The Documentary Podcast Podcast
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.
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.
Episodes to download
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Ukraine's 'hell jumpers'
Sat 5 Sep 2026
The rescuers who dodge drones and bombs to evacuate people from the frontline in Ukraine
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Nepal floods: 'It was like a tsunami'
Sat 5 Sep 2026
Survivors share their experiences of escaping the flash floods
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Fred Hammond
Fri 4 Sep 2026
Gospel music legend Fred Hammond talks to Swarzy about his faith journey
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A23a: Biography of an iceberg
Thu 3 Sep 2026
Glaciologist Catherine Walker explores the birth, life and death of megaberg A23a
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Fighting the silent killer
Wed 2 Sep 2026
What can be done to prevent, detect and treat the silent killer, sepsis?
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Big surveillance, Flock and ICE
Tue 1 Sep 2026
The Texas surveillance network authorities want to keep quiet
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Is Turkey's clothing industry unravelling at the seams?
Mon 31 Aug 2026
The Turkish textile industry is at risk after hundreds of apparel factories have closed
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The price of peace
Sun 30 Aug 2026
Can Colombia find ways to heal after its army murdered 7000 innocent civilians?
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Hong Kong's bookstore raids
Sat 29 Aug 2026
Why a crackdown on Hong Kong booksellers could impact Taiwan
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We will always love you, Dolly
Sat 29 Aug 2026
Musicians celebrate the life and legacy of the cultural icon Dolly Parton
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Kirk Franklin: Gospel music and my own faith journey
Fri 28 Aug 2026
Gospel music legend Kirk Franklin talks to presenter Swarzy Shire about his faith journey
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Bonus: Lives Less Ordinary- Love Stories
Thu 27 Aug 2026
Extraordinary love stories from Lives Less Ordinary
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Brazil’s gambling addiction
Tue 25 Aug 2026
Millions of Brazilians have become problem gamblers after an explosion in online betting
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Lucy Sparrow: Nostalgic supermarket made of felt
Mon 24 Aug 2026
Lucy Sparrow stitches life into everyday objects to create '80s nostalgia made of felt
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Secret phone calls from a Saudi jail
Sat 22 Aug 2026
How the BBC's Tigrinya language service became a voice for Ethiopian men on death row
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What in the World: Will AI make your degree pointless?
Fri 21 Aug 2026
We speak to three students who tell us how they think AI could change their careers.
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The Vatican's AI battle
Fri 21 Aug 2026
Silicon Valley says it's ‘creating God’ with AI. The Catholic Church is watching closely
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LA: Rising from the ashes
Thu 20 Aug 2026
Jonathan Glancey meets architects leading LA’s recovery from 2025’s catastrophic fires.
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The Kansas City cycling revolution
Wed 19 Aug 2026
Kansas City was named America's worst city for cyclists in 2008. Has it improved?
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Raiders of the lost art
Tue 18 Aug 2026
How Manhattan's Antiquities Trafficking Unit works to track and return stolen art
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The sound of soft power
Sun 16 Aug 2026
Does the world still need international radio as a tool of soft power?
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Ukraine and Russia’s recruitment war
Sat 15 Aug 2026
Ukraine and Russia face different challenges recruiting fighters
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Experiences of drought
Sat 15 Aug 2026
Failing crops and angry alligators – how a lack of rain is affecting people worldwide
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The creator of France's 'Untouchables' houses
Fri 14 Aug 2026
The man behind inclusive homes where accident survivors live with non-disabled people
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The world's largest wildlife crossing
Wed 12 Aug 2026
Can a major engineering project help save Califonia's mountain lion population?