Best New Zealand documentary series

The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

The three-part documentary series, compiled from over 60 hours of unseen footage, captures the warmth, camaraderie, and creative genius that defined the legacy of music's most iconic foursome. The series also includes – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles' final performance at London's Savile Row.

Live and Let Dai (2024)

One of New Zealand's most loved comedians and broadcasters, Dai Henwood, offers an open and honest look into his courageous fight against cancer.

Big Pacific (2017)

Plunge into the Pacific with researchers and cinematographers and see the ocean’s rare and dazzling creatures in a way never before seen on television. The show examines an ocean that covers a third of the Earth’s surface.

Beyond the Darklands (2008)

Beyond the Darklands is a New Zealand true crime television series that airs on TVNZ's TV One. It is narrated and presented by clinical psychologist Nigel Latta, with each episode focusing on a certain criminal. The show has run for five seasons. Inspiration for the series came from Latta's 2003 book Into the Darklands: Unveiling the Predators Among Us, which dealt with Latta's work as a forensic psychologist.An Australian series of the same name based on the New Zealand show has been running since 2009. The TVNZ series was previously shown in Australia on the ci channel on Foxtel.

Kiwi Living (2015)

We proudly present your very own brand shining new lifestyle programme that is here to kick start your weekend. Whether we teach you a new DIY trick, help you start that untouched health resolution or insipre you to try your hand in the garden, we have something to cater for everyone.Hosts Miriama Kamo and renowned chef Michael Van de Elzan, joined by the Kiwi Living, team will share practical tips inspiring you to try something new and make the most of your weekend.We present the best of New Zealand's food, travel, living spaces, health and well-being, fashion and the outdoors.

Dynamic Planet (2023)

A 3 year journey to the extremes of all 7 continents to meet the extraordinary people and animals on the front line of climate change. They reveal how science, nature and traditional knowledge can prepare us for a fast changing future.

David Lomas Investigates (2020)

Following on from the success of Lost & Found, David Lomas is back in this brand new series for Three, investigating New Zealand's family secrets. David travels across the world to find the answers and to reunite families. Have a box of tissues at the ready!

24 Hours: Police (0)

The Hard Stuff With Nigel Latta (2014)

The Hard Stuff sees Nigel Latta tackling the key issues facing NZers. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Black Coast Vanishings (2024)

Black Coast Vanishings is a true-crime mystery series about the disappearance of six people in a small town on the wild west coast of New Zealand that has given rise to fear and suspicion among the locals.

Unbreakable (2020)

This heart-warming local series follows a group of remarkable individuals as they pursue their life goals. Unbreakable features a cast of twelve Kiwis with disabilities as they shoot for the moon, their ambitions are huge but so are the obstacles. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up (2015)

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be struck by lightning or be propelled by hurricane-speed winds? What is it really like inside a burning house? In this fun (and funny!) science series Nigel Latta subjects himself to a variety of 'don't try this at home' experiments to explore some of the more dramatic aspects of fundamental science.

The Food Truck (2011)

One chef, one truck and a whole heap of new ideas on how to tackle our addiction to junk food. The Food Truck is open for business.

The Story of Rugby (2019)

The story of the evolution of a game, from its medieval roots to the global sport it is today. Discover the larger-than-life personalities and little known behind-the-scenes stories of world rugby.

Wild New Zealand (2017)

It's New Zealand - but not as you've ever seen it before! Marvel at the majesty of Aotearoa and discover a world you didn't know existed.

Wild Work: Sumatra (2020)

Join Auckland Zoo's primate keeper Amy as she journeys to Sumatra to learn about how money raised by the Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund is helping to save wild orangutans and elephants and preserve the ecosystem of the largest forest in South East Asia.

Ancient Earth: Dinosaurs of the Frozen Continent (2022)

Deep under Antarctica’s blanket of ice lies traces of a lost world of Dinosaurs and pre-historic creatures. Great forests once covered the now frozen Antarctic continent; gargantuan titanosaurs roamed its valleys, and proto-mammals darted through the undergrowth. It was also home to the largest carnivore of its day, the Cryolophosaurus – Antarctica’s T-Rex.

Mexico Untamed (2018)

Each of Mexico Untamed distinct colorful landscapes is characterised by the animals who live there. Charismatic travelers roam the oceans, forests and deserts, revealing drama and surprising behaviors. Predator and prey fight age-old battles for survival. Males and females of the most iconic species go to extreme measures to ensure the safe arrival of a new generation.

Against the Odds (2014)

A series that examines modern military conflicts.

Why Am I? (2016)

1000 Kiwis, studied for 40 years - to help uncover the science of all of us. What makes you, you? It's time to find out..

Motorway Patrol (1999)

This award-winning programme has total access to the men and women who patrol the main arteries of Auckland City. Each series has a whole new helping of adrenaline packed stories and lunatic motorists.

Moving Houses NZ (2021)

New Zealand families, couples and adventurous individuals, transporting their dream homes to their ideal locations.

Coast New Zealand (2016)

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

Hunger For The Wild (0)

Steve Logan and Al Brown trade the comfort of their fine dining restaurant for life on the road as they head for the hills, hook up with some great Kiwi characters and chase down some of New Zealand's finest and freshest food - bringing us dishes of wild game and seasonal delicacies.

Sensing Murder (2006)

Sensing Murder is the New Zealand's and Australian psychic investigators on TV2 NZ/AU.Presented by Rebecca Gibney, the 90-minute episodes follow the team of gifted psychics – Australian Deb Webber and Kiwi’s Kelvin Cruickshank and Sue Nicholson – as they attempt to uncover new leads in more of New Zealand’s most intriguing unsolved cases.Each case puts two psychics to the test to see what they can uncover with a team of private investigators analysing their findings.The program recreates the victims’ last known living moments in a dramatic and stylised production. The reconstruction is based on forensic information, extensive research with case experts and family, along with interviews from police who were involved in the investigation.With no prior knowledge about the crime, the psychics reveal astounding new information about the victim, case and perpetrator – groundbreaking information that has the potential to break these cases wide open.

Ultimate Vehicles (2018)

The most spectacular vehicles in the world are milestones of engineering that have changed land, water, and air transport for good. Each episode features a different class of vehicle, from the breathtakingly fast to the impressively powerful.

Wild Peru: Andes Battleground (2018)

The biodiverse nation of Peru is home to several habitual species fighting for survival. Explore otters, sloth and macaws of the rainforest, penguins and sea lions along the coastal deserts and bears, guanacos, pumas and tapirs in the Andes foothills.

Eat Well For Less New Zealand (2020)

Hosted by local chef Michael Van de Elzen and restaurateur Ganesh Raj, Eat Well For Less NZ is here to help New Zealanders shop, cook and eat better – and save on their household bills along the way.

Queer Aotearoa: We've Always Been Here (2025)

Join Eli Matthewson for a journey through the untold history of New Zealand's queer community, celebrating the resilience of trailblazers who pushed for an inclusive Aotearoa

This Could Go Anywhere (2020)

This highly entertaining series follows two famous cricketers, Brendon 'Baz' McCullum and Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell, travelling the length and breadth of New Zealand playing golf and discovering the country's most famous and picturesque courses, playing the game they love, sharing great stories, eating the finest food, drinking the finest wine and meeting New Zealand's wonderful people.