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…
This 25-minute episode from BBC's People Fixing The World explores how everyday technology is being deployed to prevent disasters and save lives. The episode focuses on two compelling case studies timed for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
In Argentina, we meet Franco Rodríguez Viau, who was inspired to…
Worth it if you're interested in real-world applications of technology to humanitarian challenges, enjoy solution-focused storytelling, or want accessible examples of innovation in disaster prevention and rescue.
This 27-minute episode from The Documentary Podcast follows British psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead as she visits Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the world's largest gang rehabilitation organization. Founded by Jesuit priest Father Gregory Boyle in response to the gang violence epidemic of the late 1980s (the "decade…
Worth it if you're interested in criminal justice reform, gang violence prevention, or how faith-based organizations create systemic change.
The Documentary Podcast's 18-minute episode examines bonds—government and corporate debt instruments—as a central but often-overlooked force in modern economics. The episode frames bonds as more than dull financial instruments, positioning them as key players in major economic crises and development. The show notes…
Worth it if you want a quick primer on why bonds matter to the global economy and are willing to accept a broad survey over deep analysis.
This 42-minute episode from The Documentary Podcast examines the challenge of achieving justice and accountability in Syria following Bashar al-Assad's fall from power in 2024. The core tension: Assad and key regime figures fled to Russia and remain beyond the reach of Syrian courts, complicating efforts by Syria's…
Worth it if you're interested in international law, Syria's post-2024 transition, or how accountability works when perpetrators flee to safe havens.
The Documentary Podcast examines the global housing crisis through the voices of people struggling to afford rent across multiple continents. The episode opens with Spain's housing emergency, featuring the story of an 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked widespread public protests—a case that illustrates how the…
Worth it if you want accessible, emotionally grounded stories about housing precarity from multiple countries, but not if you're seeking investigative depth or novel solutions.
The Documentary Podcast visits Lourdes, the famous French pilgrimage site in the Pyrenees where Catholics believe miraculous healings occur. The episode centers on the Feast of the Assumption, when tens of thousands of pilgrims arrive to drink and bathe in the shrine's water, participate in candlelit processions, and…
Worth it if you're interested in the intersection of faith and science, the psychology of pilgrimage, or human stories of hope and healing.
The Documentary Podcast revisits the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak a decade later through journalist Tulip Mazumdar's reconnection with survivors, healthcare workers, and volunteers she originally interviewed during frontline reporting. The episode examines how the outbreak killed over 11,000 people and…
Worth it if you're interested in pandemic preparedness, global health systems, or want to understand how past crises shape current responses to emerging outbreaks.
The Documentary Podcast explores the multifaceted benefits of walking in this 23-minute episode. The show promises to examine how walking improves wellbeing, sharpens thinking, and strengthens communities. The episode structure takes listeners on a geographic journey: it begins in London, where the hosts test out an…
Worth it if you're interested in wellness practices, healthcare innovation, or how simple activities can have outsized social and medical benefits.
This 28-minute documentary from The Documentary Podcast follows reporter Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent to Halji, a remote Nepalese mountain village near the Tibetan border facing an existential climate crisis. The episode explores how rising temperatures have caused Himalayan glaciers to shrink dramatically, creating…
Worth it if you want a human-centered climate story grounded in a specific place and community, rather than abstract climate science.
This 19-minute documentary from The Documentary Podcast explores the viability of small towns along Route 66 as the iconic highway approaches its 100th anniversary. Reporter Victoria Craig investigates whether nostalgia alone can sustain these communities economically, and examines what role new investment might play…
Worth it if you're interested in American economic geography, Route 66 history, or how tourism-dependent communities adapt to changing travel patterns.
The Documentary Podcast examines India's 2024-2025 digital census, the world's largest population count attempting to enumerate over 1.4 billion people. The episode explores the logistical and technological scale of the operation: three million field staff conducting surveys across 16 languages, implementing…
Worth it if you're interested in India's demographics, large-scale data collection, technology in governance, or the social implications of census-taking in diverse societies.
This 24-minute episode from The Documentary Podcast examines the crisis of violence against women in South Africa, prompted by nine recent murders near Johannesburg, including that of a jogger. The episode frames the issue through multiple perspectives: survivors of domestic abuse, female runners (connecting to the…
Worth it if you want a focused, personal introduction to the violence crisis facing South African women and the grassroots responses emerging to address it.
Dr Jane Orton, an ethnographer with a decade of fieldwork in the remote Spiti Valley of the Himalayas, guides listeners through the spiritual landscape of the Bhoti people. The episode explores three main categories of supernatural beings woven into local belief systems. Lhas are powerful deities that have been…
Worth it if you're interested in ethnography, Himalayan cultures, religious syncretism, or how traditional beliefs adapt and persist in modernizing societies.
This 27-minute episode from The Documentary Podcast examines a growing feminist movement in Germany responding to the surge of sexualized violence against women online, particularly AI-generated deepfakes and digital abuse. Reporter Jeanny Wasielewski investigates how this issue has become a flashpoint in national…
Worth it if you're interested in feminist activism, digital rights, German politics, or how countries are legislating against online abuse and deepfakes.
This 23-minute documentary follows conservationist Chhavi Sachdev as she investigates restoration efforts for Wular and Dal lakes in Kashmir, two historically significant natural water bodies that have deteriorated due to pollution, encroachment, and decades of neglect. The episode centers on the work of…
Worth it if you care about environmental conservation, South Asian ecology, or how communities can drive ecological recovery—especially if you appreciate solutions-focused reporting.
