The Documentary Podcast Podcast
A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and telling true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism and global issues.
A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues.
From Trump’s new world order, to protests in Turkey, to the headphone revolution, The Documentary investigates major global stories.
We delve into social media, take you into the minds of the world’s most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. Every week, we also bring together people from around the globe to discuss how news stories are affecting their lives.
A new episode most days, all year round. From our BBC World Service teams at: Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio, OS Conversations, The Fifth Floor and Trending.
Episodes to download
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The Fifth Floor: Are Korean beauty products too light?
Sat 1 Mar 2025
How global demand is reshaping the Korean beauty industry
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BBC OS Conversations: Polyamorous relationships
Sat 1 Mar 2025
Four men and women discuss their lifestyle with multiple partners
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Heart and Soul: Becoming a Buddhist Bhikshuni in Bhutan
Fri 28 Feb 2025
The first Western Buddhist nun to be fully ordained in Bhutan tells us her story
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Flight of the vulture
Thu 27 Feb 2025
Sacha Dench explores three different vulture stories, of persecution and survival
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BBC Trending: Can Community Notes clean up your feed?
Wed 26 Feb 2025
Will Meta’s move to X-style Community Notes work?
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Assignment: Road wars - cycling in Paris
Tue 25 Feb 2025
How a recent killing in Paris reveals a dark side to the city's cycling revolution
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In the Studio: Mohammad Barrangi
Mon 24 Feb 2025
Mohammad Barrangi sprinted for Iran at the Paralympics, but is now an artist in the UK
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Life in occupied Ukraine
Sun 23 Feb 2025
Russia’s land grab playbook aimed at erasing local identity
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The Fifth Floor: Syria after Assad
Sat 22 Feb 2025
How has the country changed since the fall of Bashar al-Assad?
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BBC OS Conversations: Ukraine and three years of war
Sat 22 Feb 2025
Every moment can be the last experiences of life in Ukraine
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Heart and Soul: The only thing certain in life
Fri 21 Feb 2025
Can we prepare or train for our own mortality in order to find peace with death?
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Witness History: US Black History Month special
Thu 20 Feb 2025
Extraordinary stories from African-American history, told by the people who were there
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BBC Trending: Quadrobic panic in Russia over craze to dress and walk on all fours like animals
Wed 19 Feb 2025
Why Russia is cracking down on the craze to dress as animals and run on all fours
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Assignment: The village that came back from the dead
Tue 18 Feb 2025
The coalmine that swallows villages whole and the village that survived
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In the Studio: Jennifer Walshe
Mon 17 Feb 2025
Celebrated composer Jennifer Walshe creates a new opera set on Mars
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The Fifth Floor: What the US left behind in Afghanistan
Sat 15 Feb 2025
Inside the Kabul flea market selling second-hand US military equipment to the Taliban
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BBC OS Conversations: How AI is changing our lives
Sat 15 Feb 2025
The effect of artificial intelligence on jobs, for better or worse
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Heart and Soul: The caretaker of Bukhara
Fri 14 Feb 2025
Abram Ishakov is the caretaker of the oldest synagogue in Central Asia
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World Wide Waves '25: Whispers in the air
Thu 13 Feb 2025
A community radio station is reviving the language and culture of the Nuxalk people
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BBC Trending: Inside Nigeria’s hustle kingdoms
Wed 12 Feb 2025
How con artists learn the tricks of their trade at dedicated scamming schools in Nigeria
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Saudi and trans: Eden’s final message
Tue 11 Feb 2025
After a Saudi trans woman’s death went viral, BBC Eye investigates her final months
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In the Studio: Bárbara Sánchez-Kane
Mon 10 Feb 2025
Mexican fashion designer Bárbara Sánchez-Kane disarms masculinity through menswear
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Assignment: Ghana militants in the Sahel
Sun 9 Feb 2025
Fears that fighting on Ghana’s northern border may spread
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Sportshour at Super Bowl LIX: New Orleans edition
Sun 9 Feb 2025
Katie Smith is in New Orleans to sample the atmosphere ahead of Super Bowl LIX
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BBC OS Conversations: Donald Trump and the future of Gaza
Sat 8 Feb 2025
Views from Gazans and Israelis on plans for a “Riviera of the Middle East”
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Heart and Soul: Feminism is my jihad
Fri 7 Feb 2025
The co-founders of Turkey’s first Muslim feminist association on faith and activism
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Germany: Rebellion on the Rhine
Thu 6 Feb 2025
In the run up to Germany’s snap general elections Jeremy Cliffe goes to Ludwigshafen
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BBC Trending: The dark side of music streaming
Wed 5 Feb 2025
How fake streams are stealing millions from the music industry
