Top 100 Nonfiction TV Episodes 2021
- 1
Eclectic Art in Garfield Park
Good Bones, Season 6Garfield Park is a haven for artists, so Mina and Karen think it's the perfect place for an art-filled renovation. Between the house's nightmarish tex...
- 2
Paris
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 1Explore the city of light and love's unexpected surprises on a journey through the lives of the city's working class. Explore the varied ethnic commun...
- 3
New Day
The White Lotus: MiniseriesA cautiously optimistic Belinda walks a fine line with Tanya, while Armond brainstorms ways to deal with Shane. After her husband belittles her work, ...
- 4
Brooklyn Bridge
Ken Burns: AmericaThe "Great East River Bridge" was the largest bridge of its era, a technical achievement of unparalleled scope, marked by enormous construction proble...
- 5
I Am Strange
Signs of a Psychopath, Season 3A lone gunman shoots a young man and woman on their way home from the gym where they work. While interrogating a suspect, detectives learn that this i...
- 6
“The Blank Page” (1944-1961): Episode Three
Hemingway: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Season 1Hemingway, reeling from his split with Martha, attaches himself to the U.S. Army as it moves through Normandy and liberates Paris. After the war he tr...
- 7
The Lotus-Eaters
The White Lotus: MiniseriesAs Armond attempts to do damage control, Belinda tries to redirect Tanya's focus to her business proposal. Paula grows increasingly disillusioned with...
- 8
The New Industrial Revolution
Future of Work, Season 1This episode illuminates disruptions to the world of work--AI, robotics, globalization and labor practices. The COVID-19 pandemic was a new driver of ...
- 9
Leaving Afghanistan
Frontline, Season 42Investigating the consequences of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. With exclusive access to a militant wing of the Taliban, and the story of I...
- 10
Grandma's House
Restoring Galveston, Season 3Ashley and Michael take a gamble on a 1979 property as old homes become harder to find in a saturated market. With fewer historical details to honor, ...
- 11
Nashville
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 8Bourdain absorbs the tastes, sights and sounds of music city, from chef Josh Habiger's Catbird Seat and Bolton's famous hot chicken, to a night of coo...
- 12
I Still Love My Daddy
Evil Lives Here, Season 10Seven-year-old Deborah Brashers' father, Robert, kills himself in a hotel room, and for 20 years, she struggles to understand why. Neither she - nor t...
- 13
San Sebastian
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 9Bourdain visits the coastal city of San Sebastian in the Basque Country, famous for its spectacular views and incomparable fresh seafood.
- 14
Pizza Wars
The Food That Built America, Season 2In the 1950's, two enterprising brothers from Wichita, Kansas aim to build their restaurant, Pizza Hut, into a franchise empire by boldly introducing ...
- 15
The Cloud
9/11: One Day in America, Season 1Survivors become separated when they are engulfed by a gigantic dust cloud after the fall of the south tower. We follow them as they wrestle with the ...
- 16
Old vs. New in San Francisco
House Hunters, Season 186A couple looks to trade their small rental for a spacious home to start a family in San Francisco. She wants to find an older Victorian they can renov...
- 17
Hunting Hitler's U-Boats
History's Greatest Mysteries, Season 2An investigation into the unshakable claims of treasure hunter Roger Miklos. Decades before his death in 2018, Roger believed he discovered a modified...
- 18
Boeing's Fatal Flaw
Frontline, Season 42An investigation of Boeing’s flawed 737 Max jet and the crashes that killed 346 people. With the New York Times, revealing the commercial pressures,...
- 19
Now It Begins...
The Looming Tower, Season 1The chief of the FBI’s counter-terrorism unit, John O’Neill, invites rookie Muslim-American agent, Ali Soufan, onto his squad.
- 20
Africa Special, Pt. 1
Top Gear, Season 19In the first of a two-part Top Gear special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are in Africa with a simple mission to find the definitiv...
- 21
Handing the Sword to the Enemy (Part 1)
The Clinton AffairDemocrats retake the White House after twelve years of Republican control, but the scandals that plagued Bill Clinton during the campaign follow him t...
- 22
Franklin Castle
Ghost Adventures, Vol. 23Zak and the crew travel to Cleveland to investigate the most-haunted residence in Ohio. Whispers of murder, suicide and arson have led many to believe...
- 23
Polar Special
Top Gear, The Specials, Vol. 1It's the ultimate test of man against machine - or should that be dog against machine - as the Top Gear team set out on one of their most ambitious an...
- 24
Recentering
The White Lotus: MiniseriesAfter Shane shoots down her latest career plans, Rachel is further blindsided by an unexpected arrival. Just as Belinda begins to take her business pr...
