The Documentary Podcast

BBC World Service 5347 - Big surveillance, Flock and ICE

Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. Home of the best documentaries from the BBC World Service. From the impact of drought on crops, tourism and trade, to Africa's first film city, to the Romanian teenagers who built a DIY internet...we go beyond the headlines. Each week we look at the stories shaping our world and hear voices connecting people from across the globe, asking how news stories are shaping their lives. We also follow spiritual journeys, examine the world through the lens of its media and focus on solutions to global problems.

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Episodes

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28 Aug 2026

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04 Aug 2026

03 Aug 2026

02 Aug 2026

01 Aug 2026

31 Jul 2026

30 Jul 2026

29 Jul 2026

28 Jul 2026

27 Jul 2026

26 Jul 2026

25 Jul 2026

24 Jul 2026

23 Jul 2026

22 Jul 2026

21 Jul 2026

The Documentary Podcast

Episodes

Big surveillance, Flock and ICE

Is Turkey's clothing industry unravelling at the seams?

The price of peace

Hong Kong's bookstore raids

We will always love you, Dolly

Kirk Franklin: Gospel music and my own faith journey

Bonus: Lives Less Ordinary- Love Stories

Peanuts for the people

Brazil’s gambling addiction

Lucy Sparrow: Nostalgic supermarket made of felt

China: The rise of a science superpower

Secret phone calls from a Saudi jail

Flying with kids: Cabin chaos

What in the World: Will AI make your degree pointless?

The Vatican's AI battle

LA: Rising from the ashes

The Kansas City cycling revolution

Raiders of the lost art

Behind the scenes of Bookish

The sound of soft power

Ukraine and Russia’s recruitment war

Experiences of drought

The creator of France's 'Untouchables' houses

Tree of diplomacy

The world's largest wildlife crossing

Victoria Falls: An environment on the edge

Special forces on trial

Africa's first film city

Rapping behind bars in Cameroon

Ariana Grande and the public scrutiny of women

A singer’s search for peace

The teenagers who wired Romania

The Engineers: Flying at the Edge

Getting Gaza back online

Skatepark designers Nine Yards

What is so-called 'Jihadi cool'?

A Chinese dissident's journey

Wildfires in Europe

Rastafari and I

A battle that changed Ireland

Sierra Leone: The cocaine trail

The Kenyans taking on multinational chemical companies

James Turrell: Master Of Light

Driving across the divide

Saving Nigeria's vultures

The lifelong toll of surviving disaster

Searching for my samurai mother

The spirit of Tala: The rapid rise of Tonga's netball team

Bonus: Forgiving a killer - from Lives Less Ordinary

Italy’s child obesity time-bomb