Top Rated Documentary TV Series on Pantaflix - Page 346

Man Alive

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Man Alive

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7
Man Alive was a documentary and current affairs series which ran on BBC2 between 1965 and 1981. During that time there were nearly 500 programmes tackling a range of social and political issues, both in the UK and abroad. It was often accused of trying to sensationalise its subjects or interviewees. The series was commissioned by Sir David Attenborough, while he was Controller of BBC2 between 1965 and 1969. British television journalist and presenter Esther Rantzen worked on Man Alive in the mid-1960s. She went on to marry one of the programme's most prominent reporters, and series editor Desmond Wilcox. Wilcox contributed directly to about 50 Man Alive programmes. The Man Alive theme music was composed and played by Tony Hatch and his orchestra.
The Root of All Evil?

2006

The Root of All Evil?

2006
9
The Root of All Evil?, later retitled The God Delusion, is a television documentary written and presented by Richard Dawkins in which he argues that humanity would be better off without religion or belief in God. The documentary was first broadcast in January 2006, in the form of two 45-minute episodes, on Channel 4 in the UK. Dawkins has said that the title The Root of All Evil? was not his preferred choice, but that Channel 4 had insisted on it to create controversy. The sole concession from the producers on the title was the addition of the question mark. Dawkins has stated that the notion of anything being the root of all evil is ridiculous. Dawkins' book The God Delusion, released in September 2006, goes on to examine the topics raised in the documentary in greater detail. The documentary was rebroadcast on the More4 channel on the 25 August 2010 under the title of The God Delusion.
The Mark Steel Lectures

2003

The Mark Steel Lectures

2003
7.5
The Mark Steel Lectures are a series of radio and television programmes. Written and delivered by Mark Steel, each scripted lecture presents arguments for the importance of a historical figure. The lectures were originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over three series between 1999 and 2002. Many of the arguments were illustrated by miniature sketches. These sketches featured Mark Steel, Martin Hyder, Mel Hudson, Carla Mendonça, Femi Elufowoju Junior and Debbie Isitt. The first series was subtitled "A series of lectures about Englishmen who changed the course of history", with the remaining two changing this to "A series of lectures about people with a passion". The first series was produced by Phil Clark; the others by Lucy Armitage. The lecture on Ludwig van Beethoven was nominated for a Sony Radio Comedy Award. The programme transferred to television in 2003, with an Open University series on BBC Four, which was later repeated on BBC Two. This variously featured: ⁕Gerard Logan as Lord Byron ⁕Martin Hy
Disney Family Album

1984

Disney Family Album

1984
9
Disney Family Album is a half hour documentary series on the Disney Channel that aired during the 1980s. It was narrated by Buddy Ebsen. The series looked at the artists and performers that help create Disney's movies and parks.
Thumb Bandits

2001

Thumb Bandits

2001
6.5
Thumb Bandits was a British video game television series. It aired on Channel 4 in 2001. The program was presented by Iain Lee and Aleks Krotoski, but only ran for thirteen episodes before being dropped.
Secret History

1991

Secret History

1991
8.5
Secret History was a long-running British television documentary series. Shown on Channel 4, the Secret History brandname was used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual documentaries can still be found on US cable channels without the branding. It can be seen as Channel 4's answer to the BBC's Timewatch.
American High

2000

American High

2000
6.3
American High is an American documentary television show about the lives of fourteen students at Highland Park High School, located in the city of Highland Park, Illinois. The series originally aired on Fox and was canceled after four episodes. It was later picked up by PBS and aired in its entirety. The series was created by R. J. Cutler, an award winning documentary filmmaker. The show received the 2001 Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program. The theme song "American High", was written and performed by Bouncing Souls. An earlier Fox Network documentary series from 1991, Yearbook also covered the lives of suburban Chicago high school students.
Masterminds

2003

Masterminds

2003
9
Masterminds was a true crime documentary television series produced in Canada with truTV. As of February 2011, the program is broadcast on History Television and Global TV in Canada and truTV in the United States. Each 30 minute episode features one true crime story. The profiled crimes generally involve large sums of cash or merchandise and, more important, extremely unique and/or elaborate methods of criminal operation which were never before seen by law enforcement agencies. With a few notable exceptions, most criminals profiled in this series were caught within a couple of years of committing their crime.
America's Dumbest Criminals

1996

America's Dumbest Criminals

1996
9
America's Dumbest Criminals is an American reality series that aired in syndication from January 1996 to January 2000 for a total of 96 episodes, hosted by Daniel Butler and Debbie Alan. The series features surveillance footage, news reports and dramatic reenactments of particularly foolish criminal behavior. Also highlighted are "dumb laws", featuring various trivialities passed into law. Francopolitan Mercury Anastassacos was voted the "World's Dumbest Criminal" for the world tour phase. The show's disclaimer partially parodies the radio and TV series Dragnet by stating that each segment was a real-life occurrence, but that "only the names have been changed...to protect the ignorant".
Totally Wild

1992

Totally Wild

1992
7
Totally Wild is an Australian children's television series. It has been in production since 1992, airing on Network Ten on 12 July 1992. It has the format of a news program, and does stories on topics such as Australia's native flora and fauna, action sports, the environment, science, and technology. The show is broadcast across many countries and regarded as the benchmark for kids television in Australia. It currently airs on Network Ten at 4pm Monday to Wednesday, Saturdays at 8.30am and a double episode at 7am on Sundays. It is one of Australia's longest running children's programs. On 12 July 2012, Totally Wild celebrated 20 years of children's program since 12 July 1992.
It Takes a Thief

