The WORST episodes of BBC Documentaries
Every episode of BBC Documentaries ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of BBC Documentaries!
Documentaries produced by or for the BBC.
#1 - The Town That Floored The World
Season 2018 - Episode 105 - Aired 5/21/2018
How did the Scottish east coast port town of Kirkcaldy become the world centre for linoleum? The Town That Floored the World traces the history of that 'magic material' to its origins in the mid 19th century, and tells how one town built its fortunes on its manufacture. Current and former linoleum workers, and Kirkcaldy bairns including crime writer Val McDermid, share their stories of a life in flooring. Lino's role in high art and design is also traced.
#2 - Killed By My Debt
Season 2018 - Episode 114 - Aired 5/29/2018
In January 2015, Jerome Rogers, a popular nineteen year old from a council estate, finally got what he’d been working for – a new motorbike and his first real job, as a courier. But in the hands of bailiffs, two £65 traffic fines rose to over a thousand pounds. Some weeks, take-home pay in his zero hours job was as low as £12. Under the pressure of his debt, Jerome went to the woods where he’d played as a kid, and took his own life. This is his story…
#3 - Secrets of the Super Elements
Season 2017 - Episode 355 - Aired 5/24/2017
Forget oil, coal and gas - a new set of materials is shaping our world and they're so bizarre they may as well be alien technology. In the first BBC documentary to be filmed entirely on smartphones, materials scientist Prof Mark Miodownik reveals the super elements that underpin our high-tech world. We have become utterly dependent on them, but they are rare and they're already running out. The stuff that makes our smartphones work could be gone in a decade and our ability to feed the world depends mostly on a mineral found in just one country. Mark reveals the magical properties of these extraordinary materials and finds out what we can do to save them.
#4 - D-Day 6.6.1944
Season 2004 - Episode 45 - Aired 6/5/2004
Dramatised documentary, based on the experiences of the soldiers who invaded France in the D-Day Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 which were instrumental in ending World War II.
#5 - Ads on the Frontline
Season 2018 - Episode 112 - Aired 5/23/2018
Narrated by Eamonn Holmes, Ads on the Frontline looks at a controversial series of adverts produced by the Northern Ireland Office during the last 10 years of the Troubles. The aim was to encourage people to pass on information to a confidential phoneline to help end the violence. To some, the ads were British government propaganda, to others a cultural snapshot of Northern Ireland's brutal past. Ads on the Frontline hears from people on different sides of the debate.
#6 - Jonathan Meades on Jargon
Season 2018 - Episode 111 - Aired 5/27/2018
In this provocative television essay, writer and broadcaster Jonathan Meades turns his forensic gaze on that modern phenomenon that drives us all up the wall - jargon. In a wide-ranging programme he dissects politics, the law, football commentary, business, the arts, tabloid-speak and management consultancy to show how jargon is used to cover up, confuse and generally keep us in the dark. He contrasts this with the world of slang, which unlike jargon actually gets to the heart of whatever it's talking about even if it does offend along the way. With plenty of what is called 'strong language', Meades pulls no punches in slaying the dragon of jargon.
#7 - Wild Escapes
Season 2018 - Episode 110 - Aired 5/25/2018
Anita Rani and JJ Chalmers journey to Italy's stunning Dolomite Mountains for a raucous three-day mini adventure. Incredible food, stunning hiking, a bit of bottom slapping and a rather itchy alpine spa experience await. Stepping off the tourist trail completely, Anita and JJ want to uncover the true Dolomites experience, ditching the tourist guides and uncovering the hidden gems the locals know about. While former Royal Marine JJ is keen to get stuck into the 'Via Ferrata' high mountain walkways built during WW1, Anita delves into the rich food culture of the region - which borrows from both Italian and German influences - as well as discovering some rather peculiar traditions - notably a very itchy alpine spa experience and the schuhplattler, a violent dance that mimics the courting ritual of the wild grouse. With a guide itinerary that packs in a week's worth of activities into just one long weekend, the travel-mad duo want to show us that you don't have to go to the ends of the Earth and spend a fortune to have the holiday adventure of a lifetime. Follow their lead and you can find everything you could ever want at the end of a short hop flight.
