Welcome to the PBS Documentaries channel—presented by PBS Digital Studios and Independent Television Service (ITVS), dedicated to documenting our shared human journey and helping us understand one another a little better. Stream full-length films and short stories that explore culture, history, nature, science, identity, and the people and experiences shaping our lives. Dive into our roots and our communities—the work we do, the people we love, and the traditions that make us who we are.
Subscribe for award-winning documentaries, short-form storytelling, and fresh perspectives. Watch, learn, and leave inspired—then share the story.
From PBS Voices. PBS Digital Studios hosts wish Sir David Attenborough a happy 100th birthday and celebrate the launch of the new documentary, Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure. Available now on PBS
From PBS Voices. More from this series: https://to.pbs.org/4ulyEWw In 1976 David Attenborough embarked on his most ambitious project ever. No-one had ever attempted a natural history series on this scale before. His reputation was on the line. This is the story behind TV’s first wildlife blockbuster, Life on Earth. Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure…
From PBS Voices. Watch more of this series: https://to.pbs.org/4cR3Ebn Journey with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to Kenya, Egypt and beyond as he discovers the origins of man, the formation of early human societies and the creation of significant cultural and scientific achievements on the African continent. Origins | Hour One | Africa’s Great Civilizations…
From PBS Voices. Watch more of this series: https://to.pbs.org/4cR3Ebn Journey with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to Kenya, Egypt and beyond as he discovers the origins of man, the formation of early human societies and the creation of significant cultural and scientific achievements on the African continent. Origins | Hour One | Africa’s Great Civilizations…
From PBS Voices. What begins as an adrenaline-fueled wild hog hunting excursion in the Ozarks, gradually unfolds into a quiet reckoning, as the two men confront the distance that has grown between them. Iranian American filmmaker Andy Sarjahani and his childhood friend Bubba reunite for an intimate and revealing conversation. In the years following 9/11,…
From PBS Voices. What begins as an adrenaline-fueled wild hog hunting excursion in the Ozarks, gradually unfolds into a quiet reckoning, as the two men confront the distance that has grown between them. Iranian American filmmaker Andy Sarjahani and his childhood friend Bubba reunite for an intimate and revealing conversation. In the years following 9/11,…
From PBS Voices. *In March 2026, years after this film was completed, new information emerged regarding allegations of sexual misconduct by César Chávez, including accounts involving Dolores Huerta. Who is Dolores Huerta? One of the most important, yet least known activists of our time, Dolores Huerta was an equal partner in founding the first farm…
From PBS Voices. *In March 2026, years after this film was completed, new information emerged regarding allegations of sexual misconduct by César Chávez, including accounts involving Dolores Huerta. Who is Dolores Huerta? One of the most important, yet least known activists of our time, Dolores Huerta was an equal partner in founding the first farm…
From PBS Voices. A meditative exploration of time and mortality, Chasing Time follows photographer James Balog as he brings the 15-year Extreme Ice Survey project to a close. A beautiful tribute to the power of images, the Emmy-winning team behind Chasing Ice returns to unveil astounding visual evidence of climate change and to inspire action…
From PBS Voices. A meditative exploration of time and mortality, Chasing Time follows photographer James Balog as he brings the 15-year Extreme Ice Survey project to a close. A beautiful tribute to the power of images, the Emmy-winning team behind Chasing Ice returns to unveil astounding visual evidence of climate change and to inspire action…
From PBS Voices. A meditative exploration of time and mortality, Chasing Time follows photographer James Balog as he brings the 15-year Extreme Ice Survey project to a close. A beautiful tribute to the power of images, the Emmy-winning team behind Chasing Ice returns to unveil astounding visual evidence of climate change and to inspire action…
From PBS Voices. 🚨PBS LEARNING MOMENT🚨 What are the correct terms to use when discussing the little person community? The answer may be simpler than you think. "Dwarfism" is a medical category that encompasses hundreds of skeletal dysplasias, while “little person” is a less medicalized and more inclusive term. Many LPs chose not to self-identify…
