2024 Top 20-11 Documentary Series

It is the end of 2024 and today I will present a Top Ten list of documentary series that was featured on the blog.  However, I am not going to limit this section to just the Top 10 Documentary series.  This is going to be a two-part series: The Top 20 Documentary Series.  Today’s first part will be numbered 20-11.
The rules are simple, they had to be featured in the blog or on my database list over the past two years.  They have to have multiple episodes on a topic.

So will my 2024 Top Ten list remain the same as last year?  Or will there be a new top documentary series on the list?  Follow the rest of this blog to find out!
 
2023 Top 10 Documentary List
1. 1491: The Story of North America Before Columbus Episode 1 (47:25)  Episode 2 (46:56) Episode 3 (47:29) Episode 4 (47:15) Episode 5 (46:40)  Episode 6 (48:40)  Episode 7 (47:23)
2. *Face of Britain: Episode 1 (46:59) Episode 2 (46:54) Episode 3 (47:35)
3. The Last Journey of the Vikings - Episode 1 (49:55) Episode 2 (49:32)  Episode 3 (49:52) Episode 4 (49:58)
4. Charlemagne - Episode 1 (50:42)  Episode 2  (50:14)  Episode 3 (51:56)
5. Lost Kingdoms of Africa
6. Immortal Egypt:  Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3  Episode 4
7. A Stitch in Time with Amber Butchart
8. Storm over Europe - Episode 1 (51:17)  Episode 2  (50:35)  Episode 3  (50:08)  Episode 4  (50:19)
9. Rome without Limits with Mary Beard - Episode 1 (58:34) Episode 2 (59:00) Episode 3 (58:59) Episode 4 (59:00)
10. The Women Who Made History


2024 Top 20 Documentary Series
11. Lost Kingdoms of Africa
Gus Casley-Hayford explores lost African Kingdoms.  He explores the kingdom of the Zulu, Berbers, West Africa, Great Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Nubia.  Gus travels around Africa to learn more about these kingdoms.  What was so mysterious about Great Zimbabwe?  Is Ethiopia where the Ark of the Covenant is located?  Where was the kingdom of gold?  This is a fantastic series on African Kingdoms.

12.  History of Africa
Zeniab Badawi explores the history of Africa over a nineteen-episode series.  She travels the width and breadth of Africa to tell Africa’s story from the perspective of Africans.  This series explores the hidden history of Africa and the different kingdoms and tribes that had their place in Africa’s history.  This is a rich in history documentary about Africa.

13. A Stitch in Time with Amber Butchart
Amber Butchart explores the history of fashion and how our perceptions of fashion changed.  She looks at six pieces of artwork and has them recreated.  She looks at the clothing of King Charles II to the common hedge cutter.  What was the true story of Marie Antoinette?  What can fashion tell us about history?  What can fashion tell us about the people?  This is an excellent series featuring experimental history.

14. The Lost Kingdoms of South America
Dr. Jago Cooper travels to South America to learn about the indigenous empires beyond the Incan Empire.  He learns about the people of the clouds, a second lost civilization, tours the lands of gold and concludes with the kingdom that carved a life out of the desert.  He learns about the newest discoveries that were made about each empire.

15.  Mummy Forensics
Dr. Joann Fletcher heads up a mummy forensics team to explore the life and death of a series of mysterious mummies.  Using the latest in technology this team learns about the history of the mummies, who the mummy was, why this mummy died, and what the mummy would have looked like in the past. 

16. The Great War In Numbers - Episode 1 (44:46) Episode 2(45:13)  Episode 3 (44:58) Episode 4 (45:09) Episode 5 (45:03) Episode 6 (45:02)
World War I: The Numbers covers the sheer numbers involved in World War I.  The Imperial powers were not satisfied with the vast territories and wealth they acquired over decades.  So when in 1914, when the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire was killed the world exploded.  This war would kill 18 million people.  This war would change world history.  *Recommended for a high school world history classroom.  Recommended for an independent study student.*

17. The Women Who Made History
This is another German-produced documentary series about the women who made history.  There are episodes on Elizabeth I, Queen Louise, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Catherine the Great, and Sophie Scholl.  This series explores the stories of these women and why they made history.  This series covers different eras so a teacher should find something that will fit with their teaching needs.  This Series also has English subtitles.

18. Baroque - Episode 1 (58:39)  Episode 2 (59:02)  Episode 3 (59:38)
Waldemar Januszczak explores the world of Baroque Art.  Baroque art spanned the 17th Century, spawning the greatest art.  It began in St. Peter’s in Rome.  It is an art form that embraces you.  It goes big and highlights the drama.  It could become dark and edgy.  It blurred the divide between art and reality.  The Baroque roped in other art forms to bring you into its world.  Music, sculpture, and architecture were all impacted by the Baroque arts.  *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for an art class.  Episode 1 would be a good idea for a STEM class.*

19. Dark Ages: An Age of Light - Episode 1 (59:11)  Episode 2  (59:29)  Episode 3 (59:14)  Episode 4 (59:53)
Was the Dark Ages an Age of Light?  What happened when the Roman Empire collapsed?  This shocking question is one that historian Waldemar Januszczak will answer.  He travels around Europe, Africa, and Asia to discover the hidden secrets of the Dark Ages.  Waldemar makes the argument that the Dark Ages were an age of light and artistry.  The art never lies, the Dark Ages were not an age of darkness but an age of light.  *First episode recommended for art history class and not recommended for a history class.*

20. World War II in Numbers
This series explores the numbers that were involved in the Allied victory of World War II.  It covers the beginning of the war and Hitler’s blitzkrieg.  Then it goes into the Battle of Britian.  It talks about how the industrial power of America managed to turn the tide in favor of the Allies during World War II.  This was excellent in diving into the sheer numbers behind World War II.