The 100+ Best Biographical Documentary Series, Ranked
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506 votes
45 voters
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Vote up the best documentary shows about a person or a specific group of people.
- The journey of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward from struggling actors to becoming movie stars.More The Last Movie Stars
- #79 of 1,137 onThe Best New TV Shows Of 2022
- #13 of 257 onThe Best TV Shows You Can Watch On HBO Max
- #140 of 472 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
- 2Kalief Browder, Venida Browder, Jay-ZTime: The Kalief Browder Story (Spike, 2017) is a six-episode American documentary television miniseries. The documentary recounts the story of Kalief Browder, a Bronx high school student who was imprisoned for three years, two of them in solitary confinement on Rikers Island, without being convicted of a crime.
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NEW#110Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter
- 3Dan Rather, Magic Johnson, Michael JordanThe documentary series focuses on notable sports happenings.
- 4Peter Edelman, Paul Schrade, Harry BelafonteExamining the "Bobby Phenomenon" of the 1960s and the politician's continuing influence.
- 5Don Morrow, Neil Ross, Kieran MulroneyThe real story on the shows, stars and secrets of the Hollywood elite.More E! True Hollywood Story
- #15 of 749 onThe 600+ Best Reality TV Shows Of All Time
- #19 of 225 on220+ Movies And Shows With True In The Title
- #31 of 261 on260+ Movies And Shows With Hollywood In The Title
- 6Amy RyanI'll Be Gone in the Dark offers an introspective look into the world of true crime, as it delves into the gripping story of the relentless pursuit of the Golden State Killer. Based on the best-selling book by Michelle McNamara, this six-part docuseries follows her exhaustive investigation and personal obsession with unmasking one of America's most notorious serial predators. The series weaves together interviews, archival footage, and dramatic reenactments, providing a chilling yet fascinating narrative. Garnering critical acclaim and earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, I'll Be Gone in the Dark proves to be a powerful exploration of determination and the quest for justice.
- 7Garrett McNamaraA look at the decade-long odyssey of big-wave pioneer Garrett McNamara to ride a 100-foot wave.More 100 Foot Wave
- #43 of 142 onThe Best New HBO Shows of the Last Few Years
- #770 of 949 onThe Best New TV Shows Of 2021
- #72 of 80 onThe Best HBO Miniseries Of All Time
- 8
POV
Public television's showcase for independent non-fiction films.More POV- #29 of 53 onThe 50+ Best PBS Documentaries, Ranked
- #25 of 85 onThe Best PBS Shows of 2023
- #29 of 77 onThe Best PBS Shows of 2022
- 9Vasilika Vanya MarinkovicStories filmed by everyday people explore what it means to be an American today.More PBS American Portrait
- #692 of 949 onThe Best New TV Shows Of 2021
- #73 of 472 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
- #157 of 689 onThe Best Docuseries of the Last Few Years
- 10Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Whoopi GoldbergTracing the history of late-night TV from its inception.More The Story of Late Night
- #26 of 85 on80+ Movies And Shows With Late In The Title
- #99 of 472 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
- #562 of 586 onThe Best New TV Shows Of 2020
- 11
VH1's Legends
Legends is a music biography television series on VH1. Originally sponsored by AT&T Corporation, this series documents those artists who have made a significant contribution to music history to be profiled on the show. The show goes in-depth into the entire career of the artist, with each episode containing rare concert and music video footage. The initial episodes were narrated by Kris Kristofferson, however other narrators have included Sheryl Crow, Steven Tyler, Ossie Davis, Levon Helm, Henry Rollins and James Justice. Recent episodes have been hosted by William Baldwin. Tina Turner, Elton John, Pink Floyd and John Lennon are the only artists so far to have been profiled on both Legends and Behind The Music. - 12Peter DinklageA playbook for aspiring dictators.More How to Become a Tyrant
- #453 of 652 onThe 500+ Best Current Shows On Netflix
- #38 of 949 onThe Best New TV Shows Of 2021
- #4 of 170 onThe Best History TV Shows
- 13Jim ForbesAn intimate look into the personal lives of pop stars.
