Top 100 Nonfiction TV Shows of 2021
- 1
Biography: KISStory
June 27, 2021The definitive documentary on the most recognizable band in the world, KISS. Chronicles the band's five decades in the business as founders Paul Stanley and Gen...
- 2
Planet Earth, Series 1
April 30, 2006A humpback whale mother and calf embark on an epic journey from tropical coral paradises to storm ravaged polar seas. Newly discovered coral reefs in Indonesia...
- 3
House Hunters International, Season 155
July 23, 2021College sweethearts separated by an expired visa find a way to stay together in Maastricht, Netherlands. They're looking for their first place together, and the...
- 4
Top Gear, Series 14
December 27, 2009Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are dropped deep in the Bolivian rain forest armed only with three shabby 4x4s which they bought from the local s...
- 5
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 3
September 24, 2007Anthony Bourdain is in beautiful Tuscany, exploring this contrasting land of heaven and hell. Heaven because of its breathtaking scenery, hell not only because ...
- 6
Top Gear, Season 16
February 14, 2011The three wise men of Top Gear embark on a seasonal road trip as they attempt to recreate a certain famous journey across the Middle East to Bethlehem. They do ...
- 7
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 1
April 21, 2013Roy Choi created a Brave New World of gastronomy almost single handedly with his LA based Kogi trucks. A Korean American who grew up on the fringes of Mexican a...
- 8
An American Murder Mystery, Volume 1
November 29, 2017When 27-year-old expectant mother Laci Peterson vanishes on Christmas Eve, suspicion falls on her husband, Scott. Take a deep, intimate look into the gripping i...
- 9
America's Book of Secrets (2021), Season 4
July 20, 2021In 2020, COVID 19 effectively shut down the entire world--and in the process, elevated pandemics to the most important issue across the globe. How do they start...
- 10
Renovation Island, Season 2
July 19, 2021As the hotel reopens, the Baeumler family moves "back of house" to keep their personal lives and remodeling projects behind the scenes. Then, the ongoing solar ...
- 11
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 4
October 19, 2014Parts Unknown travels to the host's "first love," with a look at Hue, a city in central Vietnam, including excursions to the Dong Ba market, Vinh Moc tunnels, t...
- 12
Two Steps Home, Season 1
July 22, 2021Two longtime clients are looking for a home with a better layout for their family of six. After Mary entices buyers of their current house with affordable upgra...
- 13
Celebrity IOU, Season 3
July 6, 2021After helping him through a critical injury, Kevin Hart wants to thank his trainer and friend, Boss, by transforming his backhouse into a sleek man cave. He tea...
- 14
Mystery Diners, Season 9
April 29, 2015After noticing over $4,000 missing from her office safe, Keeli, owner of Fuzion in Huntington Beach, California, believes one of her managers is responsible.
- 15
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 8
December 4, 2016Bourdain's Roman holiday takes a cinematic turn, influenced by his tour guides, actress Asia Argento, screenwriter/director Abel Ferrara, and a host of larger-t...
- 16
Frontline, Season 42
June 29, 2021Investigating the rise of far-right extremism and violence in Germany. How extremists have carried out terror plots and attacks on Jews and migrants, infiltrate...
- 17
Body Cam, Season 4
July 20, 2021An undercover agent buying drugs and guns from Florida gangs finds himself at the wrong end of the barrel. A young mom and her kids are about to be swept away b...
- 18
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 6
February 2, 2009Tony Bourdain loves the energy and edge of big cities. So how is it that he has avoided Chicago for so long? In this episode of No Reservations, he sets off on ...
- 19
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 6
January 12, 2009Tony steps away from the Venice of tourists and into the Venice of the locals, visiting the famous Rialto Fish Market, experiencing Burano risoto and tasting "f...
- 20
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 3
April 27, 2014In this food-centric episode, Bourdain accompanies world-renowned chef/restaurateur Daniel Boulud as they travel back to Boulud's hometown of Lyon, France for a...
- 21
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 9
June 11, 2017Bourdain takes his first journey to the Sultanate of Oman and finds a peaceful land of remarkable beauty that defies expectations.
- 22
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 1
July 25, 2005Explore 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 communities whic...
- 23
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, Season 2
July 13, 2021As members of the team investigate the Triangle Area nearly a mile above the ranch in Brandon's helicopter, they are shadowed by an invisible entity.
- 24
Air Disasters, Season 12
February 17, 2019A Boeing 727 leaving Dallas for Salt Lake City on August 31, 1988 crashes just moments after takeoff, killing 14 of the 108 passengers and crew on board. The NT...
- 25
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 1
August 1, 2005It's the middle of winter in Iceland. There are only four hours of daylight each day. Is that enough time for Anthony Bourdain to bring the cuisine of this vibr...
