The Documentary Podcast podcast

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The Documentary Podcast

The best documentaries from the BBC World Service. Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. From the Chinese export boom, to Malawi's food security, to the fading influence of Russia's oligarchs, we go beyond the headlines. Each week, all year round, we bring you the stories shaping our world. From the personal voices behind the headlines to perspectives on faith and spirituality and how work and money impact our lives. Discover how people find solutions to global problems and look at the world through the lens of its media. Powered by the BBC World Service’s global network, The Documentary Podcast is about the people living the story – helping you see the world with greater clarity.

The best documentaries from the BBC World Service. Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. From the Chinese export boom, to Malawi's food security, to the fading influence of Russia's oligarchs, we go beyond the headlines. Each week, all year round, we bring you the stories shaping our world. From the personal voices behind the headlines to perspectives on faith and spirituality and how work and money impact our lives. Discover how people find solutions to global problems and look at the world through the lens of its media. Powered by the BBC World Service’s global network, The Documentary Podcast is about the people living the story – helping you see the world with greater clarity.

 

#2000

Ukraine v Russia: The drones race

The contest for technological supremacy, paving the way to future wars of algorithms. Acro... more

16 hrs Ago

41 MINS

41:51

16 hrs Ago


#1999

Ten years of progress

To celebrate 10 years of People Fixing the World, Myra Anubi sits down with three regular ... more

Yesterday

23 MINS

23:11

Yesterday


#1998

The model trap: Exposing Jeffrey Epstein’s network

How was Jeffrey Epstein able to continue abusing young women for years after he became a c... more

09 Nov 2026

27 MINS

27:00

09 Nov 2026


#1997

Restoring Libya’s Jasmine City

Derna, in eastern Libya, was devastated three years ago by the world’s deadliest flood dis... more

09 Nov 2026

30 MINS

30:08

09 Nov 2026


#1996

Why Europe wants to rely less on US tech companies

Europe has long relied on America's tech giants to power its digital economy. Now, as geop... more

08 Nov 2026

17 MINS

17:37

08 Nov 2026


#1995

The US midterms and the cost of living

After the Democratic Party swept to victory in the US midterm elections, we bring people t... more

07 Nov 2026

24 MINS

24:25

07 Nov 2026


#1994

Michelle's dream

In 2005, Michelle Vanek, a 35-year-old mother of four, disappeared on Colorado's Mount of ... more

06 Nov 2026

26 MINS

26:39

06 Nov 2026


#1993

River rebound

When cities industrialise the rivers they were built around are first polluted, then turne... more

05 Nov 2026

26 MINS

26:37

05 Nov 2026


#1992

Japan’s next meal?

What will the food of the future taste like? In Japan, we discover a fungus turning waste ... more

04 Nov 2026

23 MINS

23:21

04 Nov 2026


#1991

Recommending - Inheritance: Fiat

Gianni Agnelli is the head of the family that controls Fiat, and the vast business empire ... more

03 Nov 2026

24 MINS

24:15

03 Nov 2026


#1990

Can businesses trust AI?

Why does artificial intelligence sometimes make things up? From law firms to consultants, ... more

02 Nov 2026

23 MINS

23:30

02 Nov 2026


#1989

Unlikely: A love across the political divide

Catalina and Jorge were born on the same day - 14 June. They also share a surname and, at ... more

01 Nov 2026

49 MINS

49:25

01 Nov 2026


#1988

Rebranding sleep apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition where a person’s breathing stops and starts repeat... more

31 Oct 2026

23 MINS

23:15

31 Oct 2026


#1987

The right thing: Uganda’s fearless nun

Rosemary Nyirumbe became a nun when she was just in her mid-teens – and she felt her true ... more

30 Oct 2026

26 MINS

26:35

30 Oct 2026


#1986

Recommending - Good Bad Billionaire: Gautam Adani

Gautam Adani’s businesses span almost every part of life in India. From energy to food, po... more

29 Oct 2026

45 MINS

45:02

29 Oct 2026


#1985

Digging deep to help farmers

A new farming method is having a dramatic effect on maize crops in Malawi, and assistance ... more

28 Oct 2026

23 MINS

23:11

28 Oct 2026


#1984

Duo-euthanasia – a family’s story

When Linda Pressly met them in 2024 in the Netherlands, Els and Jan had fewer than three d... more

27 Oct 2026

55 MINS

55:14

27 Oct 2026


#1983

If China's exports are booming, why are consumers struggling?

China's booming export figures, driven in part by demand for AI-related products, suggest ... more

26 Oct 2026

20 MINS

20:18

26 Oct 2026


#1982

Germany's rust belt revival

On location in Dortmund, in Germany's Ruhr region, historian and author Katja Hoyer report... more

25 Oct 2026

49 MINS

49:21

25 Oct 2026


#1981

Living with dementia

A major new international study predicts that the number of people diagnosed with dementia... more

24 Oct 2026

24 MINS

24:09

24 Oct 2026