- 14Rob Gronkowski, Julianne Hough, Caleb McLaughlinAthletes, entertainers and musicians provide an inside look into their personal journeys.More Becoming
- #139 of 166 onThe Best Shows On Disney Plus
- #221 of 510 onThe 350+ Best Documentary TV Shows
- #374 of 696 onThe Best Docuseries of the Last Few Years
- 15Henry Louis Gates Jr.Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores race, culture and identity through genealogy and genetics.More Finding Your Roots
- #12 of 74 onThe Best PBS Shows Of 2024, Ranked
- #22 of 56 onThe 50+ Best PBS Documentaries, Ranked
- #15 of 24 onThe Best Shows On The PBS Video App
- 16Julianna Margulies, Laura Linney, William HurtProfiles of figures in America's arts and culture.More American Masters
- #19 of 53 onThe 50+ Best PBS Documentaries, Ranked
- #24 of 29 onThe Best "American" TV Shows
- #13 of 85 onThe Best PBS Shows of 2023
- 17Cindy AdamsA look at the life and career of Cindy Adams, a gossip columnist for The New York Post.More Gossip
- #50 of 61 onThe Best Showtime Shows Of All Time, Ranked
- #106 of 949 onThe Best New TV Shows Of 2021
- #329 of 472 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
- 18Huey Lewis, LL Cool J, Jennifer LopezAn intimate look at the personal lives of influential music artists.More Behind the Music
- #58 of 82 onThe Best TV Reboots & Revivals
- #23 of 167 onThe Best TV Shows You Can Watch On Paramount Plus
- #14 of 77 onThe Best Paramount Plus Shows Of All Time
- Larry Krasner leads activists attempting to end mass incarceration by taking over the D.A.'s office.
- 20Meek MillMeek Mill's transformation from chart-topping rapper to galvanizing face of criminal justice reform.
- 21
The Men Who Built America
A.J. AchingerHow five self-made men transformed the U.S into a global superpower. - 22Muhammad AliThe life and career of three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali.More Muhammad Ali
- #27 of 138 onThe Best Black TV Shows of the Last Few Years
- #17 of 56 onThe 50+ Best PBS Documentaries, Ranked
- #63 of 477 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
- 23Joan Lunden, Peter Graves, David Hart SmithBiography is a documentary television series that had three original runs, twice on CBS and the current on A&E then The Biography Channel then FYI. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987. The older version featured historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, or long-dead entertainment figures such as Will Rogers or John Barrymore. The A&E series has placed the emphasis on such people as Marilyn Monroe, Carmen Miranda, Elvis Presley, Plácido Domingo, Freddie Mercury, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Eric Clapton, Pope John Paul II, Gene Tierney, Selena, Diego Rivera, Mao Zedong and Queen Elizabeth II, and fictional characters like The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop and Santa Claus. A 1979 revival of Biography briefly aired on CBS covering a new set of celebrities ranging from Idi Amin to Walt Disney, which was then narrated by David Janssen. The program ended up profiling enough figures that in 1999, A&E spun it off into an entire network, The Biography Channel.
- A four-part docuseries that delves into the unparalleled career of Willie Nelson.
- 25David BeckhamA chronicle of David Beckham's rise from working-class beginnings to global soccer stardom.More BECKHAM
- #63 of 652 onThe 500+ Best Current Shows On Netflix
- #179 of 205 onThe Best Television Documentaries Of 2023
- #10 of 34 onThe Best Netflix Documentary Series Of 2024, Ranked
- A look at actor, model and icon Brooke Shields as she transforms from a young girl to a woman.
- #1 of 14 onThe Darkest Documentaries About Hollywood, Ranked
- #53 of 205 onThe Best Television Documentaries Of 2023
- #151 of 477 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
- 27Dave Grohl, Virgina GrohlThe special relationships between musicians and their mothers.More From Cradle to Stage
- #39 of 55 onThe 50+ Best Shows To Watch With Your Parents
- #34 of 77 onThe Best Paramount Plus Shows Of All Time
- #680 of 696 onThe Best Docuseries of the Last Few Years
- 28Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Steve KerrChronicling Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' quest for a sixth NBA championship in 1998.More The Last Dance
- #3 of 84 onThe Best Basketball Documentaries Of All Time
- #2 of 10 onThe Best TV Shows About Basketball
- #1 of 32 onThe Best NBA Documentaries Of All Time
- 29Kyle DeCamp, Katelyn KapocsiA man's quest for his birth parents lead him to believe his father is the "Zodiac Killer."
- #92 of 116 onThe Best New Cable Dramas of the Last Few Years
- #51 of 477 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
- #18 of 510 onThe 350+ Best Documentary TV Shows
- 30Larry David, Larry CharlesLarry David gets candid.More The Larry David Story
- #821 of 1,137 onThe Best New TV Shows Of 2022
- #147 of 257 onThe Best TV Shows You Can Watch On HBO Max
- #125 of 472 onThe 400+ Best Documentary Miniseries, Ranked
