Watch the first responders who rescue civilians hurt and killed in Syria, in this exclusive preview of NatGeo’s Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS.
TV documentary
How and why nature documentaries lie to us
Nature documentaries sometimes use the same techniques as reality TV and scripted shows to enhance what we’re watching—and they can also deceive.
The first Snapchat documentary is about to disappear
A review of the first Snapchat-only documentary, “We’ll Still Be Here,” produced by PBS’ POV, which is available for 24 hours on the NowThis channel.
The 10 documentaries HBO will air the rest of this year
Trailers and descriptions for the docs HBO will air this summer and fall, including The Trans List, Marathon: the Patriots Day Bombing, and Meet the Donors.
Watch this once-lost, groundbreaking show about gay people
The first openly gay person on a television series was Lance Loud, An American Family‘s break-out star. But a decade before that, on Sept. 11, 1961, a documentary aired on television that first introduced its viewers to openly gay people: The Rejected. KQED produced the hour-long film for WNET’s predecessor–and WNET later produced An American Family…. continue reading
The fantasy of reality star life destroyed by Survivor cast, others
Going on a reality show may change a person’s life. But it may also leave a person wondering why their life hasn’t changed, why they’re not insanely famous and rich. What actually happens to most reality stars after their show ends and life resumes–often, a desperate search for fame, fortune, and/or meaning–is the subject of a… continue reading
Mary Carillo is one of the best things about the Olympics
More than two weeks of Olympic coverage conclude tonight, and there’s a lot to criticize about the decisions NBC makes when covering the Olympics, and many people loathe the non-sports parts as unnecessary filler. But I’d watch Mary Carillo’s work all day; her pieces have become one of the highlights of watching the Olympics for… continue reading
The 32-year-old behind-the-scenes documentary you’ll want to watch right now
Want to see a young Harrison Ford walk away from a young Steven Spielberg as he describes one of the most well-known scenes in the Indiana Jones series, if not all of film, because he wants mustard? That’s just one of the many hilarious and insightful moments in a behind-the-scenes documentary about the filming of… continue reading
NFL’s cover-up of brain injuries: will it change football?
Last night, PBS debuted League of Denial, which explores what the NFL knew–but actively denied and even covered up since the 1990s–about the impact of the violent sport on its athletes’ brains, and not just from concussions. The full episode of Frontline, below, is online for free, and is a must-watch for the stories it… continue reading
PBS’ POV documentary series turns 25: watch its films online
Tonight, PBS’ documentary series POV debuts its 25th season with the debut of a documentary called My Reincarnation about a father and his son, who rejects the idea that he’s a reincarnation of a Buddhist master. A preview of this season is below; it includes films about an activist New Orleans resident post-Katrina (I’m Caroline… continue reading
What happened to Titanic? Nonfiction TV attempts to answer that question
One hundred years ago tonight, Titanic hit an iceberg and then, a few hours later, early on April 15, 1912, sank south of Newfoundland. The centennial is being commemorated by a variety of things, from the re-release of James Cameron’s movie in 3D to a cruise with Titanic passengers’ family members aboard, retracing the same… continue reading
On Mister Rogers’ 84th birthday, how he inspired my love of reality television
If Mister Rogers were still alive, he’d be 84 today. As far as I’m concerned, he is still alive. Watch episodes of his show and there he is, the same as always, looking at the camera and talking to me. He might be talking to you, too, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s just… continue reading
Icicle of death, thief penguin, brilliant killer whales: just some of Frozen Planet’s awesomeness
Tonight, the Discovery Channel debuts another epic multi-part, cinematic nature documentary that it co-produced with the BBC, like 2007’s Planet Earth and last year’s Life. Frozen Planet debuts at 9 p.m. ET, and our version is narrated by Alec Baldwin, because we don’t like British people telling us about nature (David Attenborough narrated the BBC… continue reading
How South Park episodes are made
Each episode of Comedy Central’s series South Park is written, recorded, and animated in just six days, and that insane process is explored and revealed in a new documentary, aptly titled Six Days to Air: The Making of South Park. The documentary, which follows the show’s creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, debuts at 10… continue reading
Sept. 11 anniversary: a list of documentaries and specials airing this week
In the days (and even weeks) leading up to this Sunday’s 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, there have been and will be broadcasts of nonfiction specials and documentary films that tell the story. Some of them remind us of what we already know; others introduce us to new stories. Some have been broadcast… continue reading