The Documentary Podcast Podcast
Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. Documentary storytelling from the BBC World Service.
Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. The best of documentary storytelling from the BBC World Service.
From conflict in the Middle East to the advance of AI, to the front line of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines. Each week we dive into the minds of the world’s most creative people, take personal journeys into spirituality and connect people from across the globe to share how news stories are shaping their lives.
Episodes to download
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The Ahr Valley flood
Thu 4 Nov 2021
In July, the River Ahr in Germany rose engulfing ancient towns and villages in its path
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A Geochemical HIstory of LIfe on Earth: 5. The Anthropocene
Sun 31 Oct 2021
Could human engineering stabilise the Earth's climate and chemistry in the long term?
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The Story of Aids: 4. The end of an epidemic?
Sat 30 Oct 2021
How activists and medical staff fought the government to U-turn on Aids treatment in SA
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Climate: Animals under threat
Sat 30 Oct 2021
We consider the impact of climate change on animals and the food chain
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Ros Atkins on: The US and China’s climate commitments
Sat 30 Oct 2021
Ros Atkins looks at the climate promises of two of the world’s biggest polluters
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Lytton Burns
Thu 28 Oct 2021
Climate Crisis isn't coming. It's here!Extreme weather events are becoming the new normal
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A Geochemical History of Life on Earth: 4. The great chemistry experiment
Sun 24 Oct 2021
What can the last 66 million years teach us about the consequences of climate change?
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The Story of Aids: 3. Aids denialism in South Africa
Sat 23 Oct 2021
How South Africa became the epicentre of the global HIV-Aids crisis
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Climate: Changing seas
Sat 23 Oct 2021
We hear from people the in the countries affected by sea level rise
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Ros Atkins on: The UK’s rising Covid cases
Sat 23 Oct 2021
Ros Atkins explains why Covid-19 cases in the UK are higher than most of its neighbours
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Denmark’s Red Van
Thu 21 Oct 2021
A unique project aimed at reducing harm to women selling sex in Copenhagen
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The lost art of breathing
Tue 19 Oct 2021
Each of us takes more than 25,000 breaths a day. But are we even doing it right?
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A series of unfortunate events
Sun 17 Oct 2021
How a chemical element may have held evolution back for a billion years
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The Story of Aids: 2. Act Up fights back
Sat 16 Oct 2021
How the Aids protest group Act Up accelerated America's response to the crisis
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World of Wisdom: Forgiveness
Sat 16 Oct 2021
Forgiving someone who has hurt us badly can seem impossible. Is it?
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Ros Atkins on: China-Taiwan tensions
Sat 16 Oct 2021
Ros Atkins looks at what’s behind China’s military pressure on Taiwan
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Russia: The limits of freedom
Thu 14 Oct 2021
The story of BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford’s expulsion from Russia
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Somalia’s forgotten hostages
Tue 12 Oct 2021
The sailors held captive for years and the retired British Colonel who helped free them
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A Geochemical History of Life on Earth: 2. When bacteria ruled the world
Sun 10 Oct 2021
How two of the most important developments in our planet's evolution occurred
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World of Wisdom: Hope and children
Sat 9 Oct 2021
Many worry for the world their children will live in. How do we keep hope alive?
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The Story of Aids: 1. The beginning
Sat 9 Oct 2021
The early years of the HIV-Aids crisis, as told by the people who lived through it
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Coronavirus: Protecting vulnerable children
Sat 9 Oct 2021
We speak to parents whose children have weakened immune systems
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The UK's net zero challenge
Sat 9 Oct 2021
Ros Atkins examines if the UK is on track to reach its 2050 net zero goal
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Pandora Papers: On the trail of dirty money
Thu 7 Oct 2021
How money made from the 'world's biggest bribery scandal' ended up in UK property
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Smart women, male genius
Tue 5 Oct 2021
The myth of male genius is debunked by science writer and broadcaster Angela Saini
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A Geochemical History of Life on Earth: 1. In the beginning
Sat 2 Oct 2021
How did the continuous chemical reaction that we call "life" first begin?
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World of Wisdom: Making decisions
Sat 2 Oct 2021
Big life decisions can seem overwhelming. Can we learn to make them?
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Coronavirus: Vaccine regret
Sat 2 Oct 2021
Two Americans share how they refused vaccine and ended up in hospital with Covid-19