- 25
Rentals in Orihuela Costa
House Hunters International, Season 157A single woman takes a new military assignment in the seaside destination of Orihuela Costa, Spain. Her new friend is coming along to help with the se...
- 26
Soul Taker
Haunted Hospitals, Season 3An energy-sucking entity stalks staff and patients at a long-term care facility. A nurse in a Catholic hospital encounters the tortured soul of a nun....
- 27
The Dark Pyramid
The Alaska Triangle, Season 2A top-secret government facility beneath the Alaskan wilderness may be hiding an extraterrestrial pyramid. Strange forces within the Alaska Triangle a...
- 29
The School Teacher (#2104)
Cold Case Files, Season 2When 25-year-old schoolteacher Christy Mirack is found brutally murdered in her Lancaster, Pennsylvania, apartment in 1992, there is no shortage of su...
- 30
Croatian Coast
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 12Tony cruises Croatia's coast in search of The New Riviera.
- 31
Changing Work, Changing Workers
Future of Work, Season 1Do businesses need offices? Is a 9-to-5 workday valid? Does the nation need a drastic rethinking of the social safety nets? Does America face a "post-...
- 32
“The Avatar” (1929-1944): Episode Two
Hemingway: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Season 1Hemingway, having achieved a level of fame rarely seen in the literary world, settles in Key West with Pauline Pfeiffer and spends his time seeking ne...
- 34
The Russian Revolution
Lucy Worley's Royal Myths and Secrets, Season 1The October Revolution of 1917 has gone down in history as the only Russian Revolution that really mattered. But Lucy Worsley reveals that the earlier...
- 35
The Science of Joy
The Vow, Season 1Series premiere. Mark Vicente and Sarah Edmondson, high-ranking former NXIVM leaders, describe the dream and mission of NXIVM to build a better world....
- 36
Duct Tape Hour
MythBusters, Season 7On this episode the Mythbusters - roll out the sticky carpet for the most versatile tool in your box. They're tackling a trio of duct tape tall tales.
- 37
The Blue Pass (Part 2)
The Clinton AffairRepublicans take control of the House for the first time in 40 years, led by a new breed of politician, Newt Gingrich. Gingrich's uncompromising parti...
- 38
“A Writer” (1899-1929): Episode One
Hemingway: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Season 1Hemingway enjoys an idyllic childhood in Oak Park, Illinois but, yearning for adventure, volunteers for the Red Cross during World War I. He marries H...
- 39
Libya
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 1Libyan hip-hop, Italian restaurants, tribal allegiances and post-war uncertainty in Libya. Bourdain looks at the country through personal stories, fo...
- 40
The Fire of Life
Ken Burns: The Roosevelts - An Intimate HistoryFrom PBS and Ken Burns - Theodore Roosevelt leads a Progressive crusade that splits his own party, undertakes a deadly expedition into the South Ameri...
- 41
Patagonia Special, Pt. 2
Top Gear, Season 22In part two, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May continue in their quest to take three V8-engined sports cars on an epic journey through Pa...
- 42
Elizabeth I: The Warrior Queen
Lucy Worley's Royal Myths and Secrets, Season 1Lucy Worsley reveals how the image of Elizabeth I as a Warrior Queen was created by a series of myths and secrets about her victory over the infamous ...
- 43
From Pole to Pole
Planet Earth, Series 1The lives of animals and plants are dominated by the sun and fresh water which trigger seasonal journeys. The latest technology and aerial photography...
- 44
Patagonia Special, Pt. 1
Top Gear, Season 22The world's biggest car program is back with a brand new, two-part special in which Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take three V8-engin...
- 46
Africa Special, Pt. 2
Top Gear, Season 19In the second part of the Top Gear special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May continue their epic African Odyssey. Having survived insan...
- 47
London
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 8Visiting London, post Brexit vote, Bourdain finds comfort in classic British cuisine including roast bone marrow at chef Fergus Henderson's famed rest...
- 48
State of Denial
Reasonable Doubt, Season 4A jury convicts Glynn Simmons of a liquor store clerk's murder, but Glynn insists he was out of state during the killing. His family calls on Chris an...
- 49
Bat Superpowers
NOVA, Vol. 23Bats have been implicated in deadly epidemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola, yet scientists are discovering evidence that they may hold a key to a longer...
- 50
Evil in the Basement
A Time to Kill, Season 4Sixteen-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart is housesitting in a Pocatello, Idaho, neighborhood. As she watches movies on the couch, Cassie is oblivious to th...
- 51
Burma Special, Pt. 2
Top Gear, Season 21Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May continue their journey in three ancient and barely functioning trucks, heading toward their final chal...
