Top 100 Nonfiction TV Episodes 2021
- 1
London
Searching for Secrets, Season 1Why are London's black cabs so oddly shaped? How did the city's first toilets help create the first subway? And what's the story with the tree dedicat...
- 2
Tuscany
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 3Anthony Bourdain is in beautiful Tuscany, exploring this contrasting land of heaven and hell. Heaven because of its breathtaking scenery, hell not onl...
- 3
The Forbidden Bible
Ancient Aliens, Season 14Rebellious angels, giant hybrid beings, and humans taken up to a heavenly realm above the Earth. Is it possible that The Book of Enoch was stricken fr...
- 4
Provence
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 8Provence is a region of France characterized by its impoverished history and hard labor. Throughout his journey in Provence, Tony becomes enamored wit...
- 5
Family Reunions
Finding Your Roots, Season 3Uncover family mysteries about two legends of hip hop, Sean Combs and LL Cool J, through the use of DNA technology that reveals information that shake...
- 6
To The Ends of the Earth, Pt. 1
Frozen PlanetOur journey begins out on the frozen Arctic Ocean, close to the North Pole. The sun is back after 6 months of darkness. We follow a pair of courting p...
- 7
Episode 2
Top Gear, Season 22Caution: contains explicit language. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May embark on a road trip across Australia’s Northern Territory. The...
- 8
Bobby Bones and Caitlin Parker in the Sierra Nevada
Running Wild with Bear Grylls, Season 6In a RUNNING WILD first, Bear takes radio and television personality Bobby Bones back out into the wild, this time with fiancé Caitlin Parker. Bear t...
- 9
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Ken Burns: American LivesUnforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson tells the story of the first African-American boxer to win the most coveted title in all of ...
- 10
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...
- 11
Penny Drop
MythBusters, Season 2MythBusters: Find out if dropping a penny from a skyscraper can be lethal to pedestrians on the sidewalk below. Explore the effects of microwaves and ...
- 12
In Cold Brew
Good Eats, Season 17Alton Brown proves that brewing cold opens all-new dimensions of coffee enjoyment. And no, iced coffee isn't the same thing.
- 13
“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...
- 14
“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...
- 15
Honolulu
Man v. Food, Season 2Adam Richman visits beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii for traditional eats like pipikaula short rib, the Loco Moco, a burger dish topped with fried eggs and ...
- 16
Vietnam (The Island of Mr. Sang)
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 1A vicarious thrill ride as Tony discovers Vietnam from the buzzing streets of Hanoi to the rural beauty of the Montagnards, and the mysterious Island ...
- 17
Tokyo
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 2Japan is a paradox. The low birthrate, the dedication, the conformity, and the life of a salary man are well known. There is also a competitive and r...
- 18
Can You Dig It?
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, Season 2While conducting a drilling operation at the Triangle Area, the team not only detects dangerous energy spikes, but also discovers something that may h...
- 19
06/20/2021
Fareed Zakaria GPSFareed Zakaria brings viewers his insights and analysis, and his interviews world leaders, artists, scientists, business leaders, global affairs analy...
- 20
Spain
Best of BourdainI think this show has some of the best, most straight up food porn we've ever shot. It's shot in two of my very favorite food destinations: Saint Seb...
- 21
A Marriage of Styles
Christina On The Coast, Season 4When a friendly playdate turns into a request for help, Christina takes on a coastal couple's primary bathroom redesign. She's got to find a way to sa...
- 22
Chile
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 7Chilean culture is a combination of several different cultures. Once dominated by Spanish influences, Chile is now a rich culmination of Spanish, Engl...
- 23
Episode 2
Top Gear, Series 12Top Gear travels to the U.S. to take 3 new-generation muscle cars on a road trip from San Francisco to Utah. After the excitement of the last American...
- 24
Inside Area 51
America's Book of Secrets (2021), Season 4In 2013--after decades of secrecy, denials, and cover-ups--the CIA declassified documents that acknowledged the existence of a top-secret military res...
- 25
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...
- 26
The Robin Tattoo
The Murder Tapes, Season 5A dismembered torso turns up in a Florida forest, and the discovery launches detectives across the US to search for answers. With only a tattoo found ...