#8 - The Toddlers Who Took on Dementia
Season 2018 - Episode 109 - Aired 5/23/2018
Could a lively bunch of three- and four-year-olds be the surprising key to tackling dementia? In a bold new experiment, the first of its kind in the UK, a group of toddlers head to a dementia day-care centre to share three days of time and activities with adults in their 70s and 80s. Overseen by expert psychologists from Bangor University, north Wales, this ambitious project tests if children might be the secret weapon in helping fight the sometimes crippling effects of dementia. Despite an age gap of eight decades, the two groups have one thing in common, they both ordinarily receive day-care support. But for the adults there is one significant difference - each person has a formal diagnosis of dementia or significant memory loss. The latest research reveals that one in every three children born this year in the UK will later develop a form of dementia, for which there is currently no cure. Can these little kids crack the way we all deal with dementia? Can they find the person behind the diagnosis? The psychologists set a series of specially designed activities to see if the young children can bring the adults back from their memory loss. Using rigged cameras at the centre in Colwyn Bay, they observe every moment of this unique social experiment unfold. They tap into the passions of the adults' younger years: a vintage-car ride for chauffer David alongside four-year-old Leo, song for musicals star Iris and talk of the beautiful game for a former footballer. The aim is to trigger memories and good moments but not all older participants are immediately convinced.
#9 - The Village
Season 2018 - Episode 108 - Aired 2/25/2018
A view of rural life set in the village of Ballycarry. Hidden away on the north Antrim coast is a village with a 400-year history. It's a place with strong Ulster-Scots traditions and close family ties but, with housing developments on the rise and services declining, they must work hard to keep their village community alive.
#10 - Manchester: The Night of the Bomb
Season 2018 - Episode 107 - Aired 5/22/2018
A powerful retelling of the 2017 terrorist attack for BBC2. On 22 May 2017, a Manchester-born man detonated a homemade bomb at an Ariana Grande pop concert, killing 22 people and himself. It was Britain's deadliest terrorist attack since 7/7. The documentary tells the story of that night in forensic detail, through the eyes of teenage girls who survived the attack and key members of the emergency services. It features unseen mobile phone video and unheard audio recordings. The film also explores the identity and motives of the suicide bomber. Featuring interviews with counter-terrorism police and Manchester residents, the film sheds light on what may have led Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old Manchester boy of Libyan parentage, to target a group of children attending a concert celebrating the independence and empowerment of young women.
#11 - Robbie's War: The Rise and Fall of a Playboy Billionaire
Season 2018 - Episode 106 - Aired 5/21/2018
Property tycoon Robbie Tchenguiz was once among Britain's super-rich. As one of the 'one per cent', this flamboyant tycoon amassed a fortune worth billions in the days when it was possible to have £16bn of assets - and yet £13bn of debt. But over the last ten years, Iranian-born Robbie's once gilded life - complete with superyacht, private jets and fast cars - has been in meltdown. He lost billions in the financial crash and then faced professional humiliation when arrested on suspicion of fraud. Though he was exonerated of any wrongdoing, today his empire is in tatters, and he is now fighting to save his home - a mansion next to London's Royal Albert Hall, worth an estimated £20million. Ten years ago, Robbie's success in the City meant he was viewed as something of a god - a dealer with the Midas touch. Robbie and his brother Vincent were notorious for their extraordinary deals, each worth hundreds of millions. But it was an empire based on debt, and these were the boom years. What goes up, often comes down. Robbie lost around 80 per cent of his net worth in the 2008 financial crash - though his real problem was to be a £1.4bn loan from an Icelandic bank that collapsed. It was this that led to his arrest in 2011. Since then, Robbie has been at war, fighting everyone from the Icelandic bank Kaupthing to the bank's receivers, Grant Thornton, who swooped across his empire, trying to recoup money for the creditors of the bank. And then there are his former trustees, Investec Trust Guernsey, who ran his offshore empire - and last but not least, the Serious Fraud Office, who arrested him. It took three years for the brothers to clear their names. They successfully sued for wrongful arrest, receiving a public apology and millions in compensation. But it is far from over. Robbie claims he is the victim of injustice, and he has been fighting the consequences for his business and family over the years. Robbie's war is run from his Mayfair office. It used to be f
#12 - Giant in the Sky: The Jumbo Jet at 50
Season 2018 - Episode 115 - Aired 5/26/2018
Unveiled in 1968, this is the story of the iconic 747 jumbo jet - from its nail-biting launch to a teary eyed crew on a final flight to the Arizona desert scrap yard.
