The BEST episodes of BBC Documentaries season 2017
Every episode of BBC Documentaries season 2017, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of BBC Documentaries season 2017!
Documentaries produced by or for the BBC.
#1 - Mary Magdalene: Art's Scarlet Woman
Season 2017 - Episode 81 - Aired 4/6/2017
Waldemar Januszczak explores the impact of Mary Magdalene's myth on art and artists. All saints in art are inventions, but no saint in art has been invented quite as furiously as Mary Magdalene. For a thousand years, artists have been throwing themselves at the task of describing her and telling her story, from Caravaggio to Cezanne, Rubens to Rembrandt, Titian to van Gogh. Her identity has evolved from being the close follower of Jesus who was the first witness to his resurrection, to one of a prostitute and sinner who escaped from persecution in the Holy Land by fleeing across the Mediterranean to wind up living in a cave as a hermit in the south of France, enjoying ecstatic experiences with Christ.
#2 - Andrew Marr: My Brain and Me
Season 2017 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/14/2017
In a very intimate story, broadcaster and political journalist Andrew Marr is on a mission to understand the mysteries of the human brain and to achieve further recovery after suffering a life-threatening stroke four years ago. Andrew quickly regained his ability to speak and was able to resume work after his stroke, but he is still frustrated by lack of movement in his left arm, hand and leg. Andrew meets some of Britain's million stroke survivors and travels the world in search of a miracle cure.
#3 - The 21st Century Race for Space
Season 2017 - Episode 229 - Aired 9/5/2017
A new age of space exploration, and exploitation, is dawning. But surprisingly, some of the boldest efforts at putting humans into space are now those of private companies started by a handful of maverick billionaire businessmen. In this film, Brian Cox gains exclusive access behind the scenes at Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and Spaceport America, exploring what is really happening in privately financed space flight right now. From space tourism to asteroid mining, and even dreams of colonies on Mars, these new masters of the universe refuse to limit their imaginations. But are private companies led by Jeff Bezos, Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk really going to be able to pull this off? How will they overcome the technical challenges to achieve it? And is it really a good idea, or just a fool's errand? Cox meets key players in the story - Bezos, founder of Blue Origin as well as Amazon, and Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic. He wants to find out how entrepreneurs - and engineers - really plan to overcome the daunting challenges of human space travel. It certainly hasn't been easy so far. Jeff Bezos has sold a further billion dollars of Amazon stock this year to fund Blue Origin. Branson has been working on Galactic for more than a decade. Lives have been lost. And some companies have already all but given up. But real progress has been made too. The origins of the new space boom, the X-prize in 2004, proved that reusable space craft could be built by private enterprise. Now the challenge is to work out how to run reliable, safe, affordable services that will show a return on the massive financial investments. Sixteen years since Dennis Tito became the first civilian in space, Cox explores the hardware and companies that are aiming to make daily tourist flights to space. Beyond mass space travel, and even space mining and manufacturing, the dream of Elon Musk and others is true space exploration. His company, SpaceX, already delivers supplie
#4 - Warren Gatland: Lion King?
Season 2017 - Episode 154 - Aired 6/19/2017
Warren Gatland has won nearly everything there is to win in his sport. But one thing has eluded him - he has never masterminded a victory over New Zealand, the country where he was born. Now in charge of theBritish and Irish Lions for the second time, he is set to take on one of his biggest challenges. A decade after he became the head coach of Wales, we find out what makes Gatland tick and how he has achieved such stunning success in his career.
#5 - Who Should We Let In? Ian Hislop on the First Great Immigration Row
Season 2017 - Episode 159 - Aired 6/22/2017
Ian Hislop looks at the decades from the Victorian era to the First World War, when modern Britain introduced its first peacetime restrictions on immigration.
#6 - Queer as Art
Season 2017 - Episode 195 - Aired 7/29/2017
Hour-long documentary celebrating the LGBTQ contribution to the arts in Britain in the 50 years since decriminalisation. This film is part of the Gay Britannia season of BBC programming to mark the 50th anniversary celebrations. The film features interviews with leading figures from right across the arts in Britain, including Stephen Fry, David Hockney, Sir Antony Sher, Alan Cumming, Sandi Toksvig, Jeanette Winterson, Will Young and Alan Hollinghurst, and it explores the distinctive perspectives and voices that LGBT artists have brought to British cultural life
#7 - Upstate Purgatory
Season 2017 - Episode 182 - Aired 7/11/2017
In Albany jail, New York, inmates may be held for a year before a judge’s sentence seals their fate. For many, it’s a time to confront the devastating consequences of their past. A searing portrait of four prisoners trying to escape the devastation of their past.
