Popular Documentary TV Series on Amazon Prime Video

Mayday

2003

Mayday

2003
8.2
Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and interviews with aviation experts.
NOVA

1974

NOVA

1974
7
PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.
MythBusters

2003

MythBusters

2003
7.8
MythBusters is a science entertainment television program created and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The show's hosts, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, use elements of the scientific method to test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages, Internet videos, and news stories.
Ancient Aliens

2010

Ancient Aliens

2010
6.9
Did intelligent beings from outer space visit Earth thousands of years ago? From the age of the dinosaurs to ancient Egypt, from early cave drawings to continued mass sightings in the US, each episode gives historic depth to the questions, speculations, provocative controversies, first-hand accounts and grounded theories surrounding this age old debate.
The Curse of Oak Island

2014

The Curse of Oak Island

2014
7.3
Follow brothers Marty and Rick Lagina through their effort to find the speculated - and as of yet undiscovered - buried treasure believed to have been concealed through extraordinary means on Oak Island.
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

1997

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

1997
7.2
Can you tell the difference between fact and fiction? Several stories of strange, mysterious and incredible occurrences are chronicled during each episode. It is up to the viewer to decide which stories actually happened and which were completely fabricated by the show’s writers. The answer is revealed by Jonathan Frakes at the conclusion of each episode.
MeatEater

2012

MeatEater

2012
8.1
Hunter, author, cook and conservationist Steven Rinella treks into the world's most remote, beautiful regions, bringing game meat from field to table.
Grand Designs

1999

Grand Designs

1999
7.1
British television series which features unusual and often elaborate architectural homebuilding projects.
Deadly Women

2005

Deadly Women

2005
7.9
This compelling series investigates the motives and m.o. of female murderers. While males are often driven by anger, impulse and destruction, women usually have more complex, long-term reasons to kill.
MegaStructures

2004

MegaStructures

2004
7.3
MegaStructures is a documentary television series appearing on the National Geographic Channel in the United States and the United Kingdom, Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, France 5 in France, and 7mate in Australia. Each episode is an educational look of varying depth into the construction, operation, and staffing of various structures or construction projects, but not ordinary construction products. Generally containing interviews with designers and project managers, it presents the problems of construction and the methodology or techniques used to overcome obstacles. In some cases this involved the development of new materials or products that are now in general use within the construction industry. MegaStructures focuses on constructions that are extreme; in the sense that they are the biggest, tallest, longest, or deepest in the world. Alternatively, a project may appear if it had an element of novelty or are a world first. This type of project is known as a Megaproject.
Wheeler Dealers

2003

Wheeler Dealers

2003
7
Experienced car dealer Mike Brewer is joined by multi-talented mechanics in a monumental motoring mission: to find and restore iconic cars to later sell for a profit at their LA-based shop. In the series, Mike has the challenging job of finding vehicles that have money-making potential. He then hands them over to a mechanic, who tackles everything from bare metal re-sprays to gearbox swaps to bring them back to their former glory.
48 Hours

1988

48 Hours

1988
7.3
This newsmagazine series investigates intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all aspects of the human experience. Over its long run, the show has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, driven the reopening — and resolution — of cold cases, and changed numerous lives. CBS News correspondents offer an in-depth look into each story, with the emphasis on solving the mystery at its heart.
The Universe

2007

The Universe

2007
7.9
From the planets to the stars and out to the edge of the unknown, history and science collide in a wondrous yet deadly adventure through space and time.
One Night in Idaho: The College Murders

2025

One Night in Idaho: The College Murders

2025
8.5
Told in captivating, tense, and emotionally wrenching detail by only those involved in and affected by the crime, this series intimately explores this American tragedy and its continued impact and fallout.
Mountain Men

2012

Mountain Men

2012
6.5
Profiles of some of the men who choose to live off the grid in the unspoiled wilderness, where dangers like mudslides, falling trees and bears are all part of everyday life.
The UnXplained

2019

The UnXplained

2019
6.7
Explore the world’s most fascinating, strange and inexplicable mysteries. Each episode features compelling contributions from scientists, historians, witnesses and experiencers—each seeking to shed light on how the seemingly impossible actually can happen.
This Old House

1979

This Old House

1979
5.6
TV's original home-improvement show, following one whole-house renovation over several episodes.
Forensic Files

1996

Forensic Files

1996
8
Real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world are solved by experts using scientific laboratory analysis which helps them find previously undetectable evidence. Brilliant scientific work helps convict the guilty and free the innocent.
Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime

2016

Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime

2016
8.1
Hosts Ryan & Shane discuss mysteries surrounding notorious unsolved crimes.
Travel Man: 48 Hours in...

2015

Travel Man: 48 Hours in...

2015
6.4
British comedian Richard Ayoade (later taken over by Joe Lycett), accompanied by a celebrity guest, takes a ruthlessly efficient approach to travel, covering everything top tourist destinations have to offer in just 48 hours.