The WORST episodes of History Channel Documentaries

#1 - Behind The DaVinci Code

Season 2005 - Episode 279 - Aired 7/25/2005

Before Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code, there was Holy Blood, Holy Grail, written by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, that is known for its revelation of the possibility of a sacred bloodline continued by Jesus and Mary Magdalene. It was their research on which Brown based much of his novel. Now, 30-some years since they wrote their last follow-ups, Henry Lincoln continues to investigate the source of the story. In this special, the man who launched the whole story breaks his silence, allowing viewers to unlock his secrets and addressing critics who say the whole thing is a hoax. We also explore the connection to the Knights Templar.

#2 - Alexander Graham Bell & the Telephone (History Channel)

Season 2008 - Episode 41 - Aired 1/15/2008

March 1876: Alexander Graham Bell struggles with an invention that may change the world. Early nineteenth century America is experiencing an explosive growth and expansion across a vast landscape. A technology is needed to meet the communication needs for this new nation, and Bell is convinced that he can transmit speech over great distances. Early telegraphs can only transmit one message over one wire at one time, and the message must be coded and decoded one letter at a time. Bell begins work on a multiple telegraph, but his genius will lead to a different revolutionary device that will carry thousands of simultaneous messages and shape the future--the telephone.

#3 - Hidden History in Your House

Season 2014 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/23/2014

What does Thomas Jefferson have to do with your lights? How is Henry Ford connected to your grill? What does your pool have to do with taxidermy?

#4 - Ghost Planes: And the Mystery of Flight 370

Season 2014 - Episode 27 - Aired 8/9/2014

At the time of this writing, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, transporting 227 passengers and 12 crew members from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, has been missing for months. An unprecedented international search was unable to locate any bodies or debris. According to the Aviation Society Network, more than 80 aircrafts have been declared "missing" since 1948--"Ghost Planes" that have literally vanished without a trace.

#5 - Decoding the Past: Secrets of the Dollar Bill

Season 2007 - Episode 15 - Aired 7/27/2006

What do the symbols and numbers on the dollar bill actually mean? We'll take a look at the shadier and more intriguing threads of meaning and symbolism at play in the bill's design. Extraordinary strands of numerology are interwoven into the bill's structure which on analysis suggest surprising hidden alignments. Why does it look the way it does and how has it changed through the ages? We'll analyze the significance of changes in the bill's appearance over time and examine alternative designs. We'll also look at the historical context of the bill's conception--what the dollar bill set out to represent--the patriotism and idealism of a young republic; and go inside the Treasury's Department of Printing and Engraving for exclusive access to the presses and the people who process the millions upon millions of dollars in circulation.

#6 - The Rise and Fall of El Chapo

Season 2016 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/24/2016

Killer, drug smuggler, folk hero, Houdini of jailhouse escapes--the legend of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is well known. But now this two-hour documentary special reveals an unprecedented look at the man behind the myth and how his international drug cartel impacts us right here at home.

#7 - 50 Years of Star Trek

Season 2016 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/14/2016

“50 Years of Star Trek” celebrates the iconic Star Trek franchise that has spanned generations and spawned a diehard cult following. Cast and creators, including Leonard Nimoy in one of his final full length interviews, give an inside look into the series and reflect on its legacy. From primetime television series to worldwide blockbuster, the Star Trek franchise has long been a pop culture phenomenon. Directed by Ian Roumain, “50 Years of Star Trek” explores the series with those who know it best. The documentary features interviews with cast members and creators from all Star Trek television series and films including Whoopi Goldberg (“Guinan”), Jonathan Frakes (“Riker”), Nichelle Nichols (“Uhura”), J.J. Abrams, Bryan Fuller, and Simon Pegg as they reflect on their contribution to the ground breaking franchise and reveal their all-time favorite episodes and iconic moments from the past 50 years. The documentary also highlights the unique fan culture the series has created. Notable Trekkies Michael McKean, Olivia Munn, Bruce Campbell and others share their memories about the series and explore how it has impacted American history and culture.