From PBS Voices. Join Michael Keaton to celebrate "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood," the pioneering children’s series that premiered nationally 50 years ago. Keaton worked as a stagehand and made appearances on the series in the 1970. Judd Apatow, Joyce DiDonato, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Kratt, John Lithgow, Yo-Yo Ma and son Nicholas Ma, reveal their favorite memories…
From PBS Voices. Watch more of this series with PBS Passport: https://to.pbs.org/2rxTvJS | #BigPacificPBS Violence is part of life in the Pacific and those that live here must choose whether to avoid conflict or rise to meet it. The Pacific Ocean is a hunter’s paradise. From the skies of Snake Island to the teeming tropics,…
From PBS Voices. Watch more of this series with PBS Passport: https://to.pbs.org/2rxTvJS | #BigPacificPBS Violence is part of life in the Pacific and those that live here must choose whether to avoid conflict or rise to meet it. The Pacific Ocean is a hunter’s paradise. From the skies of Snake Island to the teeming tropics,…
From PBS Voices. Watch more of this series with PBS Passport: https://to.pbs.org/2rxTvJS | #BigPacificPBS Violence is part of life in the Pacific and those that live here must choose whether to avoid conflict or rise to meet it. The Pacific Ocean is a hunter’s paradise. From the skies of Snake Island to the teeming tropics,…
From PBS Voices. Watch more of this series with PBS Passport: https://to.pbs.org/2rxTvJS | #BigPacificPBS Violence is part of life in the Pacific and those that live here must choose whether to avoid conflict or rise to meet it. The Pacific Ocean is a hunter’s paradise. From the skies of Snake Island to the teeming tropics,…
From PBS Voices. Behind the glitz of the Kentucky Derby, there’s a hidden world few ever see: the “backside” of Churchill Downs, where immigrant grooms work tirelessly year-round to care for some of the most valuable racehorses in the world. Rising before dawn and laboring long hours, they feed, groom, exercise, and monitor horses whose…
From PBS Voices. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: https://www.pbs.org/donate Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR FOLLOW PBS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBS/ X: https://twitter.com/PBS/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PBS/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbs Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pbs More about PBS Film Club PBS Film Club is…
From PBS Voices. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: https://www.pbs.org/donate Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR 00:00 Cold Open: Is Reality TV the New Circus? 00:59 How Mark & Peet Met 2:15 Peet’s Book "Little Imperfections: A…
From PBS Voices. The Tallest Dwarf is a deeply personal and visually inventive documentary that follows filmmaker Julie Forrest Wyman on a profound journey of self-discovery. As she investigates long-whispered stories of dwarfism within her own family, Julie steps into the vibrant and complex world of the little people community—seeking not only answers, but a…
From PBS Voices. Watch more with PBS Passport: https://to.pbs.org/2DdzTCv Trace ancient knowledge and cutting-edge science to answer a 15,000 year old-question: who were America’s First People? The answer hides in Amazonian cave paintings, Mexican burial chambers, and on the waves off California’s coast. [Originally aired in 2018] Modern scholarship and ancient oral tradition work side-by-side…
From PBS Voices. Watch more of this series: https://to.pbs.org/4ceIT8W Four people on four continents face environmental change driven by climate change. As resources grow scarce, they witness shifts in wildlife behavior. Each actively seeks solutions to adapt and prevent conflict between humans and wildlife. The Pulse of Change | Our New World This program is…
From PBS Voices. A child sexual assault survivor confronts her Amish community’s silence around sexual abuse. With rare access inside Amish communities, Keep Quiet and Forgive reveals stories of trauma, faith, and resilience as survivors seek justice and healing. Thirty years after her assault, Lizzie fights to expose Amish abuse and support survivors silenced by…
From PBS Voices. The Inquisitor traces Barbara Jordan’s rise from Texas congresswoman to national icon, highlighting her powerful voice, integrity, and influence on U.S. politics. She confronted presidents, championed civil rights, and set a new ethical standard in American politics. From her fervent speech condemning the Watergate scandal, to her passionate battles for equal rights,…
