National Geographic Documentaries
Season 2015
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 2015
57 Episodes
- The Raising of The Costa Concordia
E1The Raising of The Costa ConcordiaThis film charts the inside story of the race to raise and re-float the stricken Costa Concordia. The colossal cruise ship crashed into rocks and capsized on the island of Giglio in Italy in a tragic disaster in which 32 people lost their lives trying to escape. This film uses stunning CGI animation and unique access footage to reveal the incredible innovations and technological breakthroughs needed to make 114,000 tons of mangled metal sail again. - The Quest for the Holy ForeskinE4
The Quest for the Holy ForeskinFor centuries, the relic of the Holy Foreskin was considered by believers to be the only piece of Jesus’ flesh to remain on earth after he ascended to heaven, and thus was among the most sacred relics in Christendom. Then, on New Year’s Day 1983, in a tiny village in the Italian countryside, Father Don Dario announced to his expectant flock that their beloved relic had been stolen. New York Times writer David Farley goes on a quest to unravel the story of this mysterious crime. - Omens of the ApocalypseE5
Omens of the ApocalypseThe mystery of why dead birds fell from Arkansas skies on last year may now be solved. Much of the film was shot in Beebe, Arkansas where the birds dropped from the sky on New Year’s Eve. The episode will also discuss the many fish found dead in Arkansas waters. The “wide-ranging story begins with an investigation of the blackbirds death and ends by assessing how the human mind is inspired, or derailed, by seeming patterns or coincidences in nature,” according to the National Geographic website. - Anne Franks Holocaust: Final Days Of Anne Frank
E6Anne Franks Holocaust: Final Days Of Anne FrankAnne Frank’s world-famous diary comes to an abrupt end several days before she and her companions in the Secret Annex were arrested on August 4, 1944. This is the story of what happened next, how Anne became absorbed into the horror of the Nazi camp system. Through eyewitness testimony from camp survivors and historic pictures and film, the brutality and horror of Auschwitz, Sobibor and Bergen-Belsen are revealed. Surviving for just 7 months after her arrest, Anne Frank is confronted with disease and depravity while barely missing liberation at these horrific camps. Two of Anne Frank’s friends remember both their school days in Amsterdam and the days before Anne’s untimely death at Bergen-Belsen in March of 1945 – shortly before the camp’s liberation. But Anne’s remarkable diary miraculously survived the war and was published by her father, Otto Frank. - Hubble's Cosmic JourneyE10
Hubble's Cosmic JourneySince its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured thousands of stunning images of space, revolutionized our understanding of the universe and become a global icon. To mark its 25th anniversary, National Geographic Channel tells the definitive story of NASA’s most successful science project ever, in Hubble’s Cosmic Journey, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson. - The National Mall: America's Front Yard
E11The National Mall: America's Front YardThe United States’ National Mall is an urban park unlike any other in the world, a landscape that seems so timeless and eternal it’s easy for visitors to forget that it is actually man-made. Now, for the first time, a National Geographic/PBS Special will bring the surprising story of the Mall’s creation and evolution to a national audience. Using a mixture of contemporary and archival footage, state-of-the-art graphics and exclusive aerials shot within highly restricted airspace, this hour will trace the Mall’s — and the country’s — transformation from fields and farmland to national icon. - The Night StalkerE12
The Night StalkerFingerprints have been used for identification purposes for centuries, but their role in CSI is a relatively recent phenomenon. It took the pioneering work of Argentine anthropologist Juan Vucetich in 1892 to realise their crime-cracking potential – and in doing so, inspire the techniques used to snare Richard Ramirez, the infamous ‘Night Stalker’ who terrorised Los Angeles almost a century later. - Ultimate Mars ChallengeE14
Ultimate Mars ChallengeThis past August, a NASA rover named Curiosity touched down inside Mars’ Gale crater, carrying 10 new instruments to advance the quest for signs that Mars might once have been suitable for life. With inside access to the massive team of scientists and engineers responsible for Curiosity’s on-the-ground experiments, NOVA was there for the exhilarating moments after the rover’s landing—and for the spectacular discoveries to come. As NOVA reveals the dynamic new picture of Mars that these explorers are painting, we will consider the deep questions raised by 40 years of roving Mars: How do we define life? How does life begin, and what does it need to survive? Are we alone in the universe? - The Walk Around the WorldE16