- 26
Top Gear, Season 21
March 24, 2014Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May continue their journey in three ancient and barely functioning trucks, heading toward their final challenge - bu...
- 27
Deadliest Warrior, Season 3
August 3, 2011In this dramatic preview of World War 3, the U.S. Army Rangers, America’s elite military strike-force takes aim at the North Korean Special Operations Forces,...
- 28
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 7
August 10, 2009San Francisco is a city of districts and contradictions, each one with its own quirks and flavors. Between Chinatown, Haight-Ashbury and Fisherman's Wharf, Tony...
- 29
Buddy vs. Duff, Season 3
July 19, 2021Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman kick off a new competition with cakes inspired by an African safari. Team Buddy creates three fantastic beasts while Team Duff c...
- 30
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 2
September 15, 2013In the season premiere of Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, the host and crew make their first trip to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. While the political situati...
- 31
Evil Lives Here, Season 10
July 18, 2021Christian Fuhr receives a life sentence, and his girlfriend Ammie Turos believes he is innocent. However, when she discovers he's guilty, her conviction is repl...
- 32
Reasonable Doubt, Season 4
July 19, 2021Ken Andersen and Chad Swedberg are childhood best friends. Then Chad turns up dead on a wooded trail, and Ken takes the fall for his murder. Ken's family says t...
- 33
Top Gear, The Specials, Vol. 1
July 25, 2007It'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 and arduous ...
- 34
Murder Loves Company, Season 1
June 13, 2019A close-knit group of co-workers are devastated when one of their own is found dead near a soccer field at the edge of their quiet Indiana town. Was this a rand...
- 35
The Dead Files, Vol. 16
April 9, 2020Steve and Amy travel to Coleraine, MN, where paranormal activity threatens to tear a family apart. Everyone is under attack, mysterious shadow figures are not w...
- 36
Christina On The Coast, Season 4
July 23, 2021A sports-loving family is in over their heads after trying to take on a major rehab themselves, so Christina steps in for an assist with their bathroom, kitchen...
- 37
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 4
February 11, 2008Something alluring and menacing lurks in the air throughout the UK when it comes to the people, the scenery, and especially the cuisine, and Tony is off to inve...
- 38
Top Gear, The Specials, Vol. 1
March 30, 2009Our story begins in a little village on the border between Zimbabwe and Botswana. Unusually, James was the first to arrive, in his 1985 Mercedes 230E. Next up i...
- 39
Planet Earth II
February 18, 2017From adorable pygmy sloths to huge living dragons, islands offer a refuge for the planet's strangest creatures. But life on these isolated lands is full of ...
- 40
MythBusters, Season 2
October 17, 2003MythBusters: Find out if dropping a penny from a skyscraper can be lethal to pedestrians on the sidewalk below. Explore the effects of microwaves and whether or...
- 41
House Hunters, Season 162
September 19, 2019West Hollywood buyers are looking for a weekend retreat in Palm Springs, California. One wants a yard for entertaining, and the other wants room for visiting fa...
- 42
Stone House Revival, Season 4
July 22, 2021Jeff and his team renovate a historic home with its roots dating back to a 1685 land grant. They create a stunning bluestone patio and indoor parlor, but the bi...
- 43
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 12
December 11, 2018Bourdain takes a personal journey through this formerly bohemian New York City neighborhood, as he meets, shares meals and reflects with music, film and art tra...
- 44
Celebrity IOU, Season 3
July 20, 2021Darren Criss credits his manager and friend, Ricky, for helping him get to where he is today. With Jonathan and Drew's help, they turn his detached garage into ...
- 45
On the Case with Paula Zahn, Season 4
May 29, 2011When a young girl goes missing from her university campus, her mother is forced to lead an investigation for the truth. Can she find her precious daughter befo...
- 46
Engineering Catastrophes, Season 4
July 21, 2021Construction turns catastrophic in New Orleans when the side of a hotel complex collapses on a busy street below; expert engineers investigate to uncover the re...
- 47
Deadly Women, Season 14
July 22, 2021Stories of three women who are so deceptive and entitled - rules do not apply.
- 48
Air Disasters, Season 11
January 13, 2019As LAPA Flight 3142 lifts off from a Buenos Aires airport, the 737 crashes back to the runway, hurtles past the airport perimeter, and crosses a busy highway be...
- 49
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 8
September 25, 2016Bourdain joins the throngs of locals as he motorbikes through Vietnam's capital and indulges in its singular cuisine with president Barack Obama, who, over a di...
- 50
History Specials
March 4, 2007The Roman Empire, rotten to the core by the fifth century, lay open to barbarian warriors. Europe was beset by famine, plague, persecutions, and a state of war ...
- 51
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 9
September 13, 2010In this chapter of No Reservations, Tony takes a trip during the World Cup to Madrid -a city he describes as the political, geographical and cultural center of ...
