
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 Syria after Assad to rebuilding Ukraine, to how AI changed our lives, 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:
In our time of looming ecological disaster, radical minds are needed to rethink the way we live. In Saudi Arabia, NEOM are building a futuristic new city: The Line. The Line will consist of two gigantic, unbroken rows of skyscrapers, with living space in-between. Nicknamed 'the groundscraper', The Line is planned to be taller than any building in Europe, Africa or Latin America - and 10 times denser than Manhattan, with nine million people expected to live inside. We meet the architects behind The Line, and take a journey to the city of the future.
Previous episodes
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4750 - In the Studio: The Line Mon, 24 Mar 2025
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4749 - Do we need a new Nato? Sun, 23 Mar 2025
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4748 - The Fifth Floor: Behind Georgia's political turmoil Sat, 22 Mar 2025
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4747 - BBC OS Conversations: Ukraine: What do Russians think about the war? Sat, 22 Mar 2025
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4746 - Heart and Soul: The mosque for Bangladesh’s transgender women Fri, 21 Mar 2025
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4745 - What’s your poison: The methanol crisis Thu, 20 Mar 2025
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4744 - Assignment: Georgia - keeping the protest alive Tue, 18 Mar 2025
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4743 - In the Studio: Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser Mon, 17 Mar 2025
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4742 - LOUD: Is noise an invisible killer? Sun, 16 Mar 2025
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4741 - The Fifth Floor: The Kenyan women saying no to motherhood Sat, 15 Mar 2025
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4740 - BBC OS Conversations: Cuts to US foreign aid funding Sat, 15 Mar 2025
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4739 - Heart and Soul: Ayahuasca and the new spiritual tourism Fri, 14 Mar 2025
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4738 - The village of sex offenders Thu, 13 Mar 2025
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4737 - Assignment: Guatemala’s ‘Indigenous Spring’ Tue, 11 Mar 2025
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4736 - In the Studio: Kwaku Bediako Mon, 10 Mar 2025
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4735 - Witness History: Women's History Month special Sun, 09 Mar 2025
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4734 - The Fifth Floor: Russia’s gymnastic drama Sat, 08 Mar 2025
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4733 - BBC OS Conversations: Three months after the fall of Assad Sat, 08 Mar 2025
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4732 - Heart and Soul: The race to break the glass Fri, 07 Mar 2025
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4731 - Boxing Sisters: Yazidi women boxing back to health Thu, 06 Mar 2025
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4730 - What in the World: How have older reality tv shows aged? Wed, 05 Mar 2025
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4729 - Assignment: Russia’s new war elite Tue, 04 Mar 2025
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4728 - TikTok and the digital pimps: Eye Investigates Mon, 03 Mar 2025
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4727 - In the Studio: Marcin Dudek Sun, 02 Mar 2025
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4726 - The Fifth Floor: Are Korean beauty products too light? Sat, 01 Mar 2025
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4725 - BBC OS Conversations: Polyamorous relationships Sat, 01 Mar 2025
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4724 - Heart and Soul: Becoming a Buddhist Bhikshuni in Bhutan Fri, 28 Feb 2025
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4723 - Flight of the vulture Thu, 27 Feb 2025
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4722 - BBC Trending: Can Community Notes clean up your feed? Wed, 26 Feb 2025
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4721 - Assignment: Road wars - cycling in Paris Tue, 25 Feb 2025
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4720 - In the Studio: Mohammad Barrangi Mon, 24 Feb 2025
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4719 - Life in occupied Ukraine Sun, 23 Feb 2025
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4718 - The Fifth Floor: Syria after Assad Sat, 22 Feb 2025
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4717 - BBC OS Conversations: Ukraine and three years of war Sat, 22 Feb 2025
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4716 - Heart and Soul: The only thing certain in life Fri, 21 Feb 2025
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4715 - Witness History: US Black History Month special Thu, 20 Feb 2025
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4714 - BBC Trending: Quadrobic panic in Russia over craze to dress and walk on all fours like animals Wed, 19 Feb 2025
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4713 - Assignment: The village that came back from the dead Tue, 18 Feb 2025
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4712 - In the Studio: Jennifer Walshe Mon, 17 Feb 2025
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4711 - Ukraine: The architects' plan Sun, 16 Feb 2025
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4710 - The Fifth Floor: What the US left behind in Afghanistan Sat, 15 Feb 2025
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4709 - BBC OS Conversations: How AI is changing our lives Sat, 15 Feb 2025
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4708 - Heart and Soul: The caretaker of Bukhara Fri, 14 Feb 2025
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4707 - World Wide Waves '25: Whispers in the air Thu, 13 Feb 2025
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4706 - BBC Trending: Inside Nigeria’s hustle kingdoms Wed, 12 Feb 2025
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4705 - Saudi and trans: Eden’s final message Tue, 11 Feb 2025
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4704 - In the Studio: Bárbara Sánchez-Kane Mon, 10 Feb 2025
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4703 - Assignment: Ghana militants in the Sahel Sun, 09 Feb 2025
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4702 - Sportshour at Super Bowl LIX: New Orleans edition Sun, 09 Feb 2025
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4701 - The Fifth Floor: An Afghan love story Sat, 08 Feb 2025