliament during the tumultuous time of Brexit.
Grayson Perry’s Art Club
Artist Grayson Perry releases a torrent of quarantine-creativity in his lockdown art club.
The Anti-Vax Conspiracy
Who is behind the international anti-Covid-vaccine movement and why are they doing it?
History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered
In space, you can hear the Earth scream… History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered
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