National Geographic Documentaries
Season 2005
TV-PG
Go behind the scenes of life on our planet with National Geographic videos. Share the wonder of the natural world with educational animal videos for kids. Let National Geographic be your all-access pass with documentary videos about the U.S. State Department, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, or 9/11. Experience the past coming to life with culture and history videos, and engage more deeply with the present with science and nature.
Where to Watch Season 2005
19 Episodes
- Ape Man: Search for the First HumanE2
Ape Man: Search for the First HumanAn international team of researchers has uncovered one of the most sensational fossil finds in living memory: the well-preserved skull of a chimp-size animal that doesn't fit any known species. It was almost certainly a hominid — a member of a subdivision of the primate family whose only living representative is modern man. And it has left scientists gasping with astonishment for several reasons. To start with, it is nearly 7 million years old — a million years more ancient than the previous record holder. It almost certainly dates from very near that crucial moment in prehistory when hominids began to tread an evolutionary path that diverged from that of chimps, our closest living relatives. - Last Man Standing: The Human RaceE3
Last Man Standing: The Human RaceIt's the world's most intriguing mystery. The mystery of us. How did we get here? And what happened on the journey from ape to man? The trail begins somewhere in Africa. Here apes first descended from trees and started walking on two legs. Then, astonishing things began to happen. Over the eons, these creatures morphed into a variety of weird human forms. Many lived in the same place at the same time. Some walking apes - including our own species, modern humans - undertook epic migrations out of Africa. On these journeys, they left evidence of their perilous lives. Super-predators like sabre-toothed cats and giant crocs hunted them. Drought, volcanoes and maybe even other ape-men killed them. To survive, we modern humans became more adaptable, cooperative, and clever. But then something went wrong. Investigators have reached a startling conclusion: around 70 thousand years ago, we almost became extinct. What happened? How did we survive these threats to become the last walking ape standing, the one species who left the other contenders in the dust, seized the planet, and declared it our own? In Last Man Standing: The Human Race we'll explore this captivating mystery and search for the ultimate survivor. This new programme touches upon two astounding discoveries. The first just came to light on the remote Indonesian island of Flores. Here, investigators find an entirely new kind of human half our height - nicknamed the 'Hobbit'. It's one of the biggest finds in the last fifty years. This new species may force a rewrite of the human story. At the bottom of Africa, another bone detective finds some very different fossils. These are not the bones of a dwarf. They are the bones of an ancient giant - nicknamed 'Goliath'. For decades, the best minds in science studied fossils and concluded that human evolution was a straightforward story: millions of years ago somewhere in Africa, one of our ape ancestors came down from the trees. He picked up the genetic baton that wo - Expeditions to the Edge: Lost in SpaceE4
Expeditions to the Edge: Lost in SpaceOn March 16, 1966, Neil Armstrong and David Scott launch into space aboard the Gemini 8 capsule. The mission is to rendezvous and dock with the Agena space module , a critical step in reaching the moon. Gemini 8 successfully docked with Gemini Agena target vehicle GATV-6 hours 34 min after liftoff. Because of problems with the spacecraft control system, the crew was forced to undock after approximately 30 min. The spacecraft-target vehicle combination had begun to encounter increasing yaw and roll rates. The crew regained control of their spacecraft by using the reentry control system, which prompted an early landing in a secondary landing area in the Pacific. No EVA was performed. The failure was caused by an electrical short in control system. Docking and re-rendezvous secondary objectives were not achieved due to the shortened mission. - The Last RoyalsE6
The Last RoyalsJust in time for the Royal Wedding - National Geographic takes you inside the palace gates for an unique and intimate look at the remaining monarchies and their relevance in the modern world. In the past, monarchs have ruled almost every culture, but recent history has not been kind to royalty. Democracy and revolution have stripped them of their power and scandals have given rise to debates about their futures. Go inside the palace gates for an intimate look into the lives of today's monarchies and their relevance in today's modern world. Can kings and queens survive the challenges of the 21st century or will this generation become the last royals?The Last Royals weaves together the stories of four royal families, the Queen of England: Queen Elizabeth, King of Nepal: King Gyanendra, King of Buganda: Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II and King of Tonga: Taufa'ahau Tupou IV. The film also includes interviews with King Gyanendra, King of Tonga: Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, Prince Michael of Greece, T.R. Reid, and others. - The Hunt for Hitlers ScientistsE8
The Hunt for Hitlers ScientistsIn the closing months of World War II, defeat was looming for the Germans. The invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 -- D-Day -- opened a second Allied front, and the Allies began overtaking a host of German positions; Paris was liberated on August 25; Romania and Bulgaria surrendered in quick succession. But the Nazis did not intend to go down without a fight -- and without inflicting as much damage as possible on the Allies. To do so, they employed or planned to employ an increasingly deadly array of military weapons -- from ballistic missiles to rocket planes to, perhaps, the atomic bomb. The British, American, and Russian governments were not content to sit idly by, waiting to be slammed by the advanced technology. Covert teams of commandos and agents were sent ahead of the front lines and deep into Germany, hunting for both the weapons and the scientists and engineers who'd created them. For British and American operatives, failure was not an option. If they didn't capture the Nazi technology and scientists, agents of the burgeoning Soviet Union might -- and that could spell disaster in a post-war world already feeling the chill of the impending cold war. - Moon Mysteries InvestigatedE10