#8 - Alan Partridge: Why, When, Where, How and Whom?
Season 2017 - Episode 343 - Aired 12/27/2017
It has been a quarter of a century since a little-known sports reporter was given his own radio chat show by the BBC. Two radio series, five TV series, four specials, two books and one movie later, Alan Partridge has an unrivalled place in the comedy pantheon. To celebrate Alan's return to his rightful home at the BBC in 2018, this retrospective documentary looks back at his journey from broadcaster caricature to the award-winning study of complexity and pathos that he has become. We hear from the man behind the man himself, Steve Coogan, as well as the acclaimed team that created him 25 years ago. That cohort of writers and performers would become some of the most celebrated and distinctive comic voices of their generation - Armando Iannucci, Patrick Marber, Peter Baynham, Rebecca Front, David Schneider and Doon Mackichan. Through interviews and a wealth of never-before-seen archive footage, including improv sessions, rehearsals and unseen outtakes, a light is shone on the genesis of the character. This is a richly textured account of the craft involved in that early development and the ongoing story of how, through Coogan's virtuoso performance, Alan remains one of the most beloved comic creations of the last few decades. The programme also features discussions with some of the best-loved characters in Alan's world - the likes of Felicity Montagu (Lynn), Simon Greenall (Michael), Sally Phillips (Sophie the receptionist), Phil Cornwell (Dave Clifton) and Tim Key (Sidekick Simon). And we hear from writers and directors Neil and Rob Gibbons, who inherited the Partridge mantle and, alongside Coogan, have taken the character to new heights, finding in each incarnation different ways of exploring Alan while being faithful to the character's legacy. Through all these voices, archive material and iconic clips from the shows themselves, the show explores Alan's unprecedented cultural influence, his impact on the comedy landscape and how the most entertainingly con
#9 - The Galaxy Britain Built
Season 2017 - Episode 323 - Aired 12/15/2017
The Galaxy Britain Built celebrates the British contribution to the original Star Wars. Presenter and Star Wars fan David Whiteley uncovers some never-before-heard stories from the geniuses who helped build the galaxy, from the costume designer and art director to the man who made the lightsabre. It was a time when science fiction films were not box office draws, and very few people in the industry believed in George Lucas's vision. But his first Star Wars film ended up being a very British endeavour. The programme documents the behind-the-scenes talent that helped bring the galaxy to life in the late 1970s. It also looks at how the British talent continues to be part of the Star Wars legacy to the present day.
#10 - John Noakes: TV Hero
Season 2017 - Episode 322 - Aired 12/9/2017
An appreciation of John Noakes, Blue Peter's extraordinary master of derring-do from the people who knew him best.
#11 - Ovid: The Poet and the Emperor
Season 2017 - Episode 298 - Aired 11/16/2017
Michael Wood explores the life, works and influence of one of the world's greatest storytellers who died 2,000 years ago. When an Elizabethan literary critic said that the witty soul of Ovid lived on in 'honey-tongued Shakespeare', they were just stating the obvious. Ovid, everyone knew, was simply the most clever, sexy and funny poet in the western tradition. His Metamorphoses, it has often been said, is the most influential secular book in European literature. Unique among ancient poets, Ovid left us an autobiography, full of riveting intimacy, as well as ironical and slippery self-justification. Using Ovid's own words, brought to life by one of Britain's leading actors, Simon Russell Beale, the film tells the story of the poet's fame, and his fateful falling out with the most powerful man in the world, the Roman emperor Augustus.
#12 - Saying Goodbye
Season 2017 - Episode 297 - Aired 11/14/2017
Every day in the UK over a hundred children face the death of their mum or dad. Behind this statistic are many untold and heart-rending stories. Saying Goodbye, a special film for BBC Children in Need, features a group of seven- to 17-year-olds who have been bereaved and a few who are facing the death of a parent. In their own words, these brave children share their heart-wrenching experiences and memories, with the aim of helping other young people who are facing a similar situation.
