
The Documentary Podcast
BBC World Service
A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues.
From Trump’s new world order, to protests in Turkey, to the headphone revolution, The Documentary investigates major global stories.
We delve into social media, take you into the minds of the world’s most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. Every week, we also bring together people from around the globe to discuss how news stories are affecting their lives.
A new episode most days, all year round. From our BBC World Service teams at: Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio, OS Conversations, The Fifth Floor and Trending.
Categories: Society & Culture
Listen to the last episode:
It’s the 70th anniversary of this unique BBC radio programme aimed at just a few dozen listeners: The team of scientists and support staff isolated at British research stations in the Antarctic midwinter.
Hosted by Cerys Matthews, the show features messages from family and friends at home, music requests from Antarctica and a specially recorded message from His Majesty The King.
For decades this show has been part of the traditional midwinter celebrations and has also been enjoyed by listeners around the world.
Midwinter celebrations at the British research stations include a feast, exchange of presents, watching the 1982 horror film The Thing (where an alien monster terrorises an Antarctic base) and listening - on short wave - to the BBC’s Midwinter Broadcast.
Producers: Martin Redfern and Richard Hollingham
An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production
Previous episodes
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4855 - Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast 2025 Sat, 21 Jun 2025
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4854 - Iranians and Israelis Sat, 21 Jun 2025
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4853 - Reworking a future: Buddhist revival in Mongolia Fri, 20 Jun 2025
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4852 - The copper kingdom Thu, 19 Jun 2025
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4851 - What’s Iran’s IRGC? Wed, 18 Jun 2025
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4850 - Could your colleague be a North Korean in disguise? Wed, 18 Jun 2025
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4849 - The Ketamine trail Tue, 17 Jun 2025
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4848 - Amoako Boafo: Creating space to celebrate Blackness Mon, 16 Jun 2025
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4847 - Australia's extinction crisis Sun, 15 Jun 2025
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4846 - The TV drama that shocked the Arab world Sat, 14 Jun 2025
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4845 - Female influencers Sat, 14 Jun 2025
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4844 - Pulpit to palace Fri, 13 Jun 2025
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4843 - The tyre scandal Thu, 12 Jun 2025
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4842 - No, there isn’t a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa Wed, 11 Jun 2025
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4841 - Balochistan - the women of the vanished Tue, 10 Jun 2025
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4840 - Auntie Flo: Making plants dance Mon, 09 Jun 2025
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4839 - Why does Moldova matter to Putin? Sat, 07 Jun 2025
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4838 - How life is changing in Syria Sat, 07 Jun 2025
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4837 - The future of the Alawites Fri, 06 Jun 2025
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4836 - The Global Jigsaw: Netanyahu’s media squeeze Thu, 05 Jun 2025
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4835 - Russian informers: Hunting the enemy within Wed, 04 Jun 2025
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4834 - Assignment: What future for Assad’s army? Tue, 03 Jun 2025
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4833 - In the Studio: Designing Conclave Mon, 02 Jun 2025
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4832 - The three babies mystery Sun, 01 Jun 2025
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4831 - Russia's 'grey zone' war Sat, 31 May 2025
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4830 - BBC OS Conversations: Israelis discuss the war in Gaza Sat, 31 May 2025
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4829 - Heart and Soul: Portugal's Surf Church Fri, 30 May 2025
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4828 - The riddle of Iranian cinema Thu, 29 May 2025
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4827 - BBC Trending: Print and shoot - The spread of 3D-printed guns Wed, 28 May 2025
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4826 - Assignment: Spain - can an algorithm predict murder? Tue, 27 May 2025
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4825 - In the Studio: Mika Obanda Mon, 26 May 2025
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4824 - America: The human plasma factory Sun, 25 May 2025
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4823 - The Fifth Floor: The reality of reporting in Syria Sat, 24 May 2025
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4822 - BBC OS Conversations: Living with prostate cancer Sat, 24 May 2025
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4821 - Heart and Soul: Musambwa - Lake Victoria's sacred island Fri, 23 May 2025
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4820 - People Fixing the World: Helping Chile's stolen children Thu, 22 May 2025
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4819 - BBC Trending: Brazilian farmers are (very) online Wed, 21 May 2025
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4818 - Assignment: Colombia's webcam women Tue, 20 May 2025
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4816 - In the Studio: Esben Holmboe Bang Mon, 19 May 2025
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4815 - The Global Jigsaw: The Trump effect on global media Sun, 18 May 2025
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4814 - The Fifth Floor: Ukraine, the war and TikTok Sat, 17 May 2025
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4813 - BBC OS Conversations: Living in Kashmir Sat, 17 May 2025
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4812 - Heart and Soul: Malcolm X and his Letter from the Hajj Fri, 16 May 2025
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4811 - Autism, empathy and psychopaths Thu, 15 May 2025
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4810 - BBC Trending: Are we dating the same person? Wed, 14 May 2025
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4809 - Assignment: Syria - return to ruins Tue, 13 May 2025
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4808 - In the Studio: Luke Black Mon, 12 May 2025
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4807 - Women warriors Sun, 11 May 2025
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4806 - The Fifth Floor: The Russian grandma who went to jail Sat, 10 May 2025
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4805 - BBC OS Conversations: Inside Gaza Sat, 10 May 2025