- 52
Room 1012 (Part 4)
The Clinton AffairWith President Clinton's deposition in the Paula Jones case less than a week away, Linda Tripp contacts Starr's team to tell them the President and Mo...
- 53
The Dark Ages
History SpecialsThe Roman Empire, rotten to the core by the fifth century, lay open to barbarian warriors. Europe was beset by famine, plague, persecutions, and a sta...
- 54
9/11: Stories in Fragments
9/11: Stories in FragmentsHow do you grasp an event as enormous as September 11? At the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, you start small: A briefcase, a Blac...
- 55
Chase Me
Signs of a Psychopath, Season 1A 50-year-old woman is found dead in her home. All that's left behind is a note that reads, "Chase me." But when detectives uncover the killer, they q...
- 56
Burma Special, Pt. 1
Top Gear, Season 21In the first of an all-new two-part special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are on a mission to build a bridge over the River Kwai in...
- 57
Passing the Puck
Trauma: Life In the ER, Season 5Denver Health Medical Center's trauma unit is equipped to handle disasters of any magnitude including Columbine High School shooting victims that were...
- 58
I'm Coming Home for You, Brother
9/11: One Day in America, Season 1First responders look at the vast pile of debris at ground zero and wonder how anyone could still be alive. But one group of firefighters who were ins...
- 59
What Happened to Sarah
On the Case with Paula Zahn, Season 23A 14-year-old girl's mysterious runaway note raises difficult questions for police. Had she really left home on her own or had someone close to her pi...
- 60
America's Military Underground
Cities of the Underworld, Season 4Don explores top-secret military and government tunnels and looks into classified technology that could be used to build entire cities...right under o...
- 61
The South Tower
9/11: One Day in America, Season 1As an announcement tells people to remain where they are, those in the south tower watch with shock as the north tower burns after being hit by a hija...
- 63
Goodwin Home Invasion
Ghost Adventures, Vol. 23Aaron's father, Don, calls the GAC to his Las Vegas home to investigate threatening paranormal activity. The terrifying apparition of a little girl an...
- 64
Arrivals
The White Lotus: MiniseriesAs a new wave of guests arrive at the White Lotus, resort manager Armond tries to assuage an unreasonable Shane and his easy-going wife Rachel, while ...
- 65
Top Ten Alien Cover-Ups
Ancient Aliens, Season 17Counting down the world's top ten alien cover-ups, from the famous Roswell Incident to a secret military base rumored to be housing ET technology to r...
- 66
America After 9/11
Frontline, Season 42How 9/11 ushered in an era of fear, mistrust, and division in America. The compromises and consequences for American democracy--from the terror attack...
- 67
Top Ten Mysterious Sites
Ancient Aliens, Season 17Ancient Aliens is counting down the world's top ten most mysterious sites, from the towering Moai statues of Easter Island to the enormous megalithic ...
- 68
It's All Gone, Kid
9/11: One Day in America, Season 1In the aftermath of the towers collapsing, two former Marines and an ex-paramedic head to ground zero to search for survivors. Together they stumble u...
- 69
First Response
9/11: One Day in America, Season 1As a hijacked plane hits the north tower, we follow the first firefighters on the scene and their race against time to rescue the civilians trapped ab...
- 70
Mexico
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 3Bourdain travels to Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Cuernavaca to commune with local residents who express their passion through food, art, and the struggle ...
- 71
Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
Ken Burns: American Lives"Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery": Sent by president Thomas Jefferson to find the fabled Northwest Passage, Meriwether Lewis and ...
- 72
The Cause - 1861
Ken Burns: The Civil WarBeginning with an examination of slavery, this episode looks at the causes of the war and the burning questions of union and states' rights. Significa...
- 73
Snowshoes in New Mexico
House Hunters, Season 186An Air Force pilot and his family are moving to an area of New Mexico that offers two wildly different climates. He wants to live in the nearby mounta...
- 74
Moment of Truth
Life Below Zero: Next Generation, Season 3Forced to reckon with his initial missteps, Alex Javor searches Deadman Lake for resources in anticipation of a deadly cold snap. The Rowlands venture...
- 75
Sichuan with Eric Ripert
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 8Michelin star chef Eric Ripert is introduced to China and Sichuan province by host and good friend Bourdain who tests his endurance with mouth-numbing...
- 76
Departures
The White Lotus: MiniseriesRachel shares some harsh truths with Shane and confides in Belinda, who's reeling from bad news of her own. As the Mossbachers turn the page on their ...
- 77
Hindenburg: The New Evidence
NOVA, Vol. 23On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg, the world’s largest airship, ignited in a giant fireball; this remains one of the biggest mysteries in aviation hist...