#13 - Harry Potter: A History of Magic
Season 2017 - Episode 278 - Aired 10/28/2017
It is 20 years since JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first cast its spell on readers across the globe. But Rowling's fantastical creation wasn't entirely make-believe. In the run up to the exhibition Harry Potter: A History of Magic, JK Rowling ventures behind the scenes of the British Library, revealing the real-life counterparts to her fantastical world. From shrieking mandrakes and Elizabethan invisibility spells to the mystery of ancient Chinese oracle bones and the real life search for the Philosopher's Stone, it is the start of a warm, playful and inventive journey round some of the most magical places in the land - from wizarding wandmakers in the English forest to the beguiling witchcraft of Boscastle, Cornwall. The film features readings by actors from the Harry Potter films, including David Thewlis, Evanna Lynch, Warwick Davis, Miriam Margolyes and Mark Williams, while Rowling's illustrator Jim Kay illuminates her imaginary world. Narrated by Imelda Staunton.
#14 - Anthony Joshua: The Fight of My Life
Season 2017 - Episode 271 - Aired 10/18/2017
Documentary going behind the scenes of the boxing fight between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium on April 29 this year, where 90,000 fans witnessed Joshua defeating his opponent. Featuring exclusive access to Joshua's camp in the week leading up to the event and on the night itself, and Joshua himself reliving all the key action from the fight, describing what happened in the ring in intimate detail.
#15 - Professor Green: Is It Time to Legalise Weed?
Season 2017 - Episode 189 - Aired 7/25/2017
As his name suggests, rapper and documentary maker Professor Green has a past relationship with cannabis. Before finding success as a musician he sold weed, and between the ages of 16 and 24 he smoked cannabis every day - but things have changed since then. With those days behind him, Professor Green, aka Stephen Manderson, embarks on a uniquely personal film to take an in-depth look at our relationship with Britain’s most popular illegal drug and explores the arguments for and against legalisation. Stephen explores today’s booming UK cannabis industry, from the realities of life as a dealer, grower and even weed robber, to the consumers with ever-increasing options about how and what they buy. With cannabis laws around the world now changing – as US States like California fully legalise the drug – Stephen meets those hoping to make their future millions out of legalisation here in the UK. As he comes to reflect on his background and wrestle with his own past, Stephen explores addiction and the links between cannabis use and mental health.
#16 - Alfie: How Do You Beat the All Blacks?
Season 2017 - Episode 161 - Aired 6/23/2017
The All Blacks are the greatest rugby team in the world. But how has this small country dominated rugby for so long? Former British and Irish Lions captain Gareth Thomas goes to New Zealand to find out the secret of their success.
#17 - Sharon Osbourne Presents Rock 'n' Roll's Dodgiest Deals
Season 2017 - Episode 133 - Aired 5/26/2017
Sharon Osbourne presents the story of pop deals through the decades. From Little Richard's half a cent a record to Robbie Williams's £80m deal via notorious bad deals for The Beatles, The Small Faces, The Animals and NWA and great deals for Led Zep, The Police and Moby, Sharon gets the inside story from those still chasing royalties and those who took on the music biz and won. With The Small Faces, Eric Burdon, The Police, Moby, NWA, Charles Connor (Little Richard's drummer), Art Rupe (aged 99, who signed Little Richard), Pamela Des Barres, Tim Clark (Robbie Williams's manager).
#18 - Frank Skinner on Muhammad Ali
Season 2017 - Episode 116 - Aired 6/1/2017
Frank Skinner goes on a journey to explore the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, meeting Ali's family and friends and visiting key locations in his life. To discover more about his idol, Frank travels around the UK and US, visiting key locations and people in Ali's life. In Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, he meets the neighbour who witnessed the teenage boxer's single-minded dedication to his craft. He meets Ali's younger brother Rahaman, a key figure in the boxer's entourage and his closest confidante, and Ali's wife Khalilah, who was alongside Ali during the turbulent years when he was banned from boxing for refusing to fight in Vietnam and which saw him become an icon of the civil rights movement. Frank pays a visit to Ali's training compound in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, somewhere he has always longed to see. This is where Ali and his team prepared for one of his most famous fights of all time - the Rumble in the Jungle. From Ali's business manager, Gene Kilroy, Frank learns how Ali's unshakeable self-confidence and ability to manipulate the crowd were powerful weapons against his opponent George Foreman. He finds out what it was like behind the scenes in the Ali camp by talking to Ali's old sparring partner and friend Larry Holmes, who later faced him in the ring. Frank also delves into some of the lesser-known aspects of Ali's life, meeting the bare-knuckle boxer from an Oxfordshire council estate who became one of Ali's dearest friends and the actor who played alongside Ali in a little-known musical on Broadway.
