Best Documentary Podcasts

In the Dark, hosted by Madeleine Baran, is an award-winning investigative-journalism podcast that started in 2016. Its first season looked at the mysterious abduction of Jacob Wetterling in rural Minnesota and the lack of accountability that sheriffs face when they fail to solve cases. Season 2 examined the case of Curtis Flowers, who was tried six times for the same crime. In 2020, In the Dark released a special report on the coronavirus pandemic in the Mississippi Delta. In 2023, In the Dark joined The New Yorker and Condé Nast. “The Runaway Princesses,” a four-part series that asks why the women in Dubai’s royal family keep trying to run away, came out in January. In the Dark is a two-time Peabody Award winner and, in 2019, became the first podcast to win a George Polk Award, one of the top honors in journalism. The program has also received an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.

The award-winning podcast (also a TV show & book series) about dark historical tales. Each episode explores the mysterious creatures, tragic events, and unusual places that fill the pages of history. Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.

Maine and New England true crime with original interviews and detailed documentary style storytelling.Murder, She Told is an award winning, true crime podcast shedding light on the cold cases, missing persons, and crime stories that often get overlooked of Maine, New England, and small towns from away.Murder, She Told uses detailed storytelling with an investigative twist, and weaves in original interviews with friends, family, and investigators close to the case. Rooted in deep research, straightforward narratives, and the victims and their family at the center of every story, Murder, She Told will speak to any listener no matter where they call home.Murder, She Told is created and hosted by native Mainer and victim's advocate, Kristen Seavey.Connect at murdershetold.com and on instagram @MurderSheToldPodcast.

Sentient Planet showcases the animals with whom we share the Earth and the humans dedicated to their urgent defense and preservation. Join host-creator Susan Woodward to explore species and examine the concept of sentience and what it means for our collective future. Guest interviews and long-form stories from the field are included every season. And we always provide campaign actions you can contribute towards a more just and harmonious planet for all living beings in this time of climate crisis and mass consumption. Brought to you from the traditional land of the Nisqually Tribe in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, a hotbed of environmental consciousness. Your ratings, reviews and Patreon donations propel our message to more listeners worldwide.

“Unmapped" is a travel podcast about getting off the beaten path and discovering new experiences near and far. Millennial travel blogger Angelina Zeppieri takes you along on her adventures, and sits down with global nomads and fellow wanderers around the world. From Uncover Studios. New episodes every other Wednesday.

The paranormal comedy podcast from two former MIB’s who asked too many questions. Kevin the Grey and Granville Moonwalker now take it in turns each and every Thursday to present a real-life paranormal case to the other in the hope of convincing humanity that the supernatural exists, or making each other laugh. Each week, the co-host has no idea what’s coming up and the show ends by deciding whether the events discussed, really did involve the strange and unusual. #Probe

The official podcast of the miniseries Chernobyl, from HBO and Sky. Join host Peter Sagal (NPR’s “Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!”) and series creator, writer and executive producer Craig Mazin after each episode as they discuss the true stories that shaped the scenes, themes and characters. Chernobyl airs Mondays at 9 PM on HBO and Tuesdays at 9 PM on Sky Atlantic. The Chernobyl Podcast is also available to stream on HBO NOW and HBO GO starting Monday, May 6 at 10 PM.

If you want to understand what’s wrong with our public schools, you have to look at what is arguably the most powerful force in shaping them: white parents. A five-part series from the makers of Serial and The New York Times. Hosted by Chana Joffe-Walt.Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all our shows covering politics, pop culture and much more. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts.

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

In a country obsessed with gossip, the great and the good fear one thing more than any other - scandal.British scandals change the course of history. They bring down governments, overthrow the rich and cause the mighty to fall. Some are about sex, others about money. In the end, they’re all about power. But often at the heart of a scandal, there are ordinary human stories. Stories of those caught up in the swirl of outrage. Who was really to blame for what happened? Why did they do it? And when all is said and done, did anything really change?   From the creators of Business Wars, American Scandal and Ghost Story, comes British Scandal. Each week, hosts Alice Levine and Matt Forde delve into the murkier side of the British elite, from Phone Hacking to Profumo to the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss. Because sometimes the truth doesn’t set everyone free…Listen to British Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/british-scandal/ now.