- 52
Hemingway: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Season 1
April 5, 2021Hemingway enjoys an idyllic childhood in Oak Park, Illinois but, yearning for adventure, volunteers for the Red Cross during World War I. He marries Hadley Rich...
- 53
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 3
September 10, 2007Patagonia, Argentina lies at the lower tip of South America. Amid a white abyss of ice caps and glaciers, Tony has arrived at "the end of the world," but choo...
- 54
Top Gear, Series 12
March 30, 2009In one of the most spectacular and incredible Top Gear road trips ever attempted, the boys head to Vietnam, aiming to travel the entire length of the country in...
- 55
NOVA, Vol. 10
May 29, 2013At 2:50pm on April 15, 2013, two bomb blasts turned the Boston Marathon finish line from a scene of triumph into a scene of tragedy, and a city gripped by heart...
- 56
Property Brothers: Forever Home, Season 5
July 22, 2021Two newlyweds bought their home from her grandparents to keep it in the family. While the home is spacious, the chopped-up layout makes entertaining a challenge...
- 57
The Layover, Season 2
November 26, 2012In Paris, Tony does as the French do, with a coffee at Le Pure Café, sits down at Le Dome for an enormous shellfish tower, finds the lost art of bread baking i...
- 58
Fall River, Season 1
May 16, 20211979 – Fall River, MA – home to the notorious Lizzie Borden and a seedy hive of drugs, prostitution and organized crime. After a sex worker is found brutall...
- 59
Evil Lives Here: Shadows of Death, Season 2
July 21, 2021When a beautiful and hardworking single mother in Oak Cliff, Texas, marries a new man, she has no idea the monster she's brought into her home.
- 60
House Hunters, Season 184
July 22, 2021A single mom is looking for a big, sparkly, brand-new build for her first home in Atlanta. She's been saving a long time for a home purchase, but now she's havi...
- 61
How It Really Happened, Season 5
August 23, 2020From 1979 to 1981, more than two dozen of Atlanta’s black children--mostly boys and young men--disappeared without a trace. Who was killing the city’s most ...
- 62
House Hunters International, Season 155
July 22, 2021An adventurous, single teacher from Texas enjoys being out of his comfort zone and seeks a new experience in Bangkok. With the help of a new friend, he’ll nee...
- 63
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 9
August 16, 2010In this episode, we get a glimpse of Rome through Tony's eyes as he dines on mouth-watering classic Italian dishes and attempts to embody the mindset of the Rom...
- 64
The Machines That Built America, Season 1
July 18, 2021In 1910, airplanes are a novelty, fragile wooden concoctions that float in the air--and crash. But that doesn't stop two young dreamers with a passion for this ...
- 65
America's Book of Secrets: Special Edition
July 20, 2021On September 11, 2001, Americans' sense of security was severely shaken. But just what are the most dangerous threats to the United States of America, both fore...
- 66
Walking With Dinosaurs
October 4, 1999The story begins in 220 million years BC when ancient reptiles ruled a land dominated by desert. One group of reptiles in particular is about to take over the w...
- 67
The Shop, Season 1
August 1, 2018Off the record, in the chair--get ready for a barbershop experience like no other. Don't miss this innovative, unscripted series from HBO Sports in collaboratio...
- 68
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 2
January 15, 2007The Pacific Northwest is filled with everything - history, coffee, fresh produce, trees and obsession. Chef Anthony Bourdain is setting-off to visit the land in...
- 69
Good Eats, Season 17
June 23, 2021Alton Brown proves that brewing cold opens all-new dimensions of coffee enjoyment. And no, iced coffee isn't the same thing.
- 70
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 8
April 12, 2010Tony travels to Maine with his longtime cameraman and native Mainer- Zach Zamboni. Zach exposes Tony to the food and people of the "two Maine's;" the civilized ...
- 71
Building Alaska, Season 5
January 6, 2016The three teams kick off their builds in remote Alaskan settings. The projects include a family legacy cabin in the Wrangell Mountains, a guest cabin in Eagle S...
- 72
Good Bones, Season 6
July 21, 2021Mina and Karen have high hopes for turning their mostly demoed house on Palmer Street into a moody Cape Cod-style masterpiece. As the project develops, unforese...
- 73
Bill Nye the Science Guy, Vol. 1
October 22, 1993Bill Nye explains to viewers how the body's digestive system is like a fine-tuned machine that turns food into energy.
- 74
House Hunters, Season 184
July 23, 2021A couple expecting their first child search for a home in Washington, DC, but they can't agree on price. One seeks something practical to build generational wea...
- 75
Chopped, Season 49
July 21, 2021In the wild conclusion of Alton Brown's Maniacal Baskets Tournament, Alton has a big announcement that's sure to get the chefs fired up. For the entree round, t...
