Having a hard time finding documentaries to watch on Channel 4, don’t worry we have you covered with the 20 best Channel 4 documentaries to watch in 2022. Our all-inclusive list covers all the documentaries you may want to watch. So what are we waiting for? Let us dive in and find some of the best documentaries to watch for you?
1. Seven Up (1964 TV Short)
Director: Paul Almond
Writer: NA
Run time: 40 minutes
Cast: Douglas Keay, Bruce Balden, Jacqueline Bassett, Symon Basterfield, and others
IMDB rating: 7.9 out of 10
This documentary is an understanding of the children who are seven years old. A varied number of questions are asked in an interview format from these children to find out how they think about life.
The children all come from different backgrounds and the idea is to understand how all these children coming from different backgrounds answer the same questions and how they perceive the world.
2. Touching the Void (2003)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writer: Joe Simpson
Run time: 1 hour and 46 minutes
Cast: Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron, Simon Yates, Joe Simpson, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.0 out of 10
In the year 1985, two young men decided to conquer the west face of Siula Grande. Siula Grande is located in the Peruvian Andes snow and is a snow-peaked mountain extremely difficult to climb.
However, these two climbers decided to take this journey and wanted nothing to stop them on their way.This documentary covers their arduous journey to reach the top.
3. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Director: Michael Moore
Writer: Michael Moore
Run time: 2 hours
Cast: Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Salvador Allende, and others
IMDB rating: 8.0 out of 10
Michael Moore tries to find out and investigate the causes of the gun violence, especially in the case of the Columbia HighSchool Massacre in the year 1999. Other gun violence is also on the rise in the United States.
Moore finds it his responsibility to find out more and explore the reasons and background of the guns Act.
4. The World at war (1973 – 1974)
Director: Hugh Raggett, John Pett, David Elstein, Ted Childs, and others,
Writer: Neal Ascheron, Peter Batty, Charles Bloomberg, Courtney Browne, and others
Run time: 52 minutes
Cast: Lance Olivier, Albert Speer, Anthony Eden, Averell Harriman, Seigfried Westphal, and others
IMDB Rating: 9.2 out of 10
A documentary consisting of 26 parts covers the most deadly war ever World War II. The whole documentary is narrated by Lawrence Olivier. Every part takes you through the chronological order of the whole entire conflict.
5. Capturing the Friedmans(2003)
Director: Andrew Jarecki
Writer: NA
Run time: 1 hour and 47 minutes
Cast: Elaine Friedman, David Friedman, Jesse Friedman, John McDermott, and others
IMDB rating: 7.7 out of 10
This documentary covers the Friedmans, who are an atypical and simple Jewish family from the looks of it. However, everything changes when the father and the youngest son get arrested for horrible crimes.
This documentary covers the lives and the difficult times the rest of the family goes through along with the horrific crimes committed by the father and the youngest son.
6. The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off (2004 TV Movie)
Director: Patrick Collerton
Writer: NA
Run time: 50 minutes
Cast: Edna Kennedy, Jonny Kennedy, and Nell McAndrew
IMDB Rating: 8.7 out of 10
At 36 years old, Jonny Kennedy passed away. The child was born with a genetic disease called Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa.
This disease causes the person to lose skin and even the slightest touch or impact can cause the skin to fall off and sores to be caused that put the person in agonizing pain.
To document his fight against skin cancer and EB, he decided to work with a filmmaker, which covers the details of the diseases as well as how to live your life to the fullest and not let anything stop you.
7. Life on Earth (1979)
Director: NA
Writer: David Attenborough
Run time: 11 hours and 42 minutes
Cast: David Attenborough
IMDB Rating: 9.2 out of 10
David Attenborough a biologist, natural historian, and the author goes around the world to explore the evolution of life around the world. As he travels the world he can find out very unique facts about different living organisms across the globe.
Every episode of the series is 55 minutes long and filled with immaculate information.
8. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Director: Michael Moore
Writer: Michael Moore
Run time: 2 hours and 2 minutes
Cast: /Michael Moore, Craig Unger, Jack Cloonan, James C. Moore, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Michael Moore takes on the task to investigate and inform the people of the United States and the world about how the 9/11 incident was used to conduct heinous acts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He takes a deeper look at the whole incident and also how the Bush administration responded to the whole situation.
9. When We Were Kings (1996)
Director: Leon Gast
Writer: NA
Run time: 1 hour and 28 minutes
Cast: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.0 out of 10
This documentary covers the events before, during, and after the heavyweight Championship in Zaire.
The Rumble in the Jungle was one of the biggest fights of all time. Between two fighters one of them the champion George Foreman and the then considered underdog Muhammad Ali. The championship was held in 1974 and covers all the events of this exclusive occasion.
10. Faking it (2000)
Director: Mike Warner, Stephen Leslie, Dustin Lance Black, Christopher Sykes, and others
Writer: Christopher Sykes
Run time: NA
Cast: Michael Kitchen, Tamara Czartoryski-Borbon, Donna Berlin, Penny Dyer, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.4 out of 10
This documentary is in the format of a reality TV show where intrepid individuals are put into 4 weeks of rigorous training to train to be masters of a skill. They must learn and endure the hard-working training regime and become good enough to be able to fool the judges placed on the panel.
A highly professional judges panel is set to judge these individuals based on their skills not knowing that they had no knowledge about the skill, just 4 weeks ago.
11. Hoop Dreams (1994)
Director: Steve James
Writer: Steve James, and Frederick Marx
Run time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Cast: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates, Curtis Gates, Sheila Agee, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.3 out of 10
This documentary follows the careers of Arthur Agee and William Gates. Both of these African-American players work on perfecting their skills to get a basketball-based scholarship in colleges and then play in the NBA.