From PBS Voices. PBS Documentaries will debut an expansive, diverse collection of documentaries across all forms of nonfiction storytelling. The channel is part of a broader effort to serve public audiences through increased accessibility, while building a centralized, scalable hub that elevates PBS’s nonfiction content, features the best in feature-length independent film, and strengthens the…
From PBS Voices. Throughout history, many Deaf people were told to prioritize speech over sign to help them “blend in” within a hearing-centered society. Deaf theatre pushes back by celebrating ASL and the uniqueness of Deaf culture. This film follows Daymond Sands, a Deaf theatre program director, preparing his first original showcase, highlighting the cast’s…
From PBS Voices. Think Mulan was one of a kind? Chinese opera’s been full of warrior women like her for centuries. Meet the “Wudan” and “Daomadan”: fierce fighters and generals in dazzling armor, flipping and spinning swords on stage. Once banned from performing—or even watching—the opera, women fought their way back a century ago, and…
From PBS Voices. Through embroidered maps, families in the Sierra Tarahumara keep their homeland alive. In Chihuahua City, Mexico, Rarámuri families from Coloradas de la Virgen keep their home in the Sierra Tarahumara alive through ritual, memory, and thread. This episode follows their narrative embroidery, showing how, amid violence and displacement, storytelling turns into a…
From PBS Voices. Yacouba Sissoko has a lifelong mission: to bring the ancient tradition of the griot (which you may have seen mentioned in the film "Sinners") to modern-day New York and the next generation of African Americans. Sissoko is “a living history book,” trained in the sacred oral storytelling tradition of Mali. Through the…
From PBS Voices. This documentary explores how the oral tradition of Puerto Rican trova is kept alive through the voices of those who inherit it. From the masters who improvise verses to the young artists who listen and learn, it reveals how each generation reimagines the art of song and poetry, ensuring that its spirit…
From PBS Voices. Chicano Theatre: The Act of Resistance explores the legacy of Chicano theatre—from the flatbed-truck actos of El Teatro Campesino to the groundbreaking work of teatristas redefining art and identity today. Through intimate conversations, rehearsals, and dynamic performances, we meet the new generation carrying the tradition forward with plays that honor and uplift…
From PBS Voices. From Louisiana’s Creole history to Appalachia’s folktales to Memphis’s Black art scene, three creators are keeping Southern oral traditions alive. Jeremy K. Simien, Bryan “YoBreezye” Roberson, and Michael @TheAppalachianSon Story combine creativity, pride, and community to preserve stories for the future. From Front Porches to Feeds brings to life the art of…
From PBS Voices. Medical aid in dying, otherwise known as assisted suicide, is a hotly debated topic both morally and legally–especially in the disabled community. In "Life After" a new documentary from disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport, he investigates assisted dying and uncovers how ableism, policy, and systemic failures can make death seem like the only…
From PBS Voices. This short film follows two Navajo weavers whose work preserves memory, identity, and ancestral knowledge. Through traditional techniques and contemporary expression, their art becomes a living story of resilience. Weaving emerges as a space of healing, continuity, and cultural strength. The Story in Us is a thematic anthology that celebrates storytelling traditions…
From PBS Voices. Premiering January 8, 2026, The Story in Us is a documentary series that celebrates storytelling traditions from across the United States and the world. Eight unique filmmakers take a deep dive into a culture’s tradition of storytelling told faithfully by members of that community. With authenticity and care, each film explores lesser-known…
From PBS Voices. Why do so many social movements start on college campuses? KJ Kearney looks at student protests from the 1960s through today to learn how close knit communities and a culture of critical thinking create so many student activists, and how we can all stay connected to civic engagement long after graduation. *****…
From PBS Voices. KJ Kearney discusses various methods of protest and activism beyond traditional approaches. ✊🏿🎨🎼🧑💼🛍️. Be sure to catch up on episodes of Citizen Better now on PBS Voices!
From PBS Voices. KJ Kearney discusses Gen Z’s aspirations for their dream jobs and Hannah Williams chimes in on the rising challenge of affordability. Be sure to catch up on episodes of Citizen Better now on PBS Voices!