- 27
Time of the Titans
Walking With DinosaursThis is the story of one of the largest animals to walk the Earth - the mighty, long-necked Sauropod. Growing to a size of 30 tonnes, these creatures'...
- 28
FUBAR (September 1944 - December 1944)
The War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn NovickEpisode 5: By September 1944, the Allies seem to be moving steadily toward victory in Europe. "Militarily," General Dwight Eisenhower's chief of staff...
- 29
Ladder to the Stars
Cosmos: Possible WorldsViewers are invited on an adventure spanning billions of years into the evolution of life and consciousness. Visit a 100,000-year-old laboratory and e...
- 30
Cruel Intentions
Web of Lies, Season 7A young woman is swept off her feet by the man of her dreams but before they have a chance to meet, a tragic accident sends him to jail. Against the o...
- 31
Marrow Minded
Good Eats, Season 17Bone marrow isn't just for fancy gastropubs. Alton Brown delivers everything you need to know to enjoy "God's butter" at home.
- 32
Mark Twain
Ken Burns: American LivesSamuel Clemens rose from a hardscrabble boyhood in the backwoods of Missouri to become, as Mark Twain, America's best known and best loved author. Con...
- 33
Confessions of a Scam Artist
American Greed, Season 14T.R. Wright-the architect of what's been called "the wildest insurance fraud scheme Texas has ever seen"-shares his almost-too-crazy-to-be-true story ...
- 34
Fancy or Fixer in Raleigh
House Hunters, Season 182A pair of twenty-somethings look for their first home together in Raleigh, North Carolina. Coming from modest means, she prefers a low-cost fixer-uppe...
- 35
The Blue Planet
The Blue PlanetThe blue whale is a perfect symbol for the oceans: the vast blue expanse that dominates our planet while still remaining largely unexplored and myster...
- 36
Volcano
A Perfect PlanetWithout volcanoes there would be no life on Earth. Although destructive, magma from the planet's molten core builds land and mineral rich ash from eru...
- 37
Evil or Illness
Mysteries of Mental Illness, Season 1Examine ancient conceptions of mental illness and the establishment of psychiatry. Hear contemporary stories of people living with mental illness, inc...
- 38
The Hunt for Hitler's Relics
America's Book of Secrets (2021), Season 4Adolph Hitler was deeply into the occult and even established a Nazi organization called the Ahnenerbe, with a secret mission to track down and confis...
- 39
Washington DC
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 6Tony Bourdain is in Washington D.C. to explore this city of contrasts - Democrat vs. Republican, affluent vs. poor, visible vs. invisible, black vs. w...
- 40
Tainted Love
Deadly Women, Season 14When love turns to obsession, these women make their lover their possession.
- 41
Part 1: 1789 - 1825
The PresidentsWASHINGTON to MONROE: 1789-1825 -- During the heady days of the Constitutional Era, America's Founding Fathers set the future of a nation on its cours...
- 42
Alton's Maniacal Baskets: Pt 1
Chopped, Season 49Alton Brown is at it again! The chefs in his Maniacal Baskets tournament are seriously tripped up by a canned wonder in the appetizer round, and a she...
- 43
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....
- 44
Kenya
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 12Bourdain introduces his fellow CNN Original Series host W. Kamau Bell (United Shades of America) to the distinctive sights, tastes, and sounds of Keny...
- 45
Shark Fight
Shark Week, 2012These are six of the most extreme shark attacks you'll ever see on television. But what's even more remarkable is that the survivors, permanently scar...
- 46
Jungle
Planet Earth IIJungles provide the richest habitats on the planet - mysterious worlds of high drama where extraordinary animals attempt to survive in the most compet...
- 47
I'm Addicted to Food
True Life: 2011On this episode of True Life, you'll meet two young women so fixated on food that it's now destroying their health and their future. Can they put an e...
- 48
Escaping Eritrea
Frontline, Season 41This is an unprecedented undercover investigation into one of the world’s most repressive regimes. Exclusive secret footage and testimony shed new l...
- 49
A Very Bloody Affair - 1862
Ken Burns: The Civil War1862 saw the birth of modern warfare and the transformation of Lincoln's war to preserve the Union into a war to emancipate the slaves. Episode two be...
- 50
The Greek Islands
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 7Life on the Greek islands, home to a fiercely independent and proud population, is relatively secluded, steeped in tradition, and revolves around loca...