The Walk Around the WorldNational Geographic Channel (NGC) is embarking on an expedition nearly two decades in the making in The Walk Around the World, a one-hour special, premiering Friday, May 15, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, that follows former British paratrooper Karl Bushby (@bushby3000) on a remarkable journey from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., as part of an epic, record-setting feat — a 15-year, 36,000-mile walk around the world. “Most people told him it couldn’t be done. Sixteen years and 20,000 miles in, this American odyssey is yet another example of his determination to achieve the impossible.” Executive produced by Westward Productions founders Beau Willimon (writer and producer of acclaimed Netflix series “House of Cards”) and Jordan Tappis (director, producer and founder of Record Collection Music), The Walk Around the World treks along with Bushby on his journey of triumph and despair, armed with nothing but a pack of supplies, a handful of cameras and a trolley he calls “The Beast.” The result is an extraordinary story of dedication, perseverance and sacrifice, demonstrating the lengths to which one man is willing to go to achieve his dream. Bushby’s 3,600-mile walk across the United States is only one chapter in his extraordinary story. Fifteen years ago, with only $300 to his name, Bushby set out on a challenge to complete the longest continuous walk in human history. Planning to return to his home in Britain on foot, he left the southern tip of South America and walked up through Central America, North America and into Russia, successfully completing the first documented on-foot crossing of the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia. After trekking nearly 2,000 miles into the grueling Siberian tundra, the Russian government slapped Bushby with a five-year visa ban, halting the expedition to which he had already dedicated a third of his life. Now, this modern-day adventurer has set out on a mission to the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., with his - Hitler's Last Year 1E18
Hitler's Last Year 1This film tells the story of the last year of the war in Europe, from the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 1944 to the dual German surrender, first in Reims then Berlin, in May 1945. Eleven months of unprecedented combat. The hopes of the Allied landings, the liberation of Paris, the battle of the Ardennes, the massive bombing campaigns over Germany, the Soviet offensives, the libera- tion of the concentration camps, Hitler’s self-destructive folly, the battle for Berlin, and the final surrender. This series of major events contributes to making a powerful, intense and epic film. - Hitler's Last Year 2E19
Hitler's Last Year 2This film tells the story of the last year of the war in Europe, from the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 1944 to the dual German surrender, first in Reims then Berlin, in May 1945. Eleven months of unprecedented combat. The hopes of the Allied landings, the liberation of Paris, the battle of the Ardennes, the massive bombing campaigns over Germany, the Soviet offensives, the libera- tion of the concentration camps, Hitler’s self-destructive folly, the battle for Berlin, and the final surrender. This series of major events contributes to making a powerful, intense and epic film. - Eagle - Queen of the SkiesE21
Eagle - Queen of the SkiesThere are 60 members of the eagle clan, all united by their acute eyesight, broad, powerful wings, sharp talons and hooked beaked. As we explore their world, we’ll see the majestic Harpy eagle of the Amazon bringing a dead sloth to their nest. Slow motion reveals the skill of the African fishing eagle as it snatches prey from the water’s surface. In winter, when competition for food gets tough, the heaviest eagle of all, the Steller’s sea eagle, is hunting around ice floes. When they have their eye on the same meal, Golden, Steller’s and White-tailed sea eagles battle - filmed in breath-taking slow motion. To explore the world of the eagle we follow the fortunes of one individual from hatching to leaving the nest and setting up a home on her own, her fight for survival reveals what it takes to become a queen of the sky. - Drain the Titanic
E22Drain the TitanicThe most famous shipwreck in the world, the Titanic, lies over 12,000 feet down in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Since the discovery of the wreck in 1985, there have been numerous expeditions to the site, but until now, no one has ever recorded the full extent of what really remains on this remote area of seabed. Now, over a century on from her tragic loss, we are able to reveal the overall wreck site: we will virtually drain the Titanic. Spectacular new visualisation techniques will depict this ‘draining’ process and offer viewers a ringside view for the emergence of the wreck from the waves – seen in full for the first time since April 15th 1912. - T. Rex Autopsy
