An original program that presents factual, or [[DocumentaryOfLies supposedly factual]], information. Often an hour long, sometimes are part of a series or {{Miniseries}}. Many CookingShow, HomeAndGarden and NewsMagazine specials fall in this category.

The format can either feature one long film in each episode like ''Frontline'' or multiple shorter segments like ''Series/SixtyMinutes''.

The Creator/{{Discovery|Channel}} and [[Creator/TheHistoryChannel History]] channels [[NetworkDecay at one time]] specialized in this form, as did A&E before that same company created History. Creator/{{PBS}} has a tradition with this format as well.

Note that using this format does not make the content of the program necessarily "factual".

Overlaps with DocuDrama.
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!!Examples:
[[index]]

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Channels ]]

* Creator/NationalGeographicChannel

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Series of Unrelated Subjects: ]]

* ''The American Experience'' -- PBS (U.S. history-themed)
* ''Frontline'' -- PBS
* ''Series/InSearchOf'' -- Syndicated
* ''Series/{{Nova}}'' -- PBS
* ''Series/OurAmericaWithLisaLing'' -- OWN
* ''Scientific American Frontiers'' -- PBS
* ''Series/TrueLife'' -- Creator/{{MTV}}

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Thematically Consistent Subjects: ]]

* ''Series/AmericanJustice''
* ''Series/BBCHistoricalFarmSeries''
* ''Series/BehindTheMusic''
* ''Blood Diamonds'' (Not to be confused with the similarly named ''Film/BloodDiamond.'')
* ''Series/ClassicAlbums''
* ''Series/{{Cosmos}}: A Personal Voyage''
** ''Series/{{Cosmos}}: A Spacetime Odyssey''
* ''Series/CuartoMilenio''
* ''Series/ACrimeToRemember''
* ''Series/BondiRescue''
* ''Film/DemiLovatoStayStrong''
* ''Series/DisastersAtSea''
* Creator/{{ESPN}} has its ''30 for 30'' series
* ''Series/ForensicFiles''
* ''Series/{{Gangland}}'' -- History Channel
* ''Series/DeNieuweOrde'' -- [[MediaNotes/FlemishTVStations BRT]]
* ''Series/HomicideHunter''
* ''Series/{{Horizonte}}''
* ''Series/IShouldntBeAlive''
* ''Series/{{Mayday}}'', also as ''Air Crash Investigation''
* ''Series/MysteryHunters'' -- [[Creator/DiscoveryFamily Discovery Kids]] & Creator/{{YTV}}
* ''Series/{{Nature}}''
* ''On the Road'': a long running series with Charles Kuralt travelling across America to document interesting people and happenings in small towns.
* ''Series/OneHundredGreatestBritons'' -- BBC
* ''Series/SecondsFromDisaster''
* ''Tales of the Gun'' -- History Channel
* Creator/TerryJones'
** ''Barbarians''
** ''The Crusades''
** ''Medieval Lives''
* ''Series/ThroughTheWormhole''
* ''Series/TheToysThatMadeUs''
** ''Series/TheMoviesThatMadeUs''
* ''Series/WildWestTech'' -- History Channel
* ''Series/TheWorldAccordingToJeffGoldblum''
* ''Series/{{Unsung}}''
* ''Series/WorstJobsInHistory''

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Extended Single Subject Miniseries: ]]

* ''Series/AncientRomeTheRiseAndFallOfAnEmpire''
* ''Series/FullColorFootball'' -- Creator/{{Showtime}}
* ''Series/HighScore''
* ''Series/Hollywood1980''
* ''Series/ILoveYouYouHateMe'' -- Creator/{{Peacock}}
* The entire career of Creator/KenBurns on PBS
** ''Series/TheCivilWar''
** ''Baseball''
** ''The National Parks: America's Best Idea''
** ''Jazz''
** ''The War'' (namely, America's role in World War II)
** ''Series/TheVietnamWar''
* ''Series/MenudoForeverYoung''
* ''Film/OJMadeInAmerica'' -- five part ESPN series about O.J. Simpson
* ''Series/QuietOnSet''
* ''Series/VictoryAtSea'' by Henry Solomon
* ''Series/WalkingWithDinosaurs''
* ''Series/WhenTheLeveesBroke''

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Back in the "Golden Age" of TV news, CBS used to do special documentaries called ''CBS Reports'': ]]

* ''Harvest of Shame'' is a 1960 made for television documentary presented by broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. It shows the plight of American migrant agricultural workers. Allegedly, the Coca-Cola Company (which owned agricultural interests) refused to advertise on CBS for many years after it aired. For this reason, among others, the TV documentary rarely exists anymore, and when it does, is almost always a uncontroversial (at least to advertisers) subject.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Single show ]]

* ''Film/CrisisBehindAPresidentialCommitment''
* ''Film/Dinosaur1985''
* ''Literature/TheFutureIsWild''
* ''Film/TheGirlWhoBecameThreeBoys''
* ''Film/TheKidsGuideToTheInternet''
* ''Film/NineEleven''
* ''Film/RewindThis''
[[/index]]
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