#8 - 15 Septembers Later

Season 2016 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/5/2016

Featuring interviews with key political figures including President George W Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Rudolph Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, and media heavy hitters Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Matthew Broderick, this documentary event examines 9/11 through the lens of the last 15 years. Brought to life by photos declassified in 2016, recently released documents from the 9/11 commission, and never before heard stories from photographers and first responders, a new perspective will arise to provide an unrivaled viewpoint of the historic attack.

#9 - America's 9/11 Flag: Rise From the Ashes

Season 2016 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/11/2016

Featuring best-selling author and History host Brad Meltzer, this program uncovers the mystery and search of the iconic Ground Zero 9/11 Flag. Captured in an iconic photo that galvanized America, the flag disappeared on 9/11. Along with key forensic and art crimes experts, Brad attempts to unravel the mystery.

#10 - Time Machine: Banned from the Bible

Season 2016 - Episode 18 - Aired 7/17/2016

#11 - White Supremacy: Going Under

Season 2016 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/1/2016

Tells the extraordinary stories of three people who infiltrated white hate groups in an effort to bring them down from the inside. But these individuals unknowingly become part of fighting something far larger: the tight network of American white supremacy groups that is growing bolder and stronger every day.

#12 - Nostradamus: Election 2016

Season 2016 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/6/2016

Some experts on Nostradamus’s prophecies say that the French seer has already predicted the result of the 2016 presidential election in his 1555 book Les Propheties. They point to his description of the rise of the “masculine woman” also known as “The Queen” or “The Blonde One” and also of the “great shameless, audacious bawler”. The latter they assume refers to Donald Trump.

#13 - ISIS: Rise of Terror

Season 2016 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/13/2016

How does a local militia run by a former criminal become the world’s most feared terrorist organization–a self-proclaimed state able to coordinate and inspire deadly attacks in cities and towns around the world? ISIS: Rise of Terror reveals the origins of the Islamic State, what they want to achieve, and how their shocking and violent tactics have redefined warfare in the 21st century. Focusing on fateful turning points in history, the documentary looks at America’s 8-year war in Iraq through the lens of the U.S. policymakers, generals and intelligence officials who were there. They detail the missed opportunities that may have forestalled the rise of ISIS and track its evolving reign of terror through to the currently unfolding operations to roll back ISIS territory. Hear from attack survivors. And in an extraordinary interview, get a rare and unflinching first-hand look at life inside the Caliphate from an unrepentant ISIS fighter who justifies beheadings.

#14 - Dear Home: Letters from World War I

Season 2000 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/1/2000

Narrated by Harry Smith, DEAR HOME: LETTERS FROM WWI chronicles the experiences of American soldiers and supply clerks, pilots and postal workers from draft day to homecoming, how they clung to pen and paper as their only connection to home, and how the war left them forever changed.

#15 - Home for the Holidays: History of Thanksgiving

Season 2006 - Episode 33 - Aired 11/19/2006

From the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, Lincoln's 1863 declaration naming it a national holiday, to turkey, Macy's parade, and football, share the abundant feast of Thanksgiving history.

#16 - Pearl Harbor: 75 Years Later

Season 2016 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/3/2016

This documentary special takes us on a journey through the “day that will live in infamy,” by exploring the biggest stories and lesser known details that still surprise us 75 years later. Accounts from experts, military minds, and even those who lived through it, will show how this tragedy continues to shape our country today.

#17 - Pearl Harbor: The Truth

Season 2016 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/4/2016

This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The truth behind Pearl Harbor is explored through new revelations from previously undisclosed documents that expose the appalling intelligence and military blunders that allowed the early warning signs of the Japanese attack to be missed. The documentary uncovers a cover-up that concealed a shocking catalogue of errors, and possibly made scapegoats of high ranking military officers, as well as their family’s ongoing quest to clear their name.