E24T. Rex AutopsyImagine a biology lab filled by a 40-foot specimen, ready for dissection. The creature has skin like a crocodile, eyes the size of softballs and intestines large enough to fit your arm. T. rex Autopsy will go inside a full-size T. rex for the first time ever to reveal how the 65-million-year-old beast may have lived. Using cutting-edge special effects techniques, and in collaboration with esteemed veterinary surgeons, anatomists and paleontologists, T. rex Autopsy will build the world’s first full-size anatomically precise Tyrannosaurus rex, based on the very latest research and findings. The massive monster will be lifelike inside and out, giving scientists the chance to touch it, smell it, scan it, x-ray it and cut it open from head to toe. - Top 10 Biggest Beasts Ever
E26Top 10 Biggest Beasts EverBefore man ruled the world, Earth was a land of giants. Count down the biggest beasts of their kind to ever roam the planet in this eye-opening special, and uncover the secret lives of these supersized species. Birds with plane-length wingspans, dinosaurs rivalling a Boeing 737; this stunning CGI special goes in search of the truth behind these monsters, counting down the ten largest and most extraordinary finds. From handling the recently unearthed bones of a dinosaur far larger than previously known, to analysing the flight technique of a giant seven-metre bird –uncover the unique adaptations that allowed each animal to thrive. Visual stunts and surprising size comparisons bring each beast vividly back to life in ever-increasing sizes. Get ready for a dramatic countdown of the most mind-blowing lost giants. - Weirdest DinosaursE27
Weirdest DinosaursAs dinosaurs grew into the behemoths of the Cretaceous period they evolved many extraordinary but apparently useless features including spikes, sails horns, crests and the tiny "arms" of tyrannosaurs. The program reviews these unusual features and discusses theories of why they exist. - Titanic: Ballards Secret Mission: RevealedE29
Titanic: Ballards Secret Mission: RevealedTitanic: Ballard's Secret Mission: Revealed joins the explorer as he reveals the story of stealth, subs and superpowers. Learn how Ballard's search for the Titanic became the cover story to ward off the Soviets. (originally aired March 1, 2013) - Dinosaurs DecodedE30
Dinosaurs DecodedNational Geographic reviews Jack Horner's research into juvenile dinosaurs. His evidence suggests that juvenile dinosaurs looked sufficiently different from adults that they have sometimes been mistaken for a separate species. The program examines specific changes that occurred as dinosaurs aged and speculates on why the changes were necessary. - Witness: TornadoE31
Witness: TornadoApril 2011 was the most violent month of tornados on record, and the deadliest in modern times. The ‘super outbreak’ of April 26-27 alone involved more than a hundred separate twisters, killing over 300 people and cutting a swath of destruction across the south. Using dozens of amateur and professional sources, Witness tells the story of this once-in-a-century event, as captured by those who lived through it. - Mission Pluto
E32Mission PlutoNine years in space. A four billion mile journey. Travelling at 35,000 miles per hour. One historic mission. Back in 2006 the New Horizons space probe was launched from Cape Canaveral on a journey bound for the edge of our solar system with the goal of capturing the first clear images and data ever recorded of Pluto. New Horizons is headed where no spacecraft has ever gone before: the last great, uncharted realm of our solar system called The Third Zone. There it will intercept the last unexplored world, the ninth planet, Pluto. It has just 86 seconds to complete its mission but assuming it is successful then this will genuinely be history in the making. No-one yet knows what Pluto really looks like, but one thing is certain: it looks set to revolutionise planetary science forever, because it could answer some of the biggest questions about how our solar system evolved and, ultimately, how the earth was formed. All being well New Horizons will fly by Pluto on July 14. It anticipation of that event National Geographic Channel broadcasts an hour-long special revealing the extraordinary story behind a landmark mission. - Nazi Scrapbooks From Hell
E33Nazi Scrapbooks From HellThe death camp at Auschwitz was considered ground zero for the killings during the Holocaust, a place where thousands were starved and 1.1 million died, but there are only a small number of known photos from this infamous place before its liberation in 1945 - until now. The photos in this album are far from the gruesome iconic images of living skeletons or ash-choked ovens. These rare images show life from the other side of the wire, where the banality of evil is depicted by cocktail parties, sing-a-longs and food contests attended by the perpetrators. Another album showcases the victims as they arrive at Auschwitz. These albums are nothing short of scrapbooks from hell - Russia's Mystery FilesE34