- 51
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...
- 52
How She Road Trips
How She Rolls, Season 1Carrie takes a RV road trip with chef Nathalie Dupree. The two explore biscuit making on a drive from Charleston to Atlanta, stopping to sample biscui...
- 53
I'm In a Love Triangle
True Life: 2008Making a relationship work is hard enough, but what's it like if the person you're seeing is also in love with someone else? On this episode of True L...
- 54
Caribbean Island Hopping
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 9Down in the southernmost end of the Caribbean, Tony and his crew sample the local cuisine and explore the Caribbean lifestyle while going scuba diving...
- 55
Kris Jenner's Backyard Retreat
Celebrity IOU, Season 3Kris Jenner and daughters Kim Kardashian West and Kendall Jenner team up with Jonathan and Drew to surprise a family friend looking to start over. Wit...
- 56
Taken
Body Cam, Season 4In Colorado, an unpredictable armed ex-convict takes his family hostage and threatens to kill them and himself. In Florida, a gas station robbery lead...
- 57
San Francisco
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 7San Francisco is a city of districts and contradictions, each one with its own quirks and flavors. Between Chinatown, Haight-Ashbury and Fisherman's W...
- 58
Secrets of the Mega-Tomb
Tomb Hunters, Season 1It began with the discovery of a giant coffin while excavating a burial chamber near Egypt's famous Step Pyramid. But further digging opened an underg...
- 59
Apache vs. Gladiator
Deadliest Warrior, Season 1Apache - the greatest stealth fighter in American History, versus a Gladiator – crowd-thrilling killer of ancient Rome.
- 60
Viscera
The Vow, Season 1After seven years, Bonnie leaves Albany and NXIVM for Los Angeles to make sense of it all. She tries desperately to get through to Mark, who reassures...
- 61
World's Greatest Submarine
Impossible Engineering, Season 10The deepest-diving submersible vessel in the world is one of the most intricately designed craft that has ever been engineered for the sea, and having...
- 62
Seattle
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 10Bourdain immerses himself in the boom or bust city of Seattle.
- 63
“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...
- 64
Sight Unseen to Costa Rica
House Hunters International, Season 154A couple from Tennessee moves sight unseen to Playa Potrero, Costa Rica. They researched properties before deciding to move, but now that their flip-f...
- 65
Drama Calls
Nightwatch, Season 5The team faces a slew of dramatic night shift calls including a pregnant woman who was assaulted, a four-year-old boy with abdominal pain, a gunshot v...
- 66
Marooned
Renovation Island, Season 2With the hotel shut down due to COVID-19, the Baeumler family is quarantining on the island. Bryan and Sarah have to adapt their business and family p...
- 67
Chyna
VICE Versa, Season 2The rise and fall of the iconic female wrestler Chyna and why her name was erased from wrestling history--told through exclusive footage from the last...
- 68
Squared Away
CarrierMentoring and camaraderie are what hold the ship together. But life on deployment is stressful for everyone aboard, and there can be considerable fric...
- 69
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...
- 70
Secrets of the Titanic
Secrets of the TitanicDiscover the REAL story behind the biggest Hollywood movie of all time! After years of painstaking research, Dr. Robert Ballard finally located the il...
- 71
The Aftermath: Part Two
60 Days In, Season 6The Phase Two participants revisit their time in the Etowah County Detention Center, and Tony must answer to both Phase One and Phase Two for some of ...
- 72
US Road Trip Special
Top Gear, The Specials, Vol. 1Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond travel to Florida in order to prove that a fly-drive holiday would be more fun if you bought a car inst...
- 73
Mars: The New Evidence
The Universe, Season 5In the last few years, the Red Planet has yielded up many new clues that life may have once existed there...and may even exist there today. There is n...
- 74
The Bathtub
Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death, Season 2In 2000, a South Barrington, Illinois, rookie cop responds to the scene of what many believe to be an accidental drowning. The officer feels something...
- 75
The Ranch Strikes Back
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, Season 2Following a thermal experiment at Homestead Two that reveals more evidence of a strange presence, the team is suddenly affected in dangerous and distu...
- 76
The Deep
Blue Planet IIA ground-breaking journey to the Deep, our final frontier and home to real-life aliens, from monstrous sharks to shrimps in glass cages and perhaps th...