#18 - The Great Builders of Egypt

Season 1999 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/7/1999

#19 - Last Days on Earth

Season 2006 - Episode 29 - Aired 8/30/2006

How smart are we as a civilization? Smart enough to control our own destiny and avoid the cataclysms that could end life as we know it? Using state-of-the-art computer-generated graphics and interviews with the world’s top scientists, Last Days on Earth takes viewers inside seven of the deadliest threats to humanity. Some have the power to render us extinct, others can destroy the planet; all could entail the end of our civilization. How likely are they to occur, what exactly would happen if they did, and could we survive? Last Days on Earth goes beyond science fiction to science fact, as it takes viewers on a roller-coaster ride through black holes, intelligent robots, asteroid strikes and deadly plagues. Viewers will journey from the outer reaches of the universe to the inner world of DNA.

#20 - Voodoo Secrets

Season 2005 - Episode 278 - Aired 5/1/2005

A cult of magic spells, diabolical curses, satanic worship, human sacrifice, zombies, and dolls stuck with pins? Experts explain how, over the past few centuries, the ancient religion of Voodoo has been systematically maligned, persecuted, and nearly wiped out. To uncover the truth behind Voodoo, we travel to where it began at least 5,000 years ago on the central west coast of Africa. In the tiny nation of Benin, Voodoo is practiced today as it has been for thousands of years. Our cameras captured a rarely-seen event--an African Voodoo ceremony with animal sacrifice. We also investigate grisly events blamed on Voodoo, such as: the sinking of a ferry in Haiti that killed 200 people and was blamed on a Voodoo curse; death of Robert Tallant, author of the 1947 bestseller Voodoo in New Orleans; and how Marie Laveau, the "Queen of Voodoo" in New Orleans, saved two men from the gallows in 1850. Could these tales be true?

#21 - Bloodlines: The Dracula Family Tree

Season 2006 - Episode 254 - Aired 10/29/2006

When a team of Dracula hunters, notably members of a family linked to the real-life Prince Vlad Dracul, tries to unearth the truth about the tyrant, they are haunted by mystifying events, misfortune, and tragedy 500 years after the 15th-century prince died.

#22 - Witch Hunt

Season 2004 - Episode 286 - Aired 10/31/2004

Theatrical special drawn from the trial excerpts presenting new theories about the famous events in Salem Village

#23 - The Real Wolfman

Season 2009 - Episode 276 - Aired 10/28/2009

In the mid 1700s, a mysterious beast viciously attacked and killed 102 villagers in the French village of Gevaudan. The victims, mostly women and children, were mauled and decapitated, their naked bodies all bearing the bite marks of a non-human creature. The killings mark the largest number of alleged werewolf attacks in history and are the basis of the Hollywood Wolfman legend. Venture deep into the mythology and folklore of werewolves with renowned cryptozoologist Ken Gerhardt and veteran criminal profiler George Deuchar as they investigate this reviled creature that brutally kills when the moon is full. In their investigation, they uncover intriguing paranormal transformations, diseases that make men look and act like animals, strange but true stories of children raised by wolves and, eventually, the dark side of human nature in the horrific truth behind the Gevaudan werewolf attacks

#24 - The Real Scorpion King

Season 2002 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/23/2002

It is 3450 BCE. Egypt is in chaos. Nomadic tribes maraud the desert, clashing in bitter conflict for control of land and wealth. Into the struggle steps one man who unites the warring factions and lays the foundation for the greatness of Egyptian civilization. His name is King Scorpion. He is more than a Hollywood action hero, he is real, and is one of the founding Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Evidence in King Scorpion's recently discovered tomb, and primitive writing in a remote location in Egypt's Western desert, is revealing that the foundation for Pharaonic Egypt begins earlier than previously believed. The evidence is forcing scholars to rewrite history, establishing a whole new dynasty of Egyptian kings, Dynasty Zero. The quest to uncover the Real Scorpion King is a journey to the origins of Egyptian Civilization and the birth of history.

#25 - Titanic: 100 Years in 3D

Season 2012 - Episode 38 - Aired 8/14/2012

The 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic...a new look in 3-D