- 78
Mysterious Monkeys
The White Lotus: MiniseriesStripped of his gadgets, Quinn reluctantly takes a scuba class with Mark, who’s struggling to process revelations regarding his late father. Hoping ...
- 79
Meeting at Midcentury
Curb Appeal Xtreme, Season 1A couple is finally ready to tie in their tacky 1980s addition with the rest of their beloved midcentury modern home. John, Jamie and Rachel turn thei...
- 80
Exploding Toilet
MythBusters, Season 2Jamie and Adam set out to methodically bust urban legends. If a flammable substance is sprayed down a toilet bowl, will a lighted match cause the toil...
- 81
New York
The Layover, Season 1Tony twitters Big Gay Ice Cream and reads the Bemelman classic, Madeline.
- 82
The Universe of Battle - 1863
Ken Burns: The Civil WarThis episode opens with a dramatic account of the turning point of the war: the Battle of Gettysburg - the greatest battle ever fought in the Western ...
- 83
Mixed Messages (Part 3)
The Clinton AffairMonica Lewinsky confides the details of her relationship with President Clinton to coworker, Linda Tripp, who surreptitiously records their private co...
- 84
My Fellow Americans
The Presidents CollectionAward winning filmmaker David Grubin profiles one of the most controversial U.S. presidents, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who rose from obscurity to the pin...
- 85
The Silver Man
Atlanta Justice, Season 1The Atlanta Homicide team is called to a crime scene when a body wrapped head to toe in silver tape is discovered at a church playground in an upscale...
- 86
Collapse
9/11: One Day in America, Season 1After two planes hit the World Trade Center, a day of terror continues to unfold. Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, while Flight 93 is hijacked and...
- 87
Venice
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 6Tony steps away from the Venice of tourists and into the Venice of the locals, visiting the famous Rialto Fish Market, experiencing Burano risoto and ...
- 88
The Lost City of Peru
Ancient Aliens, Season 17The South American nation of Peru is famous for its megalithic ruins, colossal geoglyphs and the Incan civilization. It's one of the most mysterious p...
- 89
Hell on Wheels
In Pursuit with John Walsh, Season 3A single mom is murdered, and police suspect Isaac Estrada, a man she'd just met. Estrada flees, and John is in close pursuit. Cal goes behind the sce...
- 90
Shakes and Fries
Chopped, Season 50Two diner favorites find a home in the ingredient baskets, and the chefs have to make the most of milkshakes and French fries. A city's signature dish...
- 91
Bling Battle in Naples
House Hunters, Season 186Empty nesters search for a new home as they relocate from North Dakota to Naples, Florida. She wants lots of bling and is willing to pay for it, but h...
- 92
Newlyweds Find a New Home
Lakefront Bargain Hunt, Vol. 14After getting engaged, married and landing a new job, newlyweds are looking to finish off their whirlwind of a year by buying a lake house. They hope ...
- 93
I'm Having a Summer Romance
True Life: 2007When two people hook up for the summer they are often looking for a casual fling that can easily be discarded by Labor Day, but after three hot and st...
- 94
Vodka Myths
MythBusters, Season 4Kari hosts some urban legends about Vodka and its impact on personal hygiene. According to this myth, trucks fused together upon impact, seal the unfo...
- 95
In the Shadow of 9/11
Frontline, Season 42How seven men in Miami were indicted for the biggest alleged al-Qaeda plot since 9/11. From the director of Leaving Neverland, the bizarre story of an...
- 96
The Good Girl
Signs of a Psychopath, Season 3A young woman makes a frantic 911 decrying a brutal home invasion that results in the shooting of her mother and father. However, as police interview ...
- 97
Towering Inferno Tragedy
Deadly Engineering, Season 3When London's Grenfell Tower catches fire, its hundreds of residents must escape a deadly inferno; expert engineers investigate and reveal how the bui...
- 98
Sweden
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 2Anthony Bourdain is off to investigate Sweden, 'a land of contrasts'. He is hoping to dispel the myths of tall blonds, Swedish meatballs, and ABBA.
- 99
The Scripture of Nature (1851 - 1890)
Ken Burns: The National Parks - America's Best IdeaEpisode 1: In 1851, a band of Indian fighters in California encounters a place of astonishing beauty, setting in motion events that bring other newcom...
- 100
Ghost Train of Ely
Ghost Adventures, Vol. 24Zak and the crew hop aboard a 100-year-old steam engine for a lockdown they will never forget. It's a paranormal-packed ride as the guys investigate r...
moviesrankings.com rankings of the top 100 best nonfiction TV episodes of 2021 and all time. Lists of current nonfiction tv episodes and award winners to help you figure out what to watch now.