Sunday Special: A Sea of Streaming Docs

About this episode

<p>There was once a time when documentaries could be found only on public television or in art-house cinemas. But today, documentaries are more popular and accessible than ever, with streaming services serving up true crime, celebrity documentaries, music documentaries and so much more.</p><p>On today’s Sunday Special, Gilbert is joined by The New York Times’s chief television critic, James Poniewozik, and Alissa Wilkinson, a Times film critic, to talk about the documentaries that are worth your viewing time.</p><p> </p><p><strong>On Today’s Episode:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/james-poniewozik" target="_blank"><strong>James Poniewozik</strong></a> is the chief TV critic for The Times.</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/alissa-wilkinson" target="_blank"><strong>Alissa Wilkinson</strong></a><strong> </strong>is a movie critic at The Times, and writes the Documentary Lens column.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Background Reading:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/arts/television/what-the-american-revolution-says-about-our-cultural-battles.html" target="_blank">What ‘The American Revolution’ Says About Our Cultural Battles</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/movies/come-see-me-in-the-good-light-the-sweetness-after-a-terminal-diagnosis.html" target="_blank">‘Come See Me in the Good Light’: The Sweetness After a Terminal Diagnosis</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Discussed on this episode:</strong></p><p>“The American Revolution,” 2025, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt</p><p>“The Alabama Solution,” 2025, directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman</p><p>“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” 2015, directed by Andrew Jarecki</p><p>“Making a Murderer,” 2015, directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos</p><p>“The Yogurt Shop Murders,” 2025, directed by Margaret Brown</p><p>“The Perfect Neighbor,” 2025, directed by Beet Gandbhir</p><p>“The Last Dance,” 2020, directed by Jason Hehir</p><p>“Copa 71,” 2023, directed by Rachel Ramsay and James Erkine</p><p>“Cheer,” 2020, created by Greg Whiteley</p><p>“Last Chance U,” 2016, directed by Greg Whiteley, Adam Ridley and Luke Lorentzen</p><p>“Pee-wee as Himself,” 2025, directed by Matt Wolf</p><p>“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” 2024, directed by Benjamin Ree</p><p>“Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music,” 2025, directed by Questlove</p><p>“Cameraperson,” 2016, directed by Kirsten Johnson</p><p>“An American Family,” 1973, created by Craig Gilbert</p><p>“Look Into My Eyes,” 2024, directed by Lana Wilson</p><p>“When We Were Kings,” 1996, directed by Leon Gast</p><p> </p><p>Photo: Mike Doyle/American Revolution Film Project and Florentine Films</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>