De 6-delige podcast Bob is het verhaal van de fragiele 84-jarige Elisa, die sinds kort alleen nog maar kan praten over haar oude jeugdliefde en het kind dat zij gedwongen heeft moeten afstaan aan een klooster. Mirke, Nele en Siona gaan op zoek naar de waarheid. Is Bob een levensgroot geheim dat ze haar hele leven met zich mee heeft gedragen, of de fantasie van een dementerende vrouw? Bob is een podcast van NPO Radio 1, Audiocollectief Schik en VPRO Dorst.

Where is Lauren Dumolo? Listen to the award-winning docuseries piecing the puzzle together. Complicit follows the story of 29 year old Lauren Dumolo, who vanished from her home in Cape Coral, FL, on June 19, 2020. Her disappearance has baffled her family, friends, and even the police investigating her case. When Lauren's belongings mysteriously begin appearing in a nearby park, the investigation is escalated, and the community rallies to search for this beautiful missing woman. But certain people close to Lauren are keeping their distance...the question is: why? Someone knows something; someone is COMPLICIT. Follow the investigation online at complicit-podcast.com Join Caitlin Boddy and Hilary Wadsworth on social media: Facebook.com/ComplicitPodcast Twitter @Complicit_PodFor media and advertising inquiries, please contact Ben@impressions.fm_

Jamie Bartlett, host of the hit podcast The Missing Crypto queen, is back with another gripping, investigative serial.In his new series, Jamie tells the story of Megan Bhari, an inspirational 16 year old girl who in 2012 launches a charity to grant wishes to seriously ill children. The charity is called Believe in Magic and it attracts the support of the biggest boy band in the world: One Direction. Believe in Magic soon becomes a household name in the child cancer community, putting on parties, sending thoughtful gifts and organizing trips to Disney. Megan is adored by all those she helps and is given an award by the then Prime Minister David Cameron.What’s even more remarkable is that Megan is herself extremely unwell. She announces that she has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. She raises money online for life saving treatment in the United States.But a group of internet sleuths start to suspect that Meg isn’t ill at all. When they discover Megan is in a Disney resort rather than a US hospital, they decide to hire a private detective to prove Megan is faking her illness–and expose the truth to the world. But events take an unexpected turn. And the internet sleuths-who are all parents of seriously ill children themselves-begin to wonder if they've got it all wrong. "It wasn't meant to end like this," says one.Author Jamie Bartlett and producer Ruth Mayer investigate the truth about Megan Bhari, tracing back over the sleuths’ incredible discoveries, meeting Megan’s old friends and supporters, and exploring the medical profession’s most mysterious condition. After months of investigation, Jamie and Ruth discover a secretive investigation into the truth about Megan’s medical condition. The conclusion is shocking–and will have far-reaching consequences for everyone involved.Believe in Magic is a BBC Studios production.

Decades after Ted Kaczynski was caught, society is still asking some of the same questions about him: Is Ted a genius who went astray? Or simply a madman who murdered three people in cold blood? Project Unabom takes an in-depth look back at the Unabomber saga and Ted Kaczynski's legacy from the perspective of FBI agents who worked to solve the case, his brother who turned him in, and Ted’s very own writings. New episodes out every Monday. Project Unabom is an Apple Original podcast, produced by Pineapple Street Studios. Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts.https://apple.co/Project_Unabom

In de hete zomer van 1996 stroomt het plein voor de kathedraal van Oviedo vol met mensen die afscheid nemen van hun wielerheld 'El Tarangu'. Jose Manuel Fuente, slechts 50 jaar oud, wordt ten grave gedragen. Maar zeven jaar later zit hij tegenover Lucien van Impe, mosselen te eten in het Vlaamse wielerstadje Geraardsbergen. Lucien kijkt hem in de ogen en weet niet wat hij ziet. Heeft zijn oude rivaal werkelijk zijn dood in scene gezet? Of is hier iets anders aan de hand? Eén ding is zeker, iemand liegt. Maar wie? En vooral, waarom?El Tarangu is een zesdelige podcast reeks waarin AudioCollectief SCHIK op zoek gaat naar een man die eigenlijk in zijn graf hoorde te liggen. Langs Noord-Spaanse bergflanken en Vlaamse wielercafés komen ze terecht in een wereld van oude helden, onbetrouwbare bronnen en gestoorde geesten. Ze komen steeds dichter bij de waarheid, tot ze botsen op leugens uit hun eigen verleden... Dit is een serie van AudioCollectief SCHIK en een coproductie van de VPRO, NPO Radio 1, Sporza en OpenVRT. De serie is tot stand gekomen met steun van het NPO-fonds, het Vlaams-Nederlands huis deBuren en het Fonds Pascal deCroos.

