The Documentary Podcast
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. The best of documentary storytelling from the BBC World Service.
From conflict in the Middle East to the advance of AI, to the front line of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines.
Each week we dive into the minds of the world’s most creative people, take personal journeys into spirituality and connect people from across the globe to share how news stories are shaping their lives.
From conflict in the Middle East to the advance of AI, to the front line of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines.
Each week we dive into the minds of the world’s most creative people, take personal journeys into spirituality and connect people from across the globe to share how news stories are shaping their lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books
36 snips
May 13, 2026 • 59min
Introducing: Not By The Playbook - Why it is never too late
Arshay Cooper, Chicago rower turned outreach leader who makes boathouses welcoming. Meg Robson-Austin, World's Strongest Woman who battled chronic pain to reclaim elite sport. Mike Flint, former player and coach who returned to college football at 59 to settle a regret. They trade stories of late comebacks, resilience, breaking barriers, and transforming setback into purpose.
22 snips
May 12, 2026 • 29min
Return to Khartoum: War, loss and hope
A reporter returns to Khartoum to describe the city's widespread destruction and the dangers of rubble and unexploded ordnance. Survivors recount life under occupation, threats to women and grassroots survival tactics. Volunteers and mutual aid groups keep communities going while demining, looting of cultural sites, repairs and a fragile return to schools and shops shape the fragile recovery.
May 11, 2026 • 27min
Mika Obanda: Mosaic art
Mika Obanda, a Kenyan visual artist from Mukuru who makes mosaics from painted eggshells and creates charcoal and pastel works. He discusses his eggshell technique and the therapeutic rhythm of making art. He explains the Trying to Blossom series, the studio fire and how community support helped him rebuild. He also shares themes of growth, self-portraits and artworks addressing women's rights in Nairobi's settlements.
May 10, 2026 • 35min
Searching for Soldier Dad: Ep 1. Love story
A mother reveals a hidden past that upends her daughter’s life. A daughter spots a possible father online and starts a long search. Women describe relationships with British soldiers and the pain of sudden abandonment. A community and lawyers launch DNA testing to trace absentee fathers and hope for answers.
May 9, 2026 • 26min
A 93 year old president gets a deputy
Panisa Emocha, BBC Thai reporter who covered Gawdland, explains the Thai drag star's rise and cultural impact. Tatiana Kovtun, BBC Russian correspondent, recounts an exiled Russian's risky border reunion and life in exile. Paul Njie, BBC Africa journalist from Cameroon, examines Paul Biya's 44-year rule, the new vice-president role and succession uncertainties.
8 snips
May 9, 2026 • 23min
Sir David Attenborough
Charu Mishra, snow leopard conservationist exploring coexistence and climate impacts. Wendy Kirure, Kenya-born cinematographer shaped by the Maasai Mara. João Paulo Krasievsky, Brazilian underwater cinematographer from Blue Planet 2. Brad Besterlinck, Botswana-based wildlife cameraman with field anecdotes. Victoria Bromley, filmmaker with BBC Natural History experience. They discuss filmmaking with Sir David, iconic wildlife moments, and nature-inspired storytelling.
5 snips
May 8, 2026 • 27min
Befriending the man who killed my family
Bishop John Ruchahana, a religious leader working on reconciliation; Viateur Ruribikiye, a former perpetrator who confessed and joined faith-based community work; Steven Ngabonziza, ex-combatant turned prison guard involved in reconciliation; Daniel Gasangwa, a survivor who confronted those who killed his family. They discuss returned perpetrators, visits between survivors and those released, faith and discipline in forgiveness, and community reintegration.
9 snips
May 7, 2026 • 36min
Russia's 'nyet' to the internet
Evgeny Pudovkin, economic reporter on business fallout from Russia’s internet blocks. Gleb Borshchevski, military analyst on how restrictions affect battlefield comms. Daria Mosolova, Russia correspondent on social scope and policy drivers. They discuss mobile blackouts, VPN and platform bans, impacts on payments and propaganda, Telegram’s role for troops, and the push for a sovereign Runet.
May 6, 2026 • 42min
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II: What’s next for Nasa's Artemis mission?
Kristen Fisher, a space reporter who covered mission control and press briefings, and Jeremy Hansen, Canadian astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist, share vivid mission moments. They discuss a tense cabin-alarm before translunar injection, views of a solar eclipse from Orion, launch and reentry sensations, life aboard Orion, and what an Artemis dress rehearsal could mean for future lunar plans.
May 5, 2026 • 27min
Artist Joan Eardley
Kerry Gledhill, curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, guides a tour of Joan Eardley’s fierce, tactile paintings. She explains pairing Eardley with Monet and other collection works. They discuss Eardley’s outdoor practice in Catterline, her use of grit, collage and graffiti-like marks, and bold curatorial choices that reveal new visual synergies.
