The WORST episodes of Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries
Every episode of Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries!
Channel 4, in common with the other main British stations, airs a highly comprehensive range of programming. It was established in 1982 with a specific intention of providing programming to groups of minority interests, not catered for by its competitors, which at the time amounted to only the BBC and ITV.
#1 - Save My Child
Season 2019 - Episode 63 - Aired 11/26/2019
Documentary following two families trying to fund operations for their children. Six-year-old Pranav has cerebral palsy, and is determined to walk unaided - but the procedure and aftercare required will cost £100,000. In Northern Ireland, a mother tries to raise £32,000 to have the curve in her daughter's spine corrected.
#2 - Jamie's Easy Christmas Countdown
Season 2019 - Episode 74 - Aired 12/15/2019
Jamie Oliver is the man with the masterplan for a stress-free festive feast - from all the trimmings to the turkey, stuffing and, of course, fantastic gravy.
#3 - Scotland's Scenic Railways
Season 2019 - Episode 73 - Aired 12/15/2019
Beneath vast mountains and across open moorlands, Scotland's railways connect coastal towns and rural villages through a Highland landscape voted the world's most beautiful railway. This programme meets the people who work on the railway and the steam enthusiasts who safeguard these iconic routes, offering a glimpse into a diverse community united by a passion for the nation's railways.
#4 - The World's Greatest Kids' Films
Season 2019 - Episode 72 - Aired 12/15/2019
A countdown of some of the greatest family movies ever made, from enduring classics like Mary Poppins to modern hits including Finding Nemo. Featuring contributions from actors and film-makers. Steven Spielberg reveals the original inspiration for ET, while Christopher Lloyd shares his memories of being transformed into The Addams Family's Uncle Fester and Who Framed Roger Rabbit's villainous Judge Doom. The programme also features directors Robert Zemeckis, Ron Howard and David Yates discussing the secrets behind classic movie moments.
#5 - Britain's Wildest Weather
Season 2019 - Episode 71 - Aired 12/14/2019
Footage of some of the most extraordinary weather events of the year, including an avalanche in Snowdonia and the Toddbrook Reservoir incident in Derbyshire, which saw parts of nearby Whaley Bridge evacuated after flooding caused damage to the dam and it almost collapsed. Cameras also capture the sheer horror of being swept overboard by a monster wave in the middle of the night.
#6 - Adam Hills: Take His Legs
Season 2019 - Episode 70 - Aired 12/13/2019
This one-off special follows comedian and host of the award-winning The Last Leg, Adam Hills as he embarks on a personal, physical and emotional journey to live out his boyhood dream to play competitive rugby league. Take His Legs is the remarkable story of the birth of Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) in the UK, and the rise of the Warrington Wolves PDRL team, from open trial, to World Champions in just six months. As a die-hard rugby league fan and the driving force behind establishing the first PDRL team here in the UK, the documentary follows Adam as he and his Warrington Wolves team-mates prepare for the biggest game of their lives. Travelling to the other side of the world, the team play against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at the world famous ANZ Stadium in Australia at the first ever International Club Challenge to prove themselves the best in the world – and even get the chance to meet movie star and Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe. This is Adam’s personal journey from celebrity advocate and enthusiast to team-mate and friend to an incredible group of men, achieving something they never thought possible. The documentary also deals with mental health, PTSD, and the true impact of sport and teamwork on the emotional well-being of a team who have now formed a remarkable bond and support network for each other.
#7 - Christmas at Chatsworth House
Season 2019 - Episode 69 - Aired 12/12/2019
One-off documentary going behind the scenes of Chatsworth, one of England's most impressive stately homes, as the Duke, Duchess and their 800 staff brace themselves for an influx of 200,000 visitors over the 2019 festive season. Christmas is the most important event for the Derbyshire estate and crucial to its survival. In just five days, the house is transformed with 30 Christmas trees, 60,000 baubles, and a million fairy lights. But this year Derbyshire has been crippled by unprecedented flooding. Can family and staff rally to make this a season to be remembered?
#8 - Guy Martin's Great Escape
Season 2019 - Episode 68 - Aired 12/8/2019
Guy Martin wants to recreate the most iconic motorcycle stunt in movie history - the climax of the film The Great Escape, in which Steve McQueen's character Lieutenant Hilts steals a motorbike and attempts to jump two border fences into Switzerland. The original bike used in the film was a Triumph, and it's only right that Guy should convert and prep a modern Triumph Scrambler 1200 for his big stunt
#9 - The Space Between the Notes
Season 2019 - Episode 67 - Aired 12/4/2019
Sumantra Ghosal's documentary about two contemporary legends in Indian music: tabla genius Zakir Hussain and sitar maestro Niladri Kumar. Featuring interviews and concert highlights.
#10 - How to Save £1000 Online?
Season 2019 - Episode 66 - Aired 12/3/2019
Sabrina Grant and Helen Skelton help two families to reduce their online spending. They reveal how a simple change to buying airline tickets could reduce the cost of a family holiday by hundreds of pounds, examine the art of haggling over the internet, and explore ways to transform a wardrobe at a fraction of the normal price.
#11 - The Family Secret
Season 2019 - Episode 65 - Aired 12/3/2019
Documentary about sexual abuse within a family that has been kept a secret for 25 years. The film features access to all members of the family, and documents a meeting between the perpetrator and the victim.