Moon Mysteries InvestigatedWithout the moon in its regular orbit around the planet, would life exist on Earth? Or would the climate teeter between cataclysmic extremes? Today, the moon shines brightly in the night sky from about a quarter of a million miles away. When it first formed though, it was 15 times closer to Earth and its gravity had a tremendous influence on the planet. Slowly drifting further away from Earth, the moon has reshaped the world. It created seasons, the 24-hour day, tides and may have even influenced the evolution of life here on Earth. - Pyramids of Death
E11Pyramids of DeathThey are some of the biggest pyramids on the planet, millions of tons of stone and earth towering above the landscape in a display of massive wealth and power. But it wasn't the pharaohs that built these pyramids. This is the majestic ancient city of Teotihuacán, Mexico, home to one of the most powerful civilizations of its time. But why, around 750 AD, did the advanced civilization that created Teotihuacán suddenly vanish? The identities of its founders, the language they spoke and even the original name of the city are all unknown. DNA analysis of bodies from Teotihuacán shows they weren't Mayan, Incan or Aztec, but an entirely different civilization. It was assumed to have been a peaceful, utopian society, but the latest discoveries are revealing a much darker scenario. In the depths of Teotihuacán's pyramids, experts have uncovered vault after vault filled with curious human remains. Through historical recreations and spectacular CGI, Pyramids of Death brings the world of these ancient people to life, from their remarkable feats of construction and engineering to their grisly methods of human sacrifice. Follow the investigation step by step and unravel the mysteries surrounding the rise and fall of one of the ancient world's most powerful and least understood civilizations. - DNA Mysteries: The Search for AdamE12
DNA Mysteries: The Search for Adam"Where did we all come from? Could we all be descendants of Adam?" And if he existed, who was he, where did he live and what did he look like? It is a mystery that intrigues us all and questions like these have been asked time and time again but nobody has got close to the answer - until now. Spencer Wells, a leading geneticist and National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence, is setting out on a quest to discover if there was an "Adam" from whom all humans are descended. Wells uses the latest in DNA testing technology to take us on an extraordinary journey across the globe as he traces humanity's family tree. As we travel through humanity's genetic past we'll encounter longstanding mysteries which today's DNA tools can finally solve. As Spencer Wells follows the Y-chromosomes backwards through the generations, the branches of man's family tree begin to coalesce into a single trunk, pointing to a single Adam. But now that we have found him, what did he look like and how did he live? DNA Mystery: The Search for Adam sets out to find the answers. - Inside Hurricane KatrinaE13
Inside Hurricane KatrinaFrom the creators of critically acclaimed Inside 9/11 comes another powerful journalistic account, Inside Hurricane Katrina. Go beyond the round-the-clock news coverage for a comprehensive look behind the devastation caused by nature's fury and human error. How did this happen? Can it happen again? Why weren't emergency personnel fully ready to respond to a real disaster? Using comprehensive analysis of events, hours of government audio tapes, and personal interviews, National Geographic takes viewers into the eye of Katrina to uncover the decisions and circumstances that determined the fate of the Gulf residents. - Dino Death Trap
E14Dino Death TrapIn Dino Death Trap head deep into China's Junggar Basin where palaeontologists have uncovered the remains of dinosaurs previously unknown to science in a discovery which could reveal the secrets of dinosaur evolution. While in Dino Autopsy we get under the skin of a dinosaur with exclusive access to the excavation of one of the most intact dinosaur mummies ever found. In Dino Death Trap, an extraordinary dinosaur find follows a team of palaeontologists in western China as they unearth a virtual black hole in dinosaur evolution. Led by Dr James Clark of George Washington University and Dr Xu Xing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team uncovers hundreds of exceptionally preserved dinosaur fossils, including new species that were astonishingly found stacked on top of one another in pits of death in the dry and desolate Junggar Basin. Preserved for 160 million years, a total of 400 specimens and around 40 different species, including bizarre ancestors of the T-Rex and the triceratops and an ancient crocodilian, were discovered in the pits. The scientists believe they may even have found the elusive ‘missing link’ in the middle Jurassic, when dinosaur evolution went wild. Watch in awe as the amazing creatures are digitally brought back to life and we probe the mystery of how these dinosaurs lived and died. - Arlington: Field of HonorE18
Arlington: Field of HonorOnce little more than a potter's field, Arlington National Cemetery has become a national shrine and treasury of American history. Discover how this revered site came to be, and how it serves as the final resting place for both the famous and obscure, from John F. Kennedy to the Unknown Soldier. Through rare archival footage and captivating, true-life accounts, experience the moving stories of heroes and gain a privileged glimpse into the daily activities and official rituals of the dedicated staff. From fallen soldiers and daring explorers to political leaders, the hallowed history of Arlington reveals a powerful portrait of this iconic and venerated landmark. (Warner Home Video)y. - Ghosts of the Baltic SeaE19
Ghosts of the Baltic SeaRenowned undersea explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, the man who found the Titanic, the USS Yorktown and the battleship Bismarck, joins four German Survivors on a journey back in time. Traveling to the bottom of the cold, dark Baltic to bring the world the chilling true story about the greatest maritime disasters in history. This documentary will show you details about the catastrophes and loss of over 20,000 lives the world knew nothing about for more than 60 years since the Soviet submarines torpedoed these three German evacuation ships packed with refugees and wounded soldiers in the final weeks of World War II.