#13 - Balls of Steel
Season 2018 - Episode 104 - Aired 5/21/2018
In the shadow of the steelworks lies Taibach Rugby Club. For more than 100 years it has been the foundation stone of the community. The club is a cross-section of the town. All Port Talbot life is here. It's a place where people come together for the important things in life - rugby, weddings, birthdays and funerals. The club hosts them all. But there is one event that is the highlight of the year - the annual Christmas pantomime, written and performed by the men of the club.
#14 - Countdown to the Full Motty
Season 2018 - Episode 103 - Aired 5/19/2018
Match of the Day's Gary Lineker introduces a special countdown of some of John Motson's greatest football commentaries from over 50 years as a broadcaster. A rare chance to indulge in commentary from classic matches with contributions from some of the biggest names in football, and of course from the man himself. No programme on Motty would be complete without some of his funnier moments, such as his famous report from Wycombe Wanderers in the snow wearing his beloved sheepskin coat.
#15 - Motty - The Man Behind the Sheepskin
Season 2018 - Episode 102 - Aired 5/19/2018
This season marks John Motson's 50th and final season working for the BBC. This special documentary charts his poignant, but fun-filled, journey around the football grounds that have provided the backdrop for so many remarkable commentaries and football stories from this unique broadcaster, famed for his love of a sheepskin coat. Along the way, we catch up with the key characters that have played starring roles in those famous Motty commentaries - starting with Hereford legend Ricky George. The programme relives some of his immortal commentary lines with the stories behind them from 'The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club' at the 1988 FA Cup final to 'things are getting better and better' when England won 5-1 in Germany. What has been the secret to the success of the man found to have the perfect commentary voice? Famed for his love of statistics, he is a wonderful orator and a much loved friend to many. With unique access to Motty's farewell tour, we also hear from those closest to him including his beloved wife Annie and son Freddie, football legends Gary Lineker and Ian Wright, his two co-commentators Sir Trevor Brooking and Mark Lawrenson, plus celebrity football fans Noel Gallagher and Sir Rod Stewart.
#16 - Rugby League's Legendary Watersplash Final
Season 2018 - Episode 99 - Aired 5/12/2018
Dave Woods presents a programme looking back at the 1968 Rugby League Challenge Cup final Leeds and Wakefield Trinity, which witnessed one of the most dramatic moments ever seen at a major sporting event. With what looked like the easiest of kicks to win the Wembley showpiece, Don Fox of Wakefield stepped up but somehow missed. Leeds won 11-10, and so began one of the most talked about and replayed scenes of all time in British sport. The programme looks back at that amazing match - which was played in horrific and wet conditions, hence becoming known as the Watersplash Final. Dave speaks to surviving members of both teams, including Don's brother Neil, who talks about the impact that fateful miss had on Don's life and career. It also sparked one of the most famous commentary lines: 'he's missed it, he's missed it... he's a poor lad' by Eddie Waring, as the BBC Grandstand cameras captured all the drama.
#17 - Tap America: How a Nation Found Its Feet
Season 2018 - Episode 100 - Aired 5/18/2018
Clarke Peters, the writer of Five Guys Named Moe and actor in the likes of The Wire and Three Billboards, explores the origins, development and modern significance of a great American vernacular art form he has loved since a child - tap dancing. From 17th-century accounts of the dances performed by African slaves on American soil to celebrated 19th-century dance-offs and contests between Irish and African-American dancers, through to the troubled Hollywood heyday of tap dancing in the 1930s and 40s when black dancers were routinely excluded from the film roles their talent deserved.
#18 - Pevsner Revisited
Season 2001 - Episode 69 - Aired 7/12/2001
Jonathan Meades investigates the life of the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner, and the writing of his largest work, The Buildings of England.
#19 - Six Weeks to Save the World
Season 2018 - Episode 98 - Aired 5/15/2018
In 1955 US evangelist Billy Graham arrived on an 'All Scotland Crusade' aimed at saving the country for Christianity. During the Cold War, amidst great austerity and mounting agnosticism, Graham arrived like a Christian Elvis and wowed more than a million people during a six-week residency at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall and major stadium events at Hampden, Ibrox and Tynecastle football grounds. Six Weeks to Save the World tells the story of Graham's crusade through the eyes of the people who were there and the cameras which followed him.
