The WORST episodes of Channel 4 (UK) Documentaries

#1 - The Invention of Boris Johnson

Season 2019 - Episode 33 - Aired 7/17/2019

Millions of words have been used to describe Boris Johnson and his suitability to be the UK's next prime minister, but none are more illuminating than those spoken and written by the man himself. As he competes with Jeremy Hunt to become the leader of the Conservative Party, this documentary sifts through hours of archive interviews and newspaper columns to build a picture of the man and his track record, largely through his own words.

#2 - Jamie Oliver: The Naked Chef Bares All

Season 2019 - Episode 43 - Aired 8/21/2019

#3 - The Great Train Robbery: The Hidden Tapes

Season 2019 - Episode 42 - Aired 8/12/2019

With access to tapes that have been hidden for over 40 years, this documentary goes behind the legend of the 1963 heist to uncover the true story of the crime of the century. Through tape recordings made by one of the key masterminds, the film explores the truth about the background to the robbery, and the audacious planning to carry it off, as well as revealing how one of the men managed to escape the police and live off his share of the loot until he died a few years ago.

#4 - Egypt's Great Pyramid Uncovered

Season 2019 - Episode 41 - Aired 8/10/2019

Documentary exploring the latest evidence concerning the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, and looking into the lives of those involved in building the vast structure. Among recent discoveries connected to the pyramid are the log book of a labour team leader, that provides an insight into the planning and logistics of the build and how the labourers were housed, fed, and organised.

#5 - Caught on Camera: Homes from Hell

Season 2019 - Episode 40 - Aired 8/1/2019

Real-life footage reveals some of the dangers lurking inside homes, from bugs and the chaos caused by animals and children to dodgy DIY and conflict with neighbours. Psychologists also reflect on the anxieties that can be caused for homeowners experiencing these situations while trying to relax.

#6 - Britain's Giant Pet Food Factory

Season 2019 - Episode 39 - Aired 8/1/2019

Mars make more pet products than chocolate. A look inside the company's giant pet food factory reveals a world of animals, science, and a million pet food pouches a day.

#7 - George Clarke's Council House Scandal

Season 2019 - Episode 38 - Aired 7/31/2019

George Clarke embarks on a campaign to kick start a housing revolution, and attempts to uncover the reasons behind the steep decline in affordable council house building. George meets visionary architects of the past, and visits the best and worst examples of housing on offer, and a trip to Vienna - where social housing can come with indoor and outdoor pools - proves inspirational for his housing vision for the future. Back in the UK, George challenges government to reform housing policy, before taking matters into his own hands on his campaign to kick start a new wave of council house building.

#8 - Lifers

Season 2012 - Episode 78 - Aired 6/18/2012

Every year in Britain, more than 600 people commit murder. The majority of these killers will eventually be sent to Gartree Prison in Leicester, which is home to Europe's largest population of life-sentenced prisoners. A brand new Cutting Edge documentary filmed over six months at HMP Gartree now provides an unprecedented insight into the lives of convicted killers facing a lifetime behind bars. These men will die in prison unless they can convince the authorities they have changed and are no longer a risk to society. With unique access to Gartree's cells, landings, segregation unit and visiting rooms, Lifers explores the everyday realities of prison life for those convicted of murder. The documentary examines the psychological impact of killing, following prisoners as they try to come to terms with what they've done, with varying degrees of remorse and contrition. Unlike regular prisoners, lifers do not have a fixed release date - after serving a minimum term behind bars (set by the trial judge), they will only be set free if they can prove that they are no longer a danger to the public. Lifers explores the behavioural courses and psychological interventions that convicted killers are expected to undergo as part of their rehabilitation. The film follows this process through to the parole board, where a team of independent experts must make the difficult decision of whether a prisoner is safe to be released back into the public or must remain behind bars for the foreseeable future.

#9 - Caught on Camera: Holidays from Hell

Season 2019 - Episode 37 - Aired 7/24/2019

Cameras reveal what can go wrong when a dream holiday turns into a nightmare. Footage includes flight delays, hurricanes and worrying hotel rooms, all told by the people who were there. Psychologists and industry experts also reflect on the anxieties and situations that many can experience during a break.

#10 - Boris Johnson: Fit to Be Prime Minister?

Season 2019 - Episode 36 - Aired 7/22/2019

This unauthorised, uncensored documentary examines Boris Johnson's time as Foreign Secretary. What does his time in high office reveal about whether he has what it takes to lead on the national stage?

