Looking to discover more about the world? From investigating historical true crime to exploring anti-ageing ideas, KrisWorld has a selection of documentaries that challenge the way we understand life, learning, and ourselves. These enlightening shows will leave you thinking long after the credits roll.

Once Upon a Time in Space
BAFTA-winning director James Bluemel continues his oral-history series Once Upon a Time with a journey to the final frontier. Over four episodes, Once Upon a Time in Space tells the thrilling — and at times heartbreaking — human story of space exploration via first-hand accounts and archival footage. Critics have embraced the series, with the BBC calling it a “must-watch” and the Financial Times giving it a perfect score.

Through interviews with the families of pioneering astronauts such as Anna Fisher, the first mother in space, and Ronald McNair, one of the first African American astronauts, the series explores the societal barriers and extraordinary risks these trailblazers faced. It revisits pivotal moments, including the Challenger disaster, the unlikely partnership between Cold War rivals in the Shuttle-Mir programme, and the construction of the International Space Station. By focusing on the people behind the missions, Once Upon a Time in Space delivers a moving portrait of courage, sacrifice, and humanity’s enduring desire to reach beyond the stars.

Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure 
Join legendary wildlife presenter David Attenborough for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of television’s most influential nature docuseries. Directed by Victoria Bobin, Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure revisits the creation of the groundbreaking 1979 series Life on Earth, featuring exclusive interviews with Attenborough and members of the original crew as they recount the challenges, discoveries, and unforgettable moments that shaped the landmark production.

Over three years, the team travelled across 40 countries and documented more than 600 species, including capturing the first footage of a living coelacanth, the prehistoric fish often described as a “living fossil”. Yet some of their greatest dangers came not from wildlife, but from political unrest and conflict, including a coup in the Comoros, detention by the Rwandan army, and threats of imprisonment in Iraq. 

Despite the obstacles, the filmmakers captured some of the most memorable wildlife footage ever recorded, including Attenborough’s famous encounter with a family of mountain gorillas — an experience he later described as one of the most extraordinary moments of his life.

Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club
The Thames Torso Murderer terrorised 19th-century London at the same time as Jack the Ripper, yet somehow faded into obscurity while the Ripper became infamous. In this gripping three-part BBC series, historian Lucy Worsley gathers a team of all-female experts to reopen the chilling cold case, re-examining old evidence and uncovering startling new leads. 

If you found The Thursday Murder Club charming or enjoy the intrigue of true crime television shows, this series is essential viewing. Worsley, known for bringing history vividly to life in her previous documentaries, once again delivers a fascinating blend of meticulous research and compelling storytelling.

AI vs Human: The Creativity Experiment
AI is often pitched as a tool to supercharge human creativity. But can it actually be creative, and could it outdo us? That’s the question presenter Angharad ‘Rad’ Yeo sets out to answer. 

From performing stand-up routines written by ChatGPT to coming face-to-face with an AI version of herself and even staging an exhibition where guests must guess whether artworks are human- or machine-made, Yeo dives headfirst into the world of generative AI. Along the way, she meets a paintbrush-wielding robot named FRIDA (yes, really).

Filmed just three years ago, the series already feels like a snapshot of a rapidly evolving field. And that’s what makes it so fascinating: it doesn’t just ask whether AI can be creative, but whether we should be concerned about how quickly it’s catching up.

Do You Want to Live Forever?
Humans have always been fascinated with cheating death — or at least slowing it down. Hosted by veteran journalist Tracy Grimshaw and medical expert Dr Nick Coatsworth, this series puts that age-old obsession under the spotlight.

Eight everyday Australians take part in a 12-week experiment to see if they can rewind their biological clocks and extend not just their lifespan, but their ‘healthspan’. From cryotherapy and gene science to biological age testing, the show explores the many ways science is trying to keep us younger for longer.

It’s equal parts fascinating and sobering — a deep dive into not just how long we can live, but how well. Watch to see what insights the experiment brings.

Man of the Hour
Created and hosted by Wei Koh, founder of Revolution magazine, the eight-episode Discovery Channel docuseries, Man of the Hour, dives deep into the world of watchmaking. Taking viewers from Paris to Singapore, Los Angeles to Geneva, the show gives audiences an inside look at the ateliers and collectors’ worlds. Witness independent watchmakers like F.P. Journe and MB&F in action and marvel at their craftsmanship. And as you see them create intricate timepieces, you’re left to wonder about what it means to leave something lasting behind. Just be warned: Man of the Hour might send you down an expensive rabbit hole. 

Navigate to Documentaries for more.