The Documentary Podcast

Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can make sense of the world. Home of the best documentaries from the BBC World Service.

World Service,2790 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

Befriending the man who killed my family
In Rwanda, survivors face the return of men who killed their families
08 May 2026,26 mins
Russia's 'nyet' to the internet
What’s driving the push to isolate Russia from the global internet?
07 May 2026,35 mins
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II: What’s next for Nasa's Artemis mission?
Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen reflects on his journey to the far side of the Moon
06 May 2026,41 mins
Serbia: Under The Canopy
A disaster at a Serbian station sparked mass protests. What is its political legacy?
05 May 2026,26 mins
Artist Joan Eardley
Scottish artist Joan Eardley produced monumental seascapes, landscapes, and portraits
04 May 2026,26 mins
For the love of dogs
In Uganda, dog-rescue scammers con Western animal lovers online
03 May 2026,26 mins
Mapping Epstein's global connections
How World Service journalists mapped Jeffrey Epstein's web of influence around the world
02 May 2026,26 mins
My social life as a wheelchair user
Wheelchair users discuss the barriers they face in social situations
02 May 2026,24 mins
A church without walls
In Johannesburg, Pastor Jane creates a church for those sidelined by traditional faith
01 May 2026,26 mins
Atomic crossroads: Poland's nuclear future
Poland aims to open its first nuclear power station. Is Chernobyl a distant memory?
30 Apr 2026,26 mins
Introducing: In Our Time: The Mariana Trench
Misha Glenny and guests discuss the exploration of the world's deepest ocean trench
29 Apr 2026,49 mins
Driving Against Net Zero
How populists are driving against the politics of Net Zero
28 Apr 2026,26 mins
Neha Vyaso: Crafting consent in Bollywood
Bollywood’s leading intimacy co-ordinator, Neha Vyaso, workshops consent on and off set
27 Apr 2026,26 mins
Introducing: The Climate Question: China's green energy revolution
Has China managed to stop its greenhouse gas emissions from growing thanks to renewables?
26 Apr 2026,27 mins
Inside the Mugabe dynasty
Why the late Robert Mugabe's wife and children have attracted criticism in Zimbabwe
25 Apr 2026,26 mins
Meet the preppers
“Stockpiling peace” preppers share their experiences
25 Apr 2026,23 mins
Faith and revolution in the Philippines
How Catholicism helped overthrow a dictator and restored democracy to the Philippines
24 Apr 2026,26 mins
Under the influence of AI
What happens when conversations with AI start to feel more real than the world around you?
23 Apr 2026,27 mins
Introducing Searching for Soldier Dad
DNA detectives track down the British soldiers who fathered children in Kenya
22 Apr 2026,3 mins
In Iceland's defence
Iceland is one of the few nations without a military. Is this a sustainable strategy?
21 Apr 2026,26 mins
The last dance floor in Chernobyl
A young couple fall in love against the backdrop of disaster
20 Apr 2026,58 mins
Patti LuPone: Taking the stage at Carnegie Hall
Patti LuPone has long reigned as one of Broadway’s most formidable leading ladies
19 Apr 2026,23 mins
Counting the soldiers dying for Russia
Hundreds of thousands of Russians have died in the war in Ukraine, but who are they?
18 Apr 2026,26 mins
Experiences of miscarriage
Two couples on the emotional toll of losing an unborn child and their relationship
18 Apr 2026,23 mins
Jamaica: Shaken, not broken
Hurricane Melissa devastated many of Jamaica’s 1,600 sacred spaces
17 Apr 2026,26 mins
Back to books: Sweden’s digital backlash
Why tech-savvy Sweden is ditching screens for books and pens in its schools
16 Apr 2026,29 mins
Surviving my daughter's killing
When 19-year-old Ann was killed, her mother chose restorative justice
15 Apr 2026,24 mins,
Pakistan: Hospitals putting children at risk of HIV
How and why Pakistani hospitals might be putting children at risk of HIV
14 Apr 2026,26 mins
Helping prisoners become better parents
An innovative scheme in Scotland is helping dads in prison become better parents
13 Apr 2026,23 mins
British Queen Elizabeth II's century of fashion
A new exhibition features the wardrobe of the late Queen Elizabeth II
12 Apr 2026,26 mins