50 Documentaries to See Before You Die - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Life After Donkey Kong
Morgan Spurlock begins the series by touching down in sunny Florida. He is traveling to meet Billy Mitchell, star of Seth Gordon's cult documentary "King of Kong". But before he gets there, Morgan counts down from No. 50 to 41, gaining insights from a range of directors and commentators.
The Boy Who Loves Jesus Grows Up
Morgan Spurlock counts down No. 40-31 and cruises to meet Levi O'Brien, young preacher and star of Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's controversial hit "Jesus Camp."
When Morgan Spurlock Met Mr. Brainwash
Spurlock reveals films number 30 through 21 as he kicks off this leg of his journey with Michael Moore, who talks about what drove him to make the box office hit "Fahrenheit 9/11." In Los Angeles, he finally meets up with mercurial Mr. Brainwash from Banksy's hit film "Exit Through the Gift Shop" (2010) all in an effort to find out whether he is real or an elaborate art hoax.
When Morgan Spurlock Went to a Drag Ball
As Spurlock travels across America in search of modern documentary's most compelling directors and iconic subjects, he heads to Pittsburgh to find out if the transvestite ball scene, so memorably captured in the 1990 cult film "Paris Is Burning" is still raging in all its voguing, pose-striking glory. Along the road, he interviews some of the countdown's top filmmakers and authors, including Nick Broomfield, Jared Leto, and Aisha Tyler.
Top 10 Docs to See Before You Die
After weeks spent traveling across America in search of modern documentary's most iconic directors and compelling subjects, Spurlock ends his journey in Illinois. There he meets Steve James, the director of "Hoop Dreams," along with the film's stars Arthur Agee and William Gates to talk about what made the documentary memorable. Notable interviewees include: Al Gore; Michael Moore; Errol Morris; D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus; Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman; Tony Hawk and Jack Osbourne.
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Bookish
London, 1946 is the dynamic, dangerous and chaotic setting for this stylish new detective drama, with the eccentric Gabriel Book at the very heart of the story: a self-appointed consultant detective to the local police. The thousands of books that line the shelves of his shop provide him with all the knowledge he needs.
Book has gathered around him a host of lovable, damaged misfits whom he informally protects, cajoles, and mentors. His wife Trottie runs the wallpaper shop next door. She's a charismatic adventuress whom Book loves deeply but not physically, for they are in a 'lavender' marriage to help conceal Book's sexual orientation in a time when it was illegal to be gay.
Bookish marries post-war nostalgia with the reckless and life-affirming atmosphere of the times, creating a fast-paced and stylish detective drama.
Aussie Gold Hunters
In Aussie Gold Hunters, we join three hard-core crews of gold prospectors as they take the gamble of a lifetime and battle to strike it big, deep in the wild west of outback Australia.
Chopped
Chopped is a cooking competition show that is all about skill, speed and ingenuity. Each week, four chefs compete before a panel of expert judges and turn baskets of mystery ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. Course by course, the chefs will be "chopped" from the competition until only one winner remains. The challenge? They have seconds to plan and 30 minutes to cook an amazing course with the basket of mystery ingredients given to them moments before the clock starts ticking! And the pressure doesn't stop there. Once they've completed their dish, they've got to survive the Chopping Block where our three judges are waiting to be wowed and not shy about voicing their culinary criticisms! Our host, Ted Allen, leads this high-energy, high-pressure show that will have viewers rooting for a winner and cheering for the losers. Chopped is a game of passion, expertise and skill — and in the end, only one chef will survive the Chopping Block. Who will make the cut? The answer is on Chopped!
Platonic
Platonic is a 10-episode, half-hour comedy which explores the inner workings of platonic friendship. A pair of former best friends who met in their youth reconnect as adults and try to mend the rift that led to their falling out. As their friendship becomes more consuming, it destabilizes their lives and causes them to reevaluate their choices.
Tyler Perry's Sistas
A group of single black women from different walks of life navigate their complicated love life status, careers and friendship through the ups-and-downs of living in a modern world of social media and unrealistic relationship goals.