#12 - Jobs from Hell: Caught on Camera
Season 2019 - Episode 64 - Aired 11/26/2019
Real-life footage - from funny to dramatic - demonstrates what can go wrong at work, from the dangers of late-night takeaways to violence in corner shops and some of the messiest jobs ever
#13 - What a F****** Year on TV with Mel B & Mel B
Season 2019 - Episode 75 - Aired 12/17/2019
A look back at the past year on TV with Mel B and Bo' Selecta's parody of her, who give their take on some of the most memorable moments from a high-rise apartment in Leeds. Donning the classic leopard print dress, surrounded by party food and a fridge full of bevvies, the Mels give their honest and brutal opinion on the TV highlights that have made us laugh out loud and shed a tear over the past year
#14 - Britain's Child Drug Runners
Season 2019 - Episode 60 - Aired 11/13/2019
Children as young as seven are being groomed to sell drugs for 'county lines' drugs gangs in towns and villages all over the UK. This documentary follows four young people trapped in this world.
#15 - Boeing's Killer Plane: What Went Wrong
Season 2019 - Episode 62 - Aired 11/20/2019
This documentary unravels the events that led to two Boeing 737 MAX passenger jets falling out of the sky, and investigates how the fastest-selling aircraft in Boeing's history ended in tragedy.
#16 - Boom, Bust & Bankers
Season 2019 - Episode 61 - Aired 11/19/2019
Documentary exploring the history and the workforce of Broadgate, the financial complex at the heart of the City of London, which is home to 28 international banks. The building has stood since 1985, when it formed a central element in Margaret Thatcher's efforts to redirect the British economy from manufacturing to finance. The programme examines the daily lives of those who work here, from CEOs and bankers to cleaners and security guards.
#17 - How to Halve Your Supermarket Bill
Season 2019 - Episode 59 - Aired 11/5/2019
Sabrina Grant and Anna Richardson reveal how to save a fortune on the weekly shop
#18 - How Europe Stole My Mum
Season 2019 - Episode 58 - Aired 10/31/2019
This irreverent comedy doc, presented by Kieran Hodgson, features Harry Enfield and Liza Tarbuck, and examines how Brexit came about and how we can put a divided country back together.
#19 - The World According to Putin
Season 2019 - Episode 57 - Aired 10/30/2019
A comic but ultimately alarming glimpse into the surreal world of Russian TV, from the Skripal poisoning to President Putin's hidden talent as a nightclub crooner
#20 - Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o
Season 2019 - Episode 56 - Aired 10/23/2019
Oscar-winning actress, author and producer Lupita Nyong'o uncovers the truth behind the women who inspired the Dora Milaje of Marvel's film Black Panther. Travelling to Benin in West Africa, Lupita reveals the stories of the real-life warrior women who fought African and European powers alike from the 17th to the 19th centuries in the Kingdom of Dahomey, centred in the modern-day country of Benin
#21 - Bill Turnbull: Staying Alive
Season 2019 - Episode 55 - Aired 10/24/2019
In 2017, journalist and TV presenter Bill Turnbull was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer shortly after filming The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer. Like many others, Bill chose to ignore the early warning signs and by the time he went to his doctor, the cancer had spread from his prostate to his bones. He then made the decision to go public in the hope of encouraging more men to get checked. This documentary follows Bill over a year as he undertakes chemotherapy, tries cannabis for medicinal purposes and adopts a healthier diet.
#22 - Charlotte Church: My Family & Me
Season 2019 - Episode 54 - Aired 10/17/2019
One-off documentary in which singer Charlotte Church explores the relationship people have with their parents by spending a week alone with her own mother and father for the first time since she was a teenager. The Churches travel to an isolated part of Devon, where they prove themselves to be an ordinary working-class family from Cardiff who just happened to have a superstar daughter. But while there is love, things at times are incredibly difficult, and it becomes apparent there is a major issue from the past that the parents and daughter have never been able to resolve
#23 - Lost Pharaohs of the Nile
Season 2019 - Episode 53 - Aired 10/13/2019
Archaeologists excavate magnificent sites - from pyramids to temples - along the Sudanese Nile Valley, to reveal the history of the ancient African superpower: the Black Pharaohs
#24 - Egypt's Lost Pyramid
Season 2019 - Episode 52 - Aired 9/29/2019
Documentary following archaeologists working on a 4,000-year-old pyramid containing a burial chamber, still apparently sealed. As light enters the tomb for the first time, the artefacts contained within reveal a gripping detective story as although there are no signs of entry, the contents have been disturbed. To solve the mystery, Egyptologists explore the nearby Black Pyramid to see how pyramid builders used every trick in the book to protect the treasures, discovering a dark and complex labyrinth of dummy tombs, false passages and stone portcullises to fool robbers.
#25 - Bring Back The Bush: Where Did All The Pubic Hair Go?
Season 2020 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/27/2020
Author Chidera Eggerue explores people's relationship with pubic hair, investigating why so many women remove their pubic hair when even a few decades ago it wasn't seen as necessary. Along the way, she challenges herself and her peers to grow out their pubic hair and put on an exhibition in which they reveal their naked, natural bodies to the world.