2005

It Takes a Thief

2005
7.5
A unique series offering viewers something they've never seen before: an actual home burglary, live, as it happens. Hosted by two reformed ex-cons, It Takes a Thief exposes the security flaws of a home by unleashing two uniquely qualified experts - ex-burglars - who will provide vital insights into the workings of the criminal mind.
The Worst Jobs in History

2004

The Worst Jobs in History

2004
8
The Worst Jobs in History is a British television series hosted by Tony Robinson on Channel 4. The second series was shown in March 2006 on History Television in Canada, then in April 2006 on Channel 4 in the UK. The first season is also shown with some regularity on History International. Tony Robinson tries his hand at each of the jobs, ultimately nominating which one he thought was the worst in each programme.
Corwin's Quest

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Corwin's Quest

0000
6.2
: Corwin's Quest is an American television program about animals airing on Animal Planet. It is similar to The Crocodile Hunter. It is hosted by actor and conservationist Jeff Corwin from The Jeff Corwin Experience. Music composed by Rich Stubbings
Telescope

1963

Telescope

1963
7.5
Telescope is a Canadian documentary series which aired on CBC Television between 1963 and 1973. The series was hosted by Fletcher Markle, which profiled notable Canadian people from celebrities to the unknown, who made a difference. Starting in September 1966, Telescope was the first regular colour broadcast in Canada. It's producer was Sam Levene. In 2008, CBC offered 10 episodes of Telescope on their Digital Archives website. The episodes are from the 1970-1971 season, and feature new host Ken Kavanagh. Among those profiled were game show host Monty Hall, publisher Mel Hurtig, journalist Pat Carney, actor John Vernon, author Farley Mowat, amusement park impresario Patty Conklin, and underwater explorer Joe MacInnis. A 1970 episode featured actor Donald Sutherland including early footage of his son Kiefer. Mentalist Uri Geller followed a week later by Ray Hyman and Jerry Andrus who explained and duplicated Geller's "paranormal" feats.
Joy in the Hood

2006

Joy in the Hood

2006
7
Comedian Des Bishop spends over four months living amongst the most marginalised in our society looking for laughs where most would fear to tread.
Heritage Minutes

1991

Heritage Minutes

1991
7.5
Heritage Minutes, also known officially as Historica Minutes: History by the Minute, are a series of sixty-second short films, each illustrating an important moment in Canadian history. They appear frequently on Canadian television and in cinemas before movies and are now also sold on DVD. The Minutes were first introduced on March 31, 1991 as part of a one-off heavily-promoted history quiz show hosted by Rex Murphy. The thirteen original short films were broken up and run between shows on CBC Television and CTV Network. The continued broadcast of the Minutes and the production of new ones was pioneered by Charles Bronfman's CRB Foundation, Canada Post Power Broadcasting, and the National Film Board. They were devised, developed and largely narrated by noted Canadian broadcaster Patrick Watson, while the producer of the series was Robert Guy Scully. In 2009 Historica merged with The Dominion Institute to become The Historica-Dominion Institute. While the foundations have not paid networks to air Minutes, they hav
Lorne Greene's New Wilderness

1982

Lorne Greene's New Wilderness

1982
8.5
Lorne Greene's New Wilderness was a Canadian television nature documentary series starting in 1982 starring Lorne Greene. The series initially aired on CTV but was later widely syndicated. It was a followup to an earlier, similar 1970s documentary series entitled Untamed World. It is a multiple award-winning wildlife program, number one in its time slot for five years running, and provides stunning photography coupled with a genuine feeling for the subject matter. There are 104 episodes in the series, each 30 minutes long.
Anatomy of a Scene

2001

Anatomy of a Scene

2001
7
Anatomy of a Scene is a television series produced by and aired regularly on Sundance Channel since 2001. As a tagline for the series notes, each 30-minute episode "dissects the art of filmmaking" of a scene from a specific film, often a film previously showcased at a Sundance Film Festival. An episode examines the scene from multiple perspectives, such as production design, costume design, cinematography, storyboards, writing, music, acting, and directing. Interviews with the cast and crew are interspersed with snippets from the film. Episodes of the show are often included on the DVD release of the films they study.
John Ratzenberger's Made in America

2004

John Ratzenberger's Made in America

2004
8
John Ratzenberger's Made in America is an American documentary television series hosted by John Ratzenberger. The series premiered January 6, 2004, on the Travel Channel. Ratzenberger visits various American manufacturers, taking the show's viewers along on the tours and showing how various everyday items are made. The show has visited a variety of factories, including Crayola, Airstream, Yankee Candle, Samuel Adams Brewery, Ruger, Delta Faucet Company, and Rodgers Instruments.
Beyond the Glory

2001

Beyond the Glory

2001
8
Beyond the Glory was a documentary series that profiles some of the most legendary and controversial athletes in recent history. Executive produced by Steve Michaels and Frank Sinton and narrated by Jay Mohr, the show used archived video, on-camera interviews and player histories to take viewers beyond the playing field and into the athletes' lives and minds. The series was produced by Asylum Entertainment.