Bad Bets unravels big-business dramas that have had a big impact on our world. In Season 2, we delve into the story of Nikola founder Trevor Milton, who promised a future of zero-emission trucks but was taken down by a ragtag bunch of whistleblowers and short sellers. Season 2 is hosted by Ben Foldy.

True crime podcasting often forgets that, underneath the gore and sensationalism, there are real people, real families, and real justice waiting to be served. The Fall Line® is an antidote to that oversight - focused on ethical, deep-dive coverage of missing people, unsolved homicides, and unidentified persons called John and Jane Does. We present carefully crafted true crime stories, thorough research and in-depth interviews with families, law enforcement, and experts. And we bring calls to action, so engaged true crime listeners can do their part to resolve cold cases.Join us to learn about victims and survivors you’ve never heard of. . . and why their cases were ignored in the first place.

Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you entertainment, humour, an abundance of amazing animal stories and unbelievable unheard sounds. Explore the world of animals with superpowers, deep dive into death, hear from heroes passionately protecting the planet and get expert insights into corners of the natural world you’ve never explored before.Hosted by zoologists Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri, each episode features special guests including the world’s most respected scientists and naturalists, stars of film and television, nature Instagrammers and more.Listen, laugh and learn – whether you’re a nature lover, nature curious or haven’t yet realised nature is for you, there’ll be a story here to captivate your ears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a day where the news cycle is filled with constant disheartening news, Podsitivity shines a spotlight on the good that exists in the world through the telling of true stories about hope, kindness, forgiveness, perseverance, redemption, faith -- stories told by the people who lived them. Created by award-winning filmmaker, Jolie Hales, a former Disney spokesperson and advocate of putting fulfillment first in life, Podsitivity lifts the soul with high-quality production value and honesty.

A fly-on-the-wall podcast about community college speech and debate teams featuring conversations, interpretations, and in-depth looks into the world of speech and debate tournaments and the ideas that drive them.

Welcome to Sword and Scale Nightmares! True Crime for Bedtime. Your nightmare begins now...

The sinister life coaching company that takes over your life. Catrin Nye investigates. In early 2019 Jeffrey Leigh-Jones from Portsmouth got a life coach. Someone to mentor him in life and help him realise his business ambitions. Two years later, Jeff had sold his house, his relationship was in pieces, and he had handed over tens of thousands of pounds. And he wasn't the only one. In this eighteen-month investigation for the BBC, journalist Catrin Nye and her team expose control, intimidation and fear at a mysterious life coaching company taking over people's lives and ripping families apart. As the investigation hots up, the group fights back, and there's a surreal final showdown.

In 2012 wordt Stijn Saelens dood aangetroffen vlakbij zijn kasteel. Zijn schoonvader, dorpsdokter Gyselbrecht, is direct de hoofdverdachte. De moord groeit uit tot één van de meest gemediatiseerde zaken in België. In vier afleveringen onderzoekt Gabriella Adèr hoe de moord in het ogenschijnlijk rustige West-Vlaanderen zo groot kon worden. Waarom raakt het in België zo’n gevoelige snaar? Wat is er nu precies gebeurd?De Kasteelmoord is een vierdelige serie van Gabriella Adèr en VPRO Podcast. Meer informatie via www.vpro.nl/dekasteelmoord

“Anyone can write to a prisoner on death row...”From the makers of the hit true-crime documentary series ‘I Am a Killer’ comes a gripping, immersive, and personal journey into the minds of murderers. Hosted by documentary makers Zoe Hines and Ned Parker, ‘Letters From A Killer’ reveals the intimate letters they’ve received from convicted murderers facing life in prison or the death penalty.Each episode, we explore the thoughts of men and women who kill through their own words, as Zoe and Ned delve into their motives, their crimes, and the stories the letters really tell.‘Letters From A Killer’ is a Podimo (https://podimo.com/) podcast series produced by Transistor Films.Podimo is an open podcast platform, currently available in Denmark, Germany, Spain and Latin America which shares revenue with the creators. If you have a podcast you can claim your podcast now,  just visit http://podimo.com for more information.