Documentaries

Gay Rights: Tying the Knot?
Richard Coles asks if gay marriage is the last crusade of the campaign for gay rights.
18 Mar 2014,30 mins
The Hidden Story of British Slavery
Sangita Myska investigates the secret story of Britons held as slaves.
02 Sep 2019,28 mins
The Birth of Music
What music did Neolithic peoples make? Jude Rogers and guests have fun speculating.
19 Nov 2024,28 mins
I Belong to Glazgoy
Phil Alexander puts together the story of a composer through a newly found piece of music.
06 Aug 2023,28 mins
Extreme Architecture
Fantasy Architecture
An examination of fantasy buildings and the possibility of them ever being built
16 Aug 2004,21 mins
More episodes
You May Now Turn Over Your Papers
Mary Beard tells the intriguing story of the history of exams.
06 Jul 2016,30 mins
Slimboy Fat: The Problem with BMI
As Dr Mark Porter's waistline increases, he puts his body mass index, or BMI, to the test.
11 Aug 2015,28 mins
Fighting The Power of Pink
Kat Arney investigates why little girls are addicted to the colour pink, and if it matters
09 May 2011,30 mins
Hersey's Hiroshima
Seventy years ago, an article about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima rocked the world.
22 Aug 2016,28 mins
Nusrat Was My Elvis
Navid Akhtar examines the legacy of the influential Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
21 Aug 2007,30 mins
Teaching Economics After the Crash
Aditya Chakrabortty reports on the student fight to reform their economics education.
02 Dec 2014,38 mins
Online Shopping, Indian Style
Mukti Jain Campion discovers how Indians are embracing the online shopping revolution.
16 Dec 2015,28 mins
In Search of Originality
Ian Peacock sets out to achieve the seemingly impossible, to be original.
06 Apr 2012,30 mins
The Big League
The football league for big players aiming to transform their lives.
19 Dec 2023,28 mins
The French Culture War
Exploring the culture war between secularism and a new generation of Muslims in France.
10 Nov 2016,30 mins
In the Child's Best Interests
How and when should the decision be made to end the life of a critically ill child?
04 Dec 2018,37 mins
16 5 66
The story of how two of the greatest albums of all time were released on the same day.
10 May 2016,30 mins
The Strange Case of Henry James' Testicles
Professor John Sutherland investigates the 'obscure hurt' suffered by Henry James in 1861.
01 Aug 2017,30 mins
Hatidza's Murderous Street
Ed Butler returns to Srebrenica - what has happening in the intervening years?
21 Nov 2003,25 mins
19th Century African Leaders
Discussion of the legacy of 19th-century African leaders who re-drew the political map.
18 Apr 1972,14 mins
What's in a Name?
Sangita Myska with a witty and insightful exploration of names in contemporary Britain.
09 Nov 2012,28 mins
Putin’s Blood Feud
Charles McPhedran investigates the truth behind a state-sponsored murder.
18 Feb 2025,42 mins
A Scottish Hotel in the Holy Land
Why is the Church of Scotland funding a luxury boutique hotel in the Holy Land?
31 Oct 2012,28 mins
Giants on our Hands
Modernisation is making many of Asia's working elephants redundant
25 Aug 2006,22 mins
Making Waves
Surfer Helen Scales goes in search of the perfect man-made wave.
09 Sep 2015,28 mins
Military Ink
Can a tattoo capture the highs and lows of a life spent in the military?
06 Nov 2023,28 mins
Network UK
Glastonbury Festival Discourages Travellers
A report from Glastonbury Festival as Michael Eavis acts to keep out travellers
01 Jul 1997,28 mins
More episodes
Am I Really Free?
When are mentally ill patients really free to make decisions about their treatment?
22 Dec 2011,30 mins
Silk
Episode 2
Steph discovers how silk's global spread has driven industrial and technological change.
30 Oct 2013,28 mins
More episodes
The Deprofessionals
Matthew Hill asks what is happening to Britain's public services.
02 Apr 2013,38 mins