Documentaries

Heads Up! The First Head Transplant
A doctor wants to perform the first human head transplant. Will US surgeons license him?
29 Jul 2015,28 mins
The Art of Immersion
Artist and sceptic Adham Faramawy uncovers virtual reality's dark and fantastical spaces.
23 Apr 2018,28 mins
Roald Dahl: A Gremlin in the Works
Cartoonist Gerald Scarfe tells the story of one of the greatest movies never made.
07 Jul 2016,30 mins
Greening the Military
Angus Crawford asks whether the army can do its job whilst respecting the environment.
06 Aug 2012,28 mins
Three Score Years and Ten
Perish Resisting
Richard Holloway says that we should live in such a way that death will be an unjust fate.
22 Jan 2016,15 mins
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The Unswayables: Trump's Loyal Army
Michael Goldfarb is in Pennsylvania hearing the reasons Americans are voting Trump.
31 Oct 2016,28 mins
Ziggy Stardust Came from Isleworth
How the British-born singer Vince Taylor inspired David Bowie's mythical rock star.
19 Aug 2010,30 mins
Who Is Alice Guo?
The small town Philippines mayor with the million dollar secret.
31 Mar 2025,28 mins
Antony Gormley: Missing Continents at the British Museum
The artist asks why collections from Oceania, the Americas and Africa are hidden from view
08 Sep 2016,30 mins
Find Me a Cure
Can we cure the most common form of leukaemia? Simon Cox reports.
06 Feb 2018,28 mins
Lenin in Letchworth
Why did the steely Russian revolutionary reputedly visit the first English garden city?
20 Mar 2013,28 mins
Lives And Times
Britain: Changing Political And Social Landscape
In the final edition of the show, the families involve discuss whether they feel British
01 Sep 1999,28 mins
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The Chinese Nureyev
Li Cunxin, Madame Mao's favourite dancer, tells Darcey Bussell about his amazing journey.
17 May 2011,30 mins
The Foghorn: A Celebration
Peter Curran celebrates the powerful role of the humble foghorn.
22 Feb 2011,30 mins
Suppose I Lose It: update
Joan Bakewell asks what she might expect, and how she should prepare, if she had dementia.
10 May 2016,28 mins
Art in Miniature
Art so small you have to avoid inhaling it. Presented by Dr Lance Dann. From 2017.
21 Sep 2017,28 mins
Effective Altruism
Giles Fraser explores the movement that aims to make charitable giving most effective.
13 May 2018,28 mins
What Were They Thinking?
Mark Lawson examines how four cultural hits from 1999 have stood up to the test of time
26 Dec 2019,28 mins
On and Off the Valley Lines
Tomorrow
Stories of the people who live along the south Wales valleys rail network.
21 Jun 2018,28 mins
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Monogamy and the Rules of Love
Does true love have to be monogamous? We hear three very modern love stories.
19 Aug 2013,28 mins
France and Germany: Divided They Stand
Could the 'Rhine Divide' between France and Germany threaten the EU more than Brexit?
30 Jul 2019,37 mins
Scotland’s Uncivil War
Dani Garavelli tells the story of a deep schism at the heart of Scottish politics.
18 Aug 2020,37 mins
The DNA of History
How is DNA science transforming the study of ancient history, and where might it take us?
10 Aug 2021,28 mins
Am I Too Old to Drive?
Julia Langdon explores the issues around the regulation of elderly drivers.
04 Mar 2019,28 mins
The Design Dimension
Series 3
Panic Button
Tom considers how we protect our personal space through design.
26 Apr 2016,28 mins
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The Art of Relativity
Einstein's theory of relativity revolutionised science. But how did it transform the arts?
29 Aug 2023,28 mins
Split Ends
3. The Fall
Singer Songwriter Kitty Perrin talks to Brix Smith about her time in The Fall.
30 Apr 2024,28 mins
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Passing The Hat
Jolyon Jenkins tries to learn the tricks of street magic.
21 Sep 2009,30 mins
The Edge
Mark Urban investigates whether the west is losing its military edge.
14 Apr 2015,38 mins
True Crime 1599
Charles Nicholl explores the first wave of true crime dramas on the English stage.
07 May 2024,28 mins