#19 - Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad
Season 2017 - Episode 74 - Aired 3/28/2017
In May 2015 Rio Ferdinand lost his 34-year-old wife Rebecca to cancer. A year on, he is still trying to come to terms with this loss and its effects on him and his three children. This film follows Rio as he meets other families coping with bereavement and looks at what help is available for parents and children who have experienced loss.
#20 - Madame Tussaud: A Legend in Wax
Season 2017 - Episode 44 - Aired 2/23/2017
The remarkable true story of the woman behind the worldwide waxworks empire - Madame Tussaud. In an extraordinary life that spanned both the French and Industrial revolutions, this single mother and entrepreneur travelled across the Channel to England, where she overcame the odds to establish her remarkable and enduring brand. Determined to leave an account of who she was and the times she lived through, her memoirs, letters, and papers offer a unique insight into the creation of the extraordinary empire which bears her name.
#21 - Flying Scotsman: Sounds from the Footplate
Season 2017 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/1/2017
Another chance to enjoy the view from the driving seat of the world's most famous steam locomotive as Flying Scotsman travels the length of the Severn Valley Railway. Special 'cab cameras' and microphones capture all the action from the footplate - this time without commentary. Viewers can appreciate the evocative sound of steam transportation as this magnificent engine attracts crowds from far and wide. Veteran driver Roger Norfolk and fireman Ryan Green guide Scotsman on the leisurely journey through the countryside of the English Midlands, from Bridgnorth in Shropshire to Kidderminster in Worcestershire. Hundreds of enthusiasts also watch and wave from platforms, bridges and surrounding fields.
#22 - Britain's Nuclear Bomb: The Inside Story
Season 2017 - Episode 110 - Aired 5/3/2017
In 1957, Britain exploded its first megaton hydrogen bomb - codenamed Operation Grapple X. It was the culmination of an extraordinary scientific project, which against almost insuperable odds turned Britain into a nuclear superpower. This is the inside story of how Britain got 'the bomb'. The BBC has been granted unprecedented access to the top-secret nuclear research facility at Aldermaston. The programme features interviews with veterans and scientists who took part in the atomic bomb programme, some speaking for the first time, and newly released footage of the British atomic bomb tests.
#23 - The Crucible: 40 Golden Snooker Years
Season 2017 - Episode 102 - Aired 4/23/2017
Steve Davis goes back to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield to celebrate 40 years of the snooker world championships. If the walls of this famous regional theatre could talk, they would tell tales of tears, triumphs, occasional debauchery, laughter and top-class sport. With contributions from snooker legends Dennis Taylor, Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White and super-fans Stephen Fry and Richard Osman.
#24 - Francis Bacon: A Brush with Violence
Season 2017 - Episode 20 - Aired 1/28/2017
Francis Bacon was the loudest, rudest, drunkest, most sought after British artist of the 20th century. 25 years after his death, his canvases regularly exceed £40million at auction. Bacon's appeal is rooted in his notoriety - a candid image he presented of himself as Roaring Boy, Lord of Misrule and Conveyor of Artistic Violence. This was true enough, but only part of the truth. He carefully cultivated the facade, protecting the complex and haunted man behind the myth. In this unique, compelling film, those who knew him speak freely, some for the first time, to reveal the many mysteries of Francis Bacon.
#25 - Transgender Kids: Who Knows Best?
Season 2017 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/12/2017
Around the world there has been a huge increase in the number of children being referred to gender clinics - boys saying they want to be girls and vice versa. Increasingly, parents are encouraged to adopt a 'gender affirmative' approach - fully supporting their children's change of identity. But is this approach right? In this challenging documentary, BBC Two's award-winning This World strand travels to Canada, where one of the world's leading experts in childhood gender dysphoria (the condition where children are unhappy with their biological sex) lost his job for challenging the new orthodoxy that children know best. Speaking on TV for the first time since his clinic was closed, Dr Kenneth Zucker believes he is a victim of the politicisation of transgender issues. The film presents evidence that most children with gender dysphoria eventually overcome the feelings without transitioning and questions the science behind the idea that a boy could somehow be born with a 'female brain' or vice versa. It also features 'Lou' - who was born female and had a double mastectomy as part of transitioning to a man. She now says it is a decision that 'haunts' her and feels that her gender dysphoria should have been treated as a mental health issue. This documentary examines Zucker's methods, but it also includes significant contributions from his critics and supporters of gender affirmation, including transgender activists in Canada and leading medical experts as well as parents with differing experiences of gender dysphoria and gender reassignment.