- 76
Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, Season 8
July 18, 2021Opening day of winter blue fin tuna season in the Outer Banks brings together seven Southern boats to brave the harsh winter weather of the Outer Banks, otherwi...
- 77
The Machines That Built America, Season 1
July 18, 2021In the 1870s, harvesting crops is grueling, back-breaking work. Farmers must walk miles behind horse drawn plows to get food on American tables. But a group of ...
- 78
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 2
September 22, 2013Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown explores Andaluc?a during Semana Santa (Holy Week, leading up to Easter), a time filled with great pageantry and excitement. Feat...
- 79
Top Gear, The Specials, Vol. 2
February 7, 2011The Top Gear boys are once again let loose in the USA, this time for an epic road trip up the east coast. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are com...
- 80
Cosmos: Possible Worlds
September 22, 2020Viewers are invited on an adventure spanning billions of years into the evolution of life and consciousness. Visit a 100,000-year-old laboratory and examine the...
- 81
Hemingway: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Season 1
April 7, 2021Hemingway, 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 tries to sta...
- 82
Top Gear, Season 21
March 17, 2014In 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 Thailand....
- 83
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 10
November 26, 2017The Heel of the Boot draws Bourdain back in time as he visits the largely untouched landscapes and colorful locals of Southern Italy.
- 84
Expedition Unknown, Season 9
July 22, 2021Josh Gates joins the hunt for notorious bank robber John Dillinger's fortune that's never been found. Chasing leads across the Midwest, Josh searches Public Ene...
- 85
Stephen Hawking's Grand Design
June 9, 2012Hawking tackles the question: Is there a meaning to life? Is there a purpose to our existence? Hawking explores this fascinating territory with fearless zeal as...
- 86
The Pioneer Woman, Season 4
March 16, 2013It's a big calf work day on the Drummond Ranch and that means hungry cowboys. So Ree whips up a hearty cowboy comfort food with Pan Fried Pork Chops with Cheesy...
- 87
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, Season 2
July 6, 2021As the team launches high-tech rockets into the mile-high zone above the Triangle, unidentified aerial phenomena suddenly appear.
- 88
Frontline, Season 42
July 20, 2021Investigating the consequences of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. With exclusive access to a militant wing of the Taliban, and the story of Iran’s gr...
- 89
Life
October 12, 2009In nature, living long enough to breed is a monumental struggle. Many animals and plants go to extremes to give themselves a chance. The miniature strawberry po...
- 90
Murderous History, Season 1
May 9, 2021It's November 1828. Police Sergeant Major John Fisher of the newly formed Edinburgh Police Force is on the hunt for a woman who has gone missing from a local lo...
- 91
American Greed, Season 14
February 8, 2021In Dallas, a delusional, debt-ridden, and allegedly drug-dabbling spine surgeon maims and even kills patients in one botched surgery after another. It falls to ...
- 92
Celebrity IOU, Season 3
June 29, 2021LeAnn Rimes' friend Roger saved her life by intervening during a dark time, and now she's calling on Jonathan and Drew to help give back in a big way. Roger lov...
- 93
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 11
May 20, 2018Bourdain takes a wide-angle look at the culture and history of this country, heavily influenced by Europe and Russia, with guides musician of Armenian descent S...
- 94
NOVA, Vol. 23
June 2, 2021Five centuries ago, the Age of Exploration and Europe’s imperial colonization of far-off lands was launched by a revolution in ship design that made long-dist...
- 95
Top Gear, Season 19
March 18, 2013In the second part of the Top Gear special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May continue their epic African Odyssey. Having survived insane traffic,...
- 96
Restaurant: Impossible, Season 19
July 23, 2021Ship Inn in Exton, PA, is sinking under the owner Michael's overbearing management style and $895,000 of debt. Robert Irvine has to overcome Michael's resistanc...
- 97
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations, Vol. 4
February 4, 2008New Orleans, a city known for its love of food, music, and life, was forever changed by the storm of Hurricane Katrina; yet today, New Orleans is still a vibran...
- 98
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Season 6
November 15, 2015Bourdain and Charleston resident Bill Murray dine on traditional Gullah cuisine, oyster pie, and shrimp and grits.
- 99
Celebrity IOU, Season 3
July 13, 2021Gwyneth Paltrow says her assistant, Kevin, is more like a brother than a colleague, and she wants Jonathan and Drew's help to transform his dated condo into a s...
- 100
Murder Loves Company, Season 1
June 20, 2019A beloved friend and co-worker goes missing on a desolate mountain, and detectives must sort through a list of tightknit colleagues with potential motives for m...
moviesrankings.com rankings of the top 100 best nonfiction TV shows of 2021 and all time. Lists of current nonfiction TV shows and award winners to help you figure out what to watch now.