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 - 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
#2 - 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.
#3 - 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
#4 - 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.
#5 - 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.
#6 - 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.
#7 - 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.
#8 - 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
#9 - 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.
#10 - 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
#11 - 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
#12 - 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.
#13 - 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.
#14 - 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
#15 - 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.
#16 - Thomas Cook: The Rise & Fall of Britain's Oldest Travel Agent
Season 2019 - Episode 51 - Aired 10/6/2019
Documentary exploring the reasons behind the collapse of one of the world's best-known holiday brands. The company was founded in 1841, but collapsed after running into severe financial difficulties in recent years, leaving thousands of staff out of work and 150,000 holidaymakers stranded. This programme explores where the current situation leaves customers and if a similar collapse could occur again.
#17 - The Rebel Chef: My Restaurant Revolution
Season 2019 - Episode 50 - Aired 9/19/2019
Gary Usher, Britain's most controversial chef, builds an eatery out of rubble as he brings excellent affordable bistro food to working class locals on Merseyside.
#18 - Inside Cadbury: Chocolate Secrets Unwrapped
Season 2019 - Episode 49 - Aired 9/15/2019
#19 - My Daughter the Teenage Nudist
Season 2012 - Episode 79 - Aired 1/21/2012
Mollie and Alex are part of a growing group of teens and twenty-somethings embracing the world of public nudity. They are on a quest to normalise nudity, question the media's obsession with... See full summary »
#20 - Brexit Debate: A Very British Coup?
Season 2019 - Episode 48 - Aired 9/2/2019
On the eve of Parliament returning amid a growing crisis over Brexit and its prorogation, Krishnan Guru-Murthy presents a live debate in which voters discuss the future of the UK with leading politicians.
#21 - 50 Years of the Troubles: A Journey Through Film
Season 2019 - Episode 47 - Aired 9/1/2019
Mark Cousins presents a personal perspective on the Northern Irish Troubles through the prism of film, revealing how his passion for cinema was fuelled by his formative years in Belfast.
#22 - Britain's Extreme Weather: Superstorms & Heatwaves
Season 2019 - Episode 46 - Aired 8/26/2019
Tornadoes, torrential rain, lightning storms, flash floods and a record breaking temperature of 38.7C. We haven’t even reached the end of August yet. This programme features archive footage, personal stories and striking visuals of Britain’s recent heatwave. We delve into the latest science and ask why this is happening. Is this part of a developing global pattern of record extreme weather, and as a country, can we cope? With 15 of the 16 hottest summers on record occurring since 2001, we look at climate change and its link to severe weather events – exploring how they are likely to hit harder and more often in the years ahead. The unfolding scene at Whaley Bridge has prompted deeper questions on how prepared we are for these potentially devastating changes to our climate. Can our ageing infrastructure – with damaged dams, melting roads, buckled railways and burst sewers – cope with this ever more brutal onslaught? What effect will this have on our agriculture and the cost of living? How will we live in our overheated cities? We examine calls from many climatologists to change our lifestyles – now. If we’re going to press pause on Britain’s extreme weather, what practical steps can we take to help stop this climate crisis destroying Britain?
#23 - Prince Albert: A Victorian Hero Revealed
Season 2019 - Episode 45 - Aired 8/24/2019
With access to private papers and thousands of photographs, Professor Saul David examines Albert's significant role in shaping Victorian Britain.
#24 - Kylie's Secret Night
Season 2019 - Episode 77 - Aired 12/25/2019
Fresh from her Glastonbury legends slot triumph and a raft of sold-out tour dates throughout the world, this one-off sees an audience arrive for what they believe is a Kylie-themed fan extravaganza hosted by Alan Carr. They're actually going to be spending a secret evening with the lady herself. Over the course of the show, Kylie Minogue will treat her guests to the ultimate thank you through heartfelt conversation with Alan, memorable performances, surprise money-can't-buy gifts, hidden camera VTs and funny stunts.
#25 - Australia on Fire: Climate Emergency
Season 2020 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/3/2020
The dramatic, terrifying story of the battle against the bushfires down under, with first-hand accounts from firefighters and residents, including people who lost everything