Podcast · 508 episodes
The Documentary Podcast, page 3
by BBC World Service · English
The best documentaries 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. From Australia's relationship with China, to Turkey's sinkhole problem, to understanding the behaviour of dictators, we go beyond the headlines. Each week, all year round, we bring you the stories shaping our world. From the personal voices behind the headlines to perspectives on faith and spirituality and how work and money impact our lives. Discover how people find solutions to global problems and look at the world through the lens of its media. Powered by the BBC World Service’s global network, The Documentary Podcast is about the people living the story – helping you see the world with greater clarity.
All episodes, page 3
LA: Rising from the ashesHow Los Angeles neighborhoods recover after the Jan 7, 2025 Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires, and how architects and residents rebuild with fire-resilient design while preserving community…20 Aug 2026 · 26 min · 14 chapters
The Kansas City cycling revolutionA BBC World Service documentary revisiting Kansas City’s “cycling revolution” since a 2008 report that found it the worst US city for cycling.19 Aug 2026 · 31 min · 14 chapters
Raiders of the lost artA BBC World Service documentary about how stolen cultural artifacts and rare books are traced, seized, and returned to rightful owners—using a case involving John Keats’ love letters and the work of…18 Aug 2026 · 34 min · 16 chapters
Behind the scenes of BookishBehind-the-scenes of BBC World Service’s In the Studio, focused on how Bookish (a post-WWII crime drama) is written and structured—especially its 1946 setting, mystery “architecture,” and how…17 Aug 2026 · 26 min · 11 chapters
The sound of soft powerSoft power via international radio—how shortwave broadcasting shaped persuasion across borders, especially during the East–West Cold War, and what happens as funding and audiences shift in the…16 Aug 2026 · 49 min · 23 chapters
Ukraine and Russia’s recruitment warThe episode is about how the Ukraine-Russia war is driving a “recruitment war” and how both sides try to secure manpower.15 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 15 chapters
Experiences of droughtPersonal accounts of drought’s impacts on farming and on water-dependent businesses and transport across the US, Europe, and India.15 Aug 2026 · 24 min · 11 chapters
The creator of France's 'Untouchables' housesBBC World Service Heart and Soul documentary about Laurent de Cherizé, who founded France’s “Simon of Cyrene” houses (sometimes called “Untouchables houses”), where severely disabled people live…14 Aug 2026 · 26 min · 15 chapters
Tree of diplomacyBotanical diplomacy between China and the US, showing how plant exploration and shared scientific work helped keep communication open through wars, trade disputes, and COVID—symbolized by ancient…13 Aug 2026 · 29 min · 20 chapters
The world's largest wildlife crossingThe Wallace–Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a planned opening in December near Los Angeles’ Highway 101, designed to reconnect habitat across 10 freeway lanes and reduce wildlife fragmentation and…12 Aug 2026 · 23 min · 14 chapters
Victoria Falls: An environment on the edgeVictoria Falls’ surrounding environment is under pressure from elephant-human conflict and competing plans for tourism and development in Zambia and Zimbabwe, including UNESCO World Heritage…11 Aug 2026 · 28 min · 16 chapters
Special forces on trialBBC World Service investigation into the August 2023 murder of South African Hawks detective Lt Col Franz Matiba, and how it may connect to the disappearance of alleged ISIS-linked figure Abdallah…9 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 18 chapters
Africa's first film cityThe episode follows the early development of Kibbolania, described as Africa’s first purpose-built film city on the outskirts of Lagos (100 hectares in Ekbe), meant to create a “creative technology…9 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Rapping behind bars in CameroonThe episode from BBC World Service’s “The Fifth Floor” focuses on Nubal Prison in Douala, Cameroon, described as a “city within a city” with its own taxis, policing, market, and an overcrowded,…8 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 14 chapters
Ariana Grande and the public scrutiny of womenThe episode of BBC Conversations discusses how women in the public eye face intense scrutiny, focusing on Ariana Grande’s decision to step back from public life after her Eternal Sunshine tour ends…8 Aug 2026 · 21 min · 9 chapters
A singer’s search for peaceLithuanian singer Rugile Daujo-Taitė describes growing up in Soviet-era Lithuania with New Age/occult influences, later joining Santo Daime ceremonies using ayahuasca, and eventually leaving that…7 Aug 2026 · 26 min · 13 chapters
The teenagers who wired RomaniaHow DIY teenage networks in post-communist Romania (late 1990s–early 2000s) built affordable, fast internet by stringing cables between apartment blocks, then evolved into small ISPs before being…6 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
The engineers: Flying at the edgeFuture flight and engineering at the edge—cryogenic hydrogen engines, eVTOL flying taxis, rocket-assisted spaceflight, and hypersonic/suborbital concepts—plus how to make them viable for net-zero…5 Aug 2026 · 49 min · 22 chapters
Getting Gaza back onlineBBC World Service “Assignment” reports on how young people in Gaza keep working in the digital economy during and after the war—coding, freelancing, and using co-working spaces despite destroyed…4 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
Skatepark designers Nine YardsThe episode is about how skate parks moved from DIY, underground spots to a booming, professional design-and-build industry, and what it takes to redesign beloved community spaces without breaking…3 Aug 2026 · 26 min · 17 chapters
What is so-called 'Jihadi cool'?“Jihadi cool” on Instagram and TikTok—how Islamic State (IS) supporters use influencer-style content, coded hashtags, and obfuscation to recruit and normalize jihad, then evade platform moderation…2 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 14 chapters
A Chinese dissident's journeyThe episode is split between two BBC World Service documentaries. First, it follows Chinese dissident Dong Guangping, who escaped China after years of repression, culminating in a risky 40-hour…1 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 27 chapters
Wildfires in EuropeBBC World Service “Conversations” episode about people’s experiences during major European wildfires, including evacuations in Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, and Turkey, plus the behavioral-science…1 Aug 2026 · 24 min · 10 chapters
Rastafari and ISilas Gray travels to Shashamani, Ethiopia—Rastafari’s spiritual homeland—to examine how his inherited name (Silas E.31 Jul 2026 · 26 min · 16 chapters