Descent from Disaster

Historic events that forever transformed the United States.

Natural and man-made catastrophes retold by eyewitnesses and dramatic reconstructions.

A follow-up to the 1990 Radio 4 series in which the late Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine travelled around the world in search of endangered species. 20 years later Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine go back to see what has become of the animals in two decades, and to discover what has affected their fortunes.

A team of specialist detectives re-look at some of New Zealand’s most chilling unsolved murders.

In this eight-part series, Simon Dallow takes viewers on a journey back in time to the earliest stages of Maori and Pakeha occupation of New Zealand. Along the way he'll debunk myths, solve riddles and shed new light on our collective beginnings. Investigating ancient immigrant communities and prehistoric natural disasters, What Lies Beneath will bring a whole new perspective to New Zealand's past.

From epic landscapes and unforgettable culture, to the often trying times that come with international travel, Departures chronicles the unforgettable friendships, personal successes and sometimes crushing disappointments that befall travellers Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach on their journey. Departures is as much about the journey as it is the destination.

HISTORY’s longest-running series moves to H2. Modern Marvels celebrates the ingenuity, invention and imagination found in the world around us. From commonplace items like ink and coffee to architectural masterpieces and engineering disasters, the hit series goes beyond the basics to provide insight and history into things we wonder about and that impact our lives. This series tells fascinating stories of the doers, the dreamers and sometime-schemers that create everyday items, technological breakthroughs and manmade wonders. The hit series goes deep to explore the leading edge of human inspiration and ambition.

Best friends Joel Dommett and Nish Kumar travel to locations across the globe to immerse themselves in the lives of the toughest, strongest, fittest people in the world.

What Happened Next?

Caravan of Life is a seven-part series that travels the New Zealand heartland, visiting A & P shows, schools and small towns, highlighting real New Zealand characters.

Four-part series Revolution mapped sweeping social and economic change in New Zealand society in the 1980s and early 1990s. Judged Best Factual Series at the 1997 NZ Television Awards, it collected together archive footage, and interviews with the major players. Said producer Marcia Russell: “We wanted to make Revolution because we believed that unless we re-run and re-examine our recent history we are in constant danger of forgetting, and forgetting can render us passive about the present and slaves of the future.

A century after the Great Kanto Earthquake, previously unknown details have been extracted from newly 8K remastered and colorized footage, vividly demonstrating how Tokyo citizens faced the disaster.

Seconds from Disaster is a US/UK-produced documentary television programme that investigates historically relevant man-made and natural disasters of the 20th century. Each episode aims to explain a single incidental by analyzing the causes and circumstances that ultimately effected the disaster. The program uses re-enactments, interviews, testimonies, and CGI to analyze the sequence of events second-by-second for the audience. Narrators for the show are Ashton Smith, Richard Vaughan and Peter Guinness.

Ride along with the NTSB and its inter-agency partners as they work together towards determining the probable cause of aircraft accidents. These NTSB investigations provide a window into the integral role of air travel in Alaskan life, while raising awareness that might prevent future accidents.

In-depth investigations from the Stuff Circuit team - comprising of an on-screen documentary with interwoven interactive elements.

Neil Oliver takes a fascination journey around the coast of New Zealand, uncovering stories that make us the island nation that we are today.

Lac-Mégantic investigates one of the worst oil train tragedies in history: a foreseeable catastrophe ignited by corporate and political negligence.

Our First Home's Goran Paladin and award-winning architect Ken Crosson are from two different worlds, yet they're united on a quest to discover the quintessential New Zealand home.

Isolated since the time of the dinosaurs, New Zealand’s wildlife has been left to its own devices, with surprising consequences. Its ancient forests are still stalked by predators from the Jurassic era. It’s also one of the most geologically active countries on earth. From Kiwis with their giant eggs, to forest-dwelling penguins and helicopter-riding sheep dogs, meet the astonishing creatures and resilient people who must rise to the challenges of their beautiful, dramatic and demanding home.

History is taking to the seas and walking in the footsteps of Captain James Cook. 250 years after Cook began his epic exploration of the Pacific, Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Piano) journeys in his wake uncovering stories that resonate from those times on both sides of the beach. Sam begins with a disclaimer – he is merely an actor – but the story of Cook, and the impact he has had on the Pacific in the 250 years since his first voyage, has always fascinated him.