Netflix
Last Updated: May 18th
There’s nothing better than finding a good documentary on Netflix, but sometimes you’re craving a little more depth than the average two-hour film can give. Enter the documentary series, a slightly lesser known category that will help entertain and educate you through the day and into the night. Let’s take a tour through some of the best documentary series on Netflix to get you started.
Related: The Best Political Documentaries On Netflix Right Now
Conflict (2015) (1 Special)
Tag along with war photographers into some of the most dangerous parts of the world, from Afghanistan to Sudan to South Africa. Each episode takes you to a conflict zone with a different photographer, each giving their unique look into a region being torn apart by strife. This documentary series isn’t for the faint of heart as there are shots of violence and death scattered through each of the six episodes. These photographers risk their lives to capture what is happening to the civilian populations in often overlooked parts of the world. The results can be haunting.
Making A Murderer (1 Season)
This is one of Netflix’s most popular documentary series, and you’ll understand why after one episode. The show follows the case of Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who were arrested for the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. But what initially appears to be a clear-cut case becomes much more questionable once filmmakers Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi take you inside a system that seems designed to generate guilty verdicts rather than discover the truth.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (1 Season)
The follow up to the critically acclaimed ’80s Carl Sagan series, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey features the same passion and enthusiasm for space and astrophysics as the original. Neil deGrasse Tyson takes over as host and endeavors to put the universe into perspective, ditching dense textbook science explanations for a style of storytelling designed to spark the imagination of viewers no matter what their age. The show is executive produced by Star Trek showrunner Brannon Braga and Family Guy‘s Seth MacFarlane, who help ensure the journey is entertaining and humorous throughout.
The Seventies (1 Season)
CNN’s ongoing decades-based documentary series provides a “remember when” account of all the major beats across US history from 1960 up to 2000. Executive produced by Tom Hanks, the series ties together reels of archival footage with interviews from scholars, celebrities, and the people who were there to give you a solid glimpse into the mindsets and emotions of the times, if not the most in-depth information on any singular topic. Episodes touch on cultural zeitgeists like the battle of the sexes or specific moments like the Watergate break-in.
Ken Burns: The Civil War (1 Season)
Ken Burns is a prolific documentary maker whose style of storytelling set the standard for decades to come. 1990’s The Civil War was his first series and tied together over 16,000 archival photos from the 1860s with first-hand accounts taken from the letters of those leading the country right down to the soldiers who fought and died on the battlefield. Those that love the Ken Burns signature style displayed here will undoubtedly enjoy his other documentary series currently on Netflix like Prohibition, The War (on World War II), The West, and The Roosevelts.
Captive (1 Season)
Relive some of the most high profile hostage crisis moments in the history of the world in this new series from Netflix that combines interviews with the survivors (and sometimes the hostage takers) with lots of original source footage and recreations. There are also lots of gorgeous shots of the dangerous locales where everything went down, too. Each episode focuses on a different kind of hostage situation, capturing the chaos of ’90s ransom kidnappings in Brazil, Somalian pirate attacks, and being captured by Al Queda amongst others.
Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On (1 Season)
This documentary series is the sequel to the 2015 documentary movie Hot Girls Wanted and investigates the rapidly expanding world of pornography in the age of the internet. From cam girls to quirky independent erotica producers to full-on porn stars, Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On explores several different facets of the industry. While the series doesn’t overtly judge its subjects, it also doesn’t shy away from asking the difficult moral questions or addressing the effects pornography has on both the people making and consuming it.
Last Chance U (2 Seasons)
Last Chance U is a fascinating look at the world of college football and the young men trying to make it through into the NFL. The series focuses on East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), known both for pumping out future stars and as a place where players with bad grades or bad behavior can get a “last chance” at pulling things together and making something of themselves in the world of sports. Even those who have no interest in football should still enjoy the individual stories told in this documentary series, which range from triumphant to heartbreaking. Season two just came out in July of 2017, and it’s just as powerful as the first batch of episodes.
The Keepers (1 Season)
The Keepers is another true crime original from Netflix in the vein of Making A Murderer. Focused initially on the murder of Catholic high school teacher Sister Cathy Cesnik, the series takes viewers down a shockingly dark path into a world of sexual abuse perpetrated by those running Archbishop Keough High School in the 1960s and other members high up in the community. The Keepers paints a stark picture of a system that’s allowed powerful men to get away with horrible crimes against women — who were systematically ignored and overlooked when they attempted to get justice.
Planet Earth (1 Season)
This award-winning nature documentary series from David Attenborough and the BBC is probably responsible for selling more high definition televisions than any other program. Beautifully shot in the most remote corners of the globe, you won’t find a more breathtaking and awe-inspiring collection of footage out there… unless watch Planet Earth 2, which unfortunately isn’t on Netflix at this time. Here’s some good news, though: after you work your way through this 11 episode series, you can follow it up with other series from Attenborough and the BBC on Netflix like The Blue Planet, Africa, and Life.
Human Planet (1 Season)
Another great documentary series from the BBC, this one takes a closer look at the people that manage to live in some of the least-hospitable regions of Earth. From deserts to the Arctic to the jungles, humans are surprisingly adept at carving out a way of life in surprising places. As always when it comes to these BBC documentaries, Human Planet is a visual feast and will also make you rethink what it means to live in tune with the Earth. After several episodes devoted to ocean-faring and mountain people, they end the series by looking with a unique perspective on how we live in cities.
Netflix
Real-Life Wife Swap (1 Season)
What might be considered taboo for most is just another night for these swinging British couples. Over the course of three episodes, the documentary looks at a variety of couples and what goes on in their lives behind closed doors. Their lifestyle might not be for everyone, but Wife Swap proves to be an intriguing examination of varying sexual norms.
Shot In The Dark (1 Season)
Fans of the Jake Gyllenhaal movie Nightcrawler might be interested in this documentary series that follows around three rival ‘stringer’ crews in Los Angeles as they scour the police scanners for accidents and crimes they can potentially sell footage of to local news channels. As unusual and interesting as the subject matter is, it’s the characters and their often contentious relationships with each other that will keep you binge watching. Be warned, though: the show features lots of carnage and the exploitative nature of the stringer business may leave you feeling a bit sleazy for even watching.
Netflix
Cocaine (1 Season)
With all the dramas on Netflix about the drug trade, it’s only fair that there’s a documentary series on cocaine out there as well. Each episode of this series gives you a different look at cocaine’s effects, and of course, none of them are very good. From the Peruvian farmers who provide drug manufacturers with the coca leaves to the drug enforcers who live and die in Rio de Janeiro, there are few happy endings here. The final episode of the series pulls back to show how the drug trade has destabilized the entire country of Colombia, leaving it on the verge of constant civil war.
Chef’s Table (3 Seasons)
Created by the director of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Chef’s Table takes viewers to restaurants around the world to expose them to great food and the great chefs that create it. As with Jiro, the personalities are just as important if not more than the meals on display. Each episode opens the door and tells the life story of a different person, from Michelin star chefs to up and comers struggling to gain visibility. The series is equal part travel, food, and exposé that you don’t need to be particularly into cooking to enjoy. After all the gimmicky competitions on TV, Chef’s Table (and the sequel, Chef’s Table: France) is a refreshing and relaxing change of pace.
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