Russia's Mystery Fileshe old Soviet Union was a sinister world, a land of secrets, rumours and uncertainty. After the fall of the Iron Curtain numerous unexplained case files have emerged from deep inside the former Soviet Union archives. These files tell of bizarre phenomenon, monstrous creatures and sinister occurrences. Russia’s Mystery Files investigates these rumours – from mountain wild-men to terrifying zombie dogs to a profoundly mysterious incident on the Mountain of the Dead. - Shark Survivors USAE37
Shark Survivors USAShark Survivors USA Across the coastal waters of the United States, witness breath-taking shark behaviour, rare shark footage and interviews with experts and attack victims. Some of the most beautiful beaches in the United States also feature the highest incidences of shark encounters. Filled with the latest shark facts, United Sharks of America counts down America’s shark hot spots and offers an essential guide to shark activity and avoidance. The leading experts deconstruct shark attacks and provide valuable tips to stay out of their path. Learn about shark hunting techniques, hear from shark attack survivors and get to know the wide variety of shark species that thrive along the coastal U.S. - ORBIS: Hospital in the SkyE38
ORBIS: Hospital in the SkySet against the beauty and harshness of the Peruvian landscape, this 48 minute documentary film starring Cindy Crawford, traces the emotional journey made by a few visually impaired young patients seeking treatment. Their destination is the Flying Eye Hospital, a DC-10 aircraft converted into a mobile training hospital operated by U.S. based charity, Orbis International. Since 1982, the charity has worked towards the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness in the developing world. Orbis volunteers work alongside local staff attempting their best to save sight and transfer knowledge amid the chaos and emotion of screening, surgery and recovery. It’s an unforgettable story highlighting the untold success when technology and good intentions meet people in need. - YouTube RevolutionE39
YouTube RevolutionAs YouTube turns ten, we chart the history of the last decade through the lens of the world's most famous video sharing site. This is the inside story on the biggest and most influential viral videos in history, and the platform's meteoric rise from start-up to major corporate player. It's the human story of those who created it, the stars it gave birth to, and the countries whose fates it changed. On April 23, 2005 the first YouTube video, "Meet Me at the Zoo," featuring co-founder Jawed Karim, was uploaded. Ten Years later, the video sharing platform has harnessed a power that has changed the world -transforming pop culture, rewriting the rules of politics, overthrowing governments, redefining the nature of news, and exposing us all to tweaking, planking, Psy, Beiber, and the car in the shark outfit on the robo-vac. This is the story of how all that happened in a single decade. - Giant Sea Serpent: Meet The MythE40
Giant Sea Serpent: Meet The MythIts extraordinary dimensions, as long as 15 metres, and shape in the form of a silver ribbon, inspired the myth of the sea serpent. For the past two years, scientific buoys, immersed at a depth of two thousand metres in the Mediterranean have attracted countless species of pelagic fish; among them, the Giant Oarfish drifting vertically, alone or by pairs. With the help of the world expert in Giant Oarfish and logistic collaboration of enthusiasts, a scientific expedition reveals the biology of this enigmatic ambassador of the abyss. Entirely shot in HD, the film raises the veil on its paradoxical habits: why do all the adults self-mutilate and rid themselves of two-thirds of their bodies without being affected? How do they meet in the immensity of the ocean? Why does this fish not have any known predators? - Dawn of HumanityE41
Dawn of HumanityNOVA and National Geographic present exclusive access to a unique discovery of ancient remains. Located in an almost inaccessible chamber deep in a South African cave, the site required recruiting a special team of experts slender enough to wriggle down a vertical, pitch-dark, seven-inch-wide passage. Most fossil discoveries of human relatives consist of just a handful of bones. But down in this hidden chamber, the team uncovered an unprecedented trove—so far, over 1,500 bones—with the potential to rewrite the story of our origins. They may help fill in a crucial gap in the fossil record and tell us how Homo, the first member of the human family, emerged from ape-like ancestors like the famous Lucy. But how did hundreds of bones end up in the remote chamber? The experts are considering every mind-boggling possibility. Join NOVA on the treacherous descent into this cave of spectacular and enigmatic finds, and discover their startling implications for the saga of what made us human. - Billy the Kid: New EvidenceE44