This documentary captures the highs and lows of both their careers and educational life as they try to maintain their grades and fulfill their dream of being a professional basketball player.
12. This week’s (1956 – 1992) Episode: Death on the Rock (1988)
Director: Peter Robinson, Terry Yarwood, James Butler, Sheila Gregg, and others
Writer: Graham Addicott, Elkan Allan, Richard Broad, Jeremy Isaacs, and Denis Tuohy
Run time: NA
Cast: Jonathan Dimbleby, Denis Tuohy, Richard Lindley, Bryan Magee, Julian Manyon, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.3 out of 10
In this particular episode of This Week, the hosts and guests sit down to discuss the SAS executed volunteers in Gibraltar.
According to the reports 3 unarmed IRA volunteers were executed in Gibraltar. With the help of witness statements, the hosts of the show can uncover the theory behind the British military cover-up of the incident.
13. The Leader, His Driver and The Driver’s Wife (1991)
Director: Nick Broomfield
Writer: NA
Run time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Cast: Nick Broomfield, Eugene Terre’Blanche, J.P. Meyer, and Anita Meyer
IMDB Rating: 7.1 out of 110
Nick Broomfield, an award-winning director, portrays the leader Eugene Terre’Blanche along with his wife and their driver. Eugene Terre’Blanche was the leader of the neo-Nazi Afrikaner party. Nick Broomfield however portrays the comedic and sinister side of the three characters and how they play an important role in the AWB Afrikaner Party in South Africa.
14. One Day in September (1999)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writer: NA
Run time: 1 hour and 34 minutes
Cast: Michael Douglas, Ankie Spitzer, Jamal al Gashey, Gerald Seymour, Axel Springer, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.8 out of 10
This documentary covers the 1972 Olympics in Munich that were rudely interrupted by the Palestinian terrorists that took the Israeli professional athletes hostage.
The documentary uses the interviews of the surviving terrorists, as well as the footage, was taken at that time, to tell the horrific tales.
Furthermore, the various police officials also come forward to share their experiences and the incidents and the decision to not take help from the Israelis caused much harm and damage.
15. Fourteen Days in May (1987)
Director: Paul Hamann
Writer: Paul Hamann
Run time: 1 hour and 27 minutes
Cast: Bobby Butler, Donald Cabana, Melanie Christopher, Paul Hamann, Sandra Hicks, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.0 out of 10
This documentary is based on American prisoner Edward Earl Johnson. He was convicted of crimes of rape and murder. However, he protested and claimed that his confession was taken under duress.
This documentary recounts his last days until he was executed in Mississippi’s gas chamber in 1987.
16. The Family (1974)
Director: Franc Roddam, and Paul Watson
Writer: NA
Run time: 30 minutes
Cast: Heather Wilkins, Terry Wilkins, Gary Wilkins, Karen Wilkins, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.7 out of 10
The Family is the first Reality TV show to ever be aired. It was aired in 1974. This series captures the lives of a working-class family living in the UK, Reading. There are 12 parts to this series and each episode captures the daily lives of the people and the routine life things people have going on in their lives.
17. Night Mail (1936)
Director: Harry Watt, and Basil Wright
Writer: W.H. Auden, and Hugh Westman
Run time: 25 minutes
Cast: Arthur Clark, John Grierson, Stuart Legg, Robert Lee, and others
IMDB Rating: 6.7 out of 10
This documentary is based on a special train delivering and collecting mail on the go. This train collects, sorts, and delivers the mail to Scotland overnight. The crew on the train has a rigorous routine to ensure they collect all the mail and then sort it and then ensure the timely delivery of the mail, that overnight.
This means from collection to delivery the crew onboard is working nonstop.
18. The Nazis: A Warning from History (1997)
Director: Laurence Rees, and Tilman Remme
Writer: Laurence Rees
Run time: 4 hours and 25 minutes
Cast: Samuel West, Adolf Buchner, Jutta Rudiger, Gunther Ruschin, Mario Mondello, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.7 out of 10
This series of documentaries capture the rise of Adolf Hitler. It examines how people who were cultured and clever could have ever allowed a man like Adolf Hitler to rise to the power that he did. It also captures the rise and fall of the Nazis regime and Adolf Hitler.
Furthermore, it captures the consequences of the horrendous acts of violence by the Nazi regime.
19. Super-Size Me (2004)
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Writer: Morgan Spurlock
Run time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Cast: Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, Chemeeka Walker, Dania Abu-Rmaileh, and others
IMDB Rating: 7.2 out of 10
This documentary revolves around the fast-food industry. The influence of the fast-food industry on all age groups has made Morgan Spurlock curious on what are the effects of this diet in the long run.
Hence, he undergoes the experiment of eating only fast food for one whole month, mainly Mcdonald’s fast food, and sees the impact on his health.
20. The Death of Yugoslavia (1995)
Director: Angus MacQueen, and Paul Mitchell
Writer: NA
Run time: 50 minutes
Cast: Robin Ellis, Slobodan franjo Tudjman, Borisav Jovic, Momi Bulatovic, and others
IMDB Rating: 8.5 out of 10
This documentary is based on the struggles of the people of Yugoslavia. It documents the downfall of the country and consequent war.
They end up finding hope finally with the ending of the war with the help of the signing of the Final Peace Accord. The documentary covers the pain and hardships of the people during the war and their struggle to reach a peace treaty.
Conclusion:
This is the list of the 20 best Channel 4 documentaries you must watch in 2022. The list is all-inclusive and covers all kinds of genres. We have curated this list keeping in mind the audience and how their interest may vary in documentaries. Hence take a look at all the documentaries and start enjoying your favorite documentary on Channel 4.