#11 - Moon Landing Live

Season 2019 - Episode 35 - Aired 7/20/2019

The final stages of the Apollo 11 mission, following in real time the recordings of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin negotiating the final descent to the lunar surface, while Michael Collins remains in lunar orbit, uncertain if they will be successful or if he will be left to return to Earth alone. The programme features footage from the two astronauts' cameras, including the positioning of the American flag, as well as their call to President Nixon. It also follows the perilous return journey to Earth.

#12 - Tories at War

Season 2019 - Episode 34 - Aired 9/22/2019

The inside story of the bitter hatreds that mark the Conservative Party's struggle over Brexit - with extraordinary access to Cabinet ministers, Brexiteers and Remainer rebels.

#13 - Ken Russell 'In Search of the English Folk Song'

Season 1997 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/31/1997

#14 - Moon Launch Live

Season 2019 - Episode 32 - Aired 7/13/2019

A chance to relive the drama of the launch day of Apollo 11, combining NASA archive with global television footage from the day to take viewers back in time. Moon Launch Live relives the drama of the launch of Apollo 11 and uses contemporary references, flashes of the Vietnam War, adverts from the era and interviews from around the world to fully immerse viewers in the world of the summer of 1969.

#15 - Meghan & Harry: The Baby Years

Season 2019 - Episode 31 - Aired 7/10/2019

Roya Nikkhah presents this intimate look at what the future holds for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their baby, exploring how the family could walk the line between royal and American lifestyles.

#16 - When Cruises Go Wrong

Season 2019 - Episode 30 - Aired 7/10/2019

This year, around two million British people will take to the seas for the holiday of a lifetime promising class, elegance and refinement. However, as this documentary reveals, it's not always plain sailing. Featuring terrifying weather, emergency evacuations, collisions, sickness and crime, all caught on camera.

#17 - Warriors of Rome: Race to the Death

Season 2019 - Episode 29 - Aired 7/6/2019

Documentary exploring new discoveries about chariot racing in ancient Rome, exploring how influential the sport was in Roman culture. While charioteers are still among some of the best-paid sports stars in history, the stakes were particularly high, with riots provoked by the results of races and curses employed to influence the outcome. The documentary follows a team attempting to reconstruct a racing chariot and take it round a test track, and uncovers the story of the slave who became Rome's most successful driver.

#18 - Hunt for the Arctic Ghost Ship

Season 2019 - Episode 28 - Aired 6/4/2019

Secret History has exclusive access behind the scenes of the momentous expedition that found HMS Erebus: the Royal Navy ship that disappeared in 1845 while searching for the Northwest Passage.

#19 - Battle of the Super Eaters: 3,000 Calories a Minute

Season 2019 - Episode 27 - Aired 6/13/2019

#20 - My Gay Dog and Other Animals

Season 2019 - Episode 26 - Aired 6/6/2019

Documentary setting out to explore same-sex behaviour in animals, which has been reported in more than 1,500 species and was even observed by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Traditional evolutionary theory cannot explain the purpose of being gay. So how are we to explain such behaviour? Scientists give their thoughts, including the difficulty of separating so-called `dominance' behaviour from pure sexual interactions, while a commercial sheep breeder reveals how some rams are exclusively homosexual, and no good to his business.

#21 - Guy Martin's D-Day Landing

Season 2019 - Episode 25 - Aired 6/2/2019

To mark D-Day's 75th anniversary, Guy Martin restores a Dakota plane, undergoes brutal training with the Red Devils parachute display team, and parachutes into the Normandy countryside.

#22 - The Final Mission: Foxy's War

Season 2019 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/30/2019

Former elite Special Forces soldier Jason Fox embarks on a highly personal journey back to Afghanistan, nearly a decade after he last set foot in the country where he endured harrowing combat experiences during multiple tours of duty. Afghanistan both defined Jason as a soldier and made him the man he is today. He spent more than three years fighting in a war that saw some of the fiercest battles in modern British military history. He saw friends killed and seriously injured in combat, and narrowly escaped death multiple times. This left him with a punishing personal legacy: PTSD. Because of this, Jason was discharged from the Special Forces and made to leave behind the life and job he loved. Now he's attempting to understand this complex country and the people he was sent to help. He meets old friends and former enemies, and asks whether the sacrifices were worth the traumatic legacy that he, the Afghan people and many of his fellow soldiers have been left to endure.

#23 - A Very British Sex Shop

Season 2019 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/27/2019

This eye-opening documentary follows the extraordinary Richardson family, who run a chain of sex shops in Brighton.

#24 - 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

#25 - 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.