Billy the Kid: New EvidenceIn a California memorabilia shop in 2010, collector Randy Guijarro bought this 4-by-5-inch tintype for just $2. After enlarging the image, he saw what looked to be a familiar figure—Billy the Kid—playing croquet with his gang known as The Regulators. Guijarro also thought he recognized the Kid's best friends Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre in the photo. As the gravity of the discovery began to set in, Guijarro initiated a chain of events that would lead him on a painstaking journey to verify the photograph's authenticity. - Brain Surgery LiveE45
Brain Surgery LiveA neurosurgery team at UH Case Medical Center in Cleveland performs an operation that has helped many Parkinson’s disease patients get significant relief from their debilitating symptoms—tremors, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movements and difficulty walking—and also enabled them to reduce their amount of medication. - China's Grand Canal: A Photographer's JourneyE46
China's Grand Canal: A Photographer's JourneyOur host, photographer Jeff Hutchens travels the length of the Canal from Beijing to see the historical waterway, to Jiangsu province to see it at work. Along the way, he’ll take up the challenges and customs of living on the canal. Hell train in the same arts and culture born from Canal travelers, and unlock the secret ingredients in dishes that sprung up in the birthplace of the Grand Canal. - Life on Mars: The Amazing RoversE47
Life on Mars: The Amazing RoversMars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have been on one of the greatest adventures of the Space Age. When they touched down on Mars, NASA warned that they weren't expected to last long but instead Spirit lasted six years and Opportunity is still rolling on. - Mankind from SpaceE51
Mankind from SpaceMankind from Space is an epic journey of discovery. Using mind-boggling data and CGI, it traces humankind’s story from hunter-gatherer to dominant global species. Seen from the global perspective of space, this special shows the breathtaking extent of our influence, revealing how we’ve transformed our planet and produced an interconnected world of extraordinary complexity. - Reverse ExplorationE52
Reverse ExplorationPalobi and Mudeya come from a tribe of Papua New Guinea. One is War Chief, funny and curious; the other is the Peace Chief, wise and observant. Invited by their friend photographer Marc Dozier, they launch on an expedition in the heart of a very strange civilization: France. From the depths of the Parisian metro to the snow-covered peaks of the Alps, these travelers from the other side of the world are confronted with a completely new reality: power, work, women, gastronomy, the French are obviously completely nuts! Fascinated by their new discoveries, the two Papuans are relentless: they want to explore everything, taste everything, and try everything - an absurd and wonderful marathon to discover France. - Dark Side of CrocsE54
Dark Side of CrocsThis is the story of two of the most dangerous creatures in the world, hippos and crocodiles, living uneasily together in an African river. Crocs have a remarkably ancient lineage. And some truly impressive distant cousins: the dinosaurs. It is believed that they have two hundred million years of evolution behind them. In most of that time, they have barely changed. This is the story of two of the Nile crocodiles, the most impressive creatures in the world, living together in an African river. - Inside the Mega TwisterE55
Inside the Mega TwisterThe tornado that struck El Reno, Oklahoma, on May 31, 2013, defined superlatives. It was the largest, one of the fastest, and—for storm chasers—the most lethal twister ever recorded on Earth. Among those it claimed was Tim Samaras, revered as one of the most experienced and cautious scientists studying tornadoes. But this storm was unlike any he had witnessed before. In this National Geographic Special, we unravel the tornado and tell its story. But this is not your typical storm chasing documentary. While this film will include many firsthand accounts and harrowing videos from scientists and amateurs in pursuit of the tornado, it was also probably the best documented storm in history and these clips are part of a unique and ever-growing database documenting every terrifying twist and turn of the storm from all angles. Compiling this archive is National Geographic grantee Dr. Anton Seimon. In the wake of the tragedy, Seimon has gathered all the video footage available of the storm and organised it into a synchronized, searchable database. Using Google Earth he’s pinpointed the exact location of every camera pointing at the storm. And using patterns of lightning strikes he’s synchronised every frame of video down to the second. When analysed alongside radar data, it enables us to peel back the layers and offer minute by minute, frame by frame analysis of the tornado, accompanied by some state-of-the-art CGI animations. The result is an extraordinary journey through the storm that’s unprecedented.