- 77
Beach Dream House
Property Brothers: Forever Home, Season 5A family purchased the LA beach house they've been dreaming of, but while the property is full of charm, it needs work to function as a forever home. ...
- 78
Ocean Deep
Planet Earth, Series 1Life goes to extraordinary lengths to survive this immense realm. A 30 tonne whale shark gorges on a school of fish and the unique overhead heli-gimba...
- 79
Remote Control
The Curse of Oak Island, Season 8In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, Rick, Marty and the team return to Oak Island. Armed with evidence of possible tunnels leading to the Money Pit,...
- 80
Murder Habit
I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Season 1Writer Michelle McNamara, author of True Crime Diary, her blog about unsolved crimes, finds a new obsession in the "East Area Rapist" (EAR), who terro...
- 81
Asturias, Spain
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 12Bourdain accompanies his friend and fellow chef Jose Andres to his home Asturias, Spain.
- 82
Train of Terror
Engineering Catastrophes, Season 4A devastating rail disaster outside a small North Dakota town results in cargo erupting in massive explosions; experts use the latest science to inves...
- 83
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...
- 84
Paris
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 9Tony gets to know a little bit about the lives of the city's working class. Explore the varied ethnic communities that contribute to the pulse of Pari...
- 85
Spain
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 2Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown explores Andaluc?a during Semana Santa (Holy Week, leading up to Easter), a time filled with great pageantry and excite...
- 86
New Design in the Old Hood
Christina On The Coast, Season 4When Christina's old neighbors contact her for design help, she's tasked with remodeling a large, water-damaged home. Working with a floor plan simila...
- 87
Skin Deep
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, Season 2After an investigator presents the team with evidence of a mysterious cavern system running beneath the ranch, they find reason to believe there may b...
- 88
Mother of It All
Murder in the Heartland, Season 3A lively slumber party turns into a nightmare when a loving mother, Dianne Watts, her young daughter, and her daughter's friend, are murdered. The tow...
- 89
Ice Worlds
Planet Earth, Series 1The Arctic and Antarctic experience the most extreme seasons on Earth. Time-lapse cameras watch a colony of emperor penguins, transforming them into a...
- 90
Who’s Normal?
Mysteries of Mental Illness, Season 1Trace efforts to develop guidelines for diagnosing mental illness rooted in empirical science rather than dogma. Explore how science and societal fact...
- 91
Episode 1
Big Cat Diary, Series 1The most elusive of the big cats is the leopard. In the Masai Mara, a large female called Half-tail lives with her eight month-old cub. Both are less ...
- 92
The More the Merrier
Two Steps Home, Season 1While working with two new parents, Mary pulls out her design tricks to set their home apart from the competition. Then, it's up to Jon to find them a...
- 93
The Girl in the Photo
Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death, Season 2In 1995, a beloved mother is found raped and murdered in the accounting office where she works. The bloody body of her young daughter is nearby. But a...
- 94
1950s: People Had Parties
Pride, Season 1A revealing look at the vibrant and full lives lived by queer people in the 1950s amidst a steep rise in governmental regulations against the LGBTQ+ c...
- 95
Seconds from Touchdown
Air Disasters, Season 16Minutes after takeoff from Montreal, the pilots of a twin turboprop find themselves in an emergency situation no amount of training could have prepare...
- 96
Missing Out in Portland
House Hunters, Season 182A couple is desperate to get out of their cramped studio apartment and into a larger place in Portland, Oregon. He wants a big house in the suburbs th...
- 97
Testing the Limits
Air Disasters, Season 8Before May 1991, no 767 aircraft had ever crashed. That all changed when Lauda Air Flight 004 mysteriously slammed into a jungle in Thailand less than...
- 98
China
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 1As far as world cuisines go, China is the big one. But, believe it or not, Tony has never been to China before! Tackling Beijing and Chengdu on his ...
- 99
One Ocean
Blue Planet IIIn recent years, our knowledge of life beneath the waves has been transformed. Using cutting-edge technology, One Ocean takes us on a journey from the...
- 100
Episode 1
Top Gear, Series 11The boys try to build a better police car for just £1500, Clarkson finds out that a well-driven super-car can be greener than a Prius, if you drive i...
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.