#20 - Nigeria's Stolen Daughters
Season 2018 - Episode 97 - Aired 5/15/2018
On 14th April 2014, 276 school girls aged between 16 and 18 were kidnapped form a school in Chibok, northern Nigeria. They were taken by Boko Haram, a violent Islamic insurgent movement, and hidden in the vast Sambisa forest. Following a global social media campaign around the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, featuring global celebrities and Michelle Obama, huge pressure was brought to bear on the Nigerian Government to get the girls back. Four years later more than 100 of the girls have been freed - they have been kept in a secret safe house in the capital Abuja. For the first time TV cameras have been granted access to the girls and in this powerful 60-minute documentary we follow them as they adapt to life after their traumatic imprisonment at the hands of Boko Haram. We witness reunions with family members they have not seen since they day they went missing and the process of coming to terms with what has happened to them. The Chibok Girls live in a gilded cage, cut off from contact with the world's media and provided with education and counselling that continues as they move into government funded places at the American University of Nigeria. Their fate could not be more different to the thousands of other Nigerian women who have fallen prey to Boko Haram. In the brutalised city of Maidugari we meet some of these Forgotten Girls. They have deeply disturbing stories of their treatment at the hands of Boko Haram and their troubles haven't ended on their escape from the forest - in Maidugari they are often treated with suspicion because of their connection with Boko Haram. Female suicide bombers have killed scores of people in the city. And for the Forgotten Girls there are none of the privileges afforded the Chibok Girls - many live hand to mouth in the slums and refugee camps, abandoned by the Nigerian state. Nigeria's Stolen Daughters is a moving and terrifying insight into Nigeria's brutal civil war.
#21 - Heart Transplant: A Chance to Live
Season 2018 - Episode 96 - Aired 5/14/2018
Based at The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, one of Europe's leading multi-organ transplant centres, the film follows a group of seven patient's ranging in age from eight months to 56 years old, all in desperate need of a new heart.
#22 - Beyond the Asylum
Season 2018 - Episode 95 - Aired 5/14/2018
30 years of Care in the Community, the biggest change in the treatment of mental health in the history of the NHS. Ian Hamilton speaks with those affected and asks if the policy has delivered its promises, or if it was just a an attempt to save money and shift responsibility for the most vulnerable.
#23 - Germaine Bloody Greer
Season 2018 - Episode 125 - Aired 6/9/2018
What is it like being Germaine Greer? This observational documentary spends time with her and finds out. Fearless, original and utterly charismatic, the 31-year-old Germaine Greer burst in to the national consciousness in 1970 with her game-changing bestseller The Female Eunuch. What did it feel like to be at the eye of the storm? What did the events at the time mean to the people caught up in them? Germaine takes us back to those giddy days and reflects with honesty, candour and caustic wit about what it was about then and how it all feels now. A rich seam of archive, including previously unseen footage, and an explosive soundtrack immerses us in those revolutionary times. Is The Female Eunuch still relevant? Are women and girls today any less slavish when it comes to male approval? And what does Germaine think of Me Too? Germaine Greer: funny, clever, contrary, sensitive and caustic - there is simply no one like her. This film gets to know her.
#24 - The Fight For Women's Bodies
Season 2018 - Episode 134 - Aired 6/13/2018
In the months leading up to, and days following Ireland’s historic referendum to repeal the eighth amendment, investigative journalist Ellie Flynn follows the story of the landmark vote to legalise abortion. Ahead of the referendum, Ellie travels to Ireland to meet activists and campaigners from both sides of the debate to try and understand the impact of the Law for young Irish voters and discovers that this incredibly divisive and emotionally charged issue is not as black and white as it seems. She meets a young ‘No’ vote campaigner who believes he's only alive because the amendment stopped his mother from aborting him in her youth and speaks to a woman who made the tragic decision to travel to the UK to abort her much wanted daughter after discovering she would be in extreme pain for the few moments she was likely to survive. In a behind the scenes look at UK abortion clinic, Ellie speaks to Irish women who have travelled abroad to abort and meets the woman facilitating medical abortions on Irish soil. On May 25th, Ireland voted Yes to the constitutional amendment to legalise abortion and Ellie returned to discuss the reaction.
#25 - The Voices In My Head
Season 2018 - Episode 133 - Aired 5/22/2018
A hybrid of observational documentary and audio reconstruction takes viewers in to the world of three people who hear voices as a result of mental illness.