TV Tuesday: The Real Life

[yourlibrarian]

What kind of TV documentaries do you watch? What do you think makes a good documentary?

Have you ever watched a documentary that was partially a re-enactment? Do you prefer those or do they put you off?

Comments

[jo]

While I've watched my fair share of David Attenborough nature documentaries, I tend to gravitate towards political documentaries, or documentaries about significant events that I remember. Examples of recent docs I've watched are: Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland, State of Chaos, The Rise and Fall of Boris Johnson, and The Space Shuttle that Fell to Earth. When I had Netflix, I did watch a fair few of their true crime documentaries, e.g. The Making of a Murderer, Don't F*** With Cats: Hunting an Internet Murderer, The Keepers, etc.

As for what makes a good documentary... I want to learn something new about the subject. Most of the political/event-related docs that I watch are about subjects I already feel I know a fair bit about, so I want new information, new perspectives or insight into the topic, etc. I also like it if my preconceptions are challenged -- it forces me to think and rethink, and that's usually a good thing.

[yourlibrarian]

I also need to have new information. I like docs about technology and the history of the Internet but I've studied and seen enough docs about the latter that there isn't much new there for me these days.

One thing I was reminded of (which I've now added into the post) is the trend of doing historical re-enactments for what are essentially history documentaries. It's this odd hybrid of scripted acting, interspersed with talking heads. (There's also a less elaborate form where there are simply re-enactments with voice overs of different actions or activities).

I have in my queue at Prime one of these about Charlemagne. I'm interested in seeing it but I tend to prefer either traditional or re-enactment docs vs the hybrid kind.

[jo]

Re: the re-enactments -- another one I watched recently was a documentary film called "Partygate", about the UK scandal over the parties being held at 10 Downing Street while the rest of the UK was under strict stay at home orders. It was mostly a re-enactment, but included actual press conference footage, news clips, etc. I don't know if it really counts as a documentary -- it's billed as a "factual drama" -- but I also don't know where you draw the line between the two.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27541315/

[yourlibrarian]

Yeah, I think it's somewhat difficult. Anytime something is made to be entertaining I question how much veracity there is in it (facts can be dull, and editing can make a big difference). At the same time, a hybrid presentation like that is still more documentary than drama.

[dine]

I enjoy nature docs, especially if they pair new-to-me info and wonderful shots of animals.

historical stuff that reveals the background behind major events is extremely interesting - I'm always up for learning more

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, I'd have to +1 on both of those. I find Nature docs very relaxing. I'd say that's my sort of comfort viewing (even if they aren't always the happiest stories).

[corvidology]

Sir David Attenborough... All other arguments are invalid. ;D

The only ones I really dislike as a category are the reenactment ones which are staged like they know exactly what a pharaoh's chief priest was thinking on his Tuesday's off. I want some evidence or at least the basis of their reasoning for it.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, the ones which go past what was documented and have whole scenes of dialogue are historical fiction.

[china_shop]

My partner and I used to have Documentary Night on Sundays. It started out with quite a good range of things -- sociology, history, arts and so on -- but we ended up in a wildlife and travel loop that got a bit repetitive, so we stopped. I'd love to find more good history, arts and science docos, especially. Things like Simon Schama's Power of Art, or James Burke's Connections.

US ones generally don't work as well for me as ones from other countries, but I did very much enjoy PBS' Prehistoric Road Trip.

[yourlibrarian]

I hadn't heard of that one! My 4 year old dinosaur-loving self would have been delighted 😊

[alchemicink]

I haven't watched any of them in a long time, but I always enjoyed the 30 for 30 documentaries on ESPN whenever I happened to catch them. A lot of strange, interesting things happen in sports 😁 my personal favorite 30 for 30 is "Survive and Advance" (it's about my favorite college basketball team and their improbable run to a championship in 1983). I seem to remember one about a point-shaving scandal was really good too. I especially like the basketball-focused ones lol

[yourlibrarian]

I saw several baseball related documentaries in the last few months and found them well worth watching. Interesting stories!

[thebolter]

Recently, I've gravitated towards sports documentaries; I just started season 2 of Full Swing, Netflix's golf docuseries. As someone who follows the PGA Tour, I like getting more insight into the sport and players' lives than the standard canned responses that come from on-the-course interviews.

When it comes to re-enactments, I'm normally not a big fan. I think they tend to be awkward or unnecessarily dramatic, without adding much in terms of understanding or entertainment. However, Screwball took things in a very fun direction: they had kid actors doing the scenes in place of adults. It really added a level of zaniness to an already wild story about sports doping.

I don't know what makes a good documentary for me exactly, but I know what makes a bad one: a nature doc that follows some little animals... which then get eaten. 🙈 If there's a David Attenborough doc that doesn't do that, send it my way, because I tried watching Planet Earth and it kept happening over and over again. I know it's the circle of life - heck, I'm not a vegan - but I get too attached to the prey to want to see any of their predators.

[yourlibrarian]

Huh, I don't think I've seen Screwball but it sounds interesting, as we've seen various other baseball documentaries.

Re: the nature documentaries, I'm surprised it's the focus of the stories who get eaten. My partner and I often tell other animals onscreen when we're watching a predator story, "Be careful, this documentary isn't about you!"

[starfleetbrat]

My favourite kind of documentary is probably documentaries about heists or robberies. Especially art heists. Those are fun! I like history documentaries most of the time. Not really keen on nature ones though.

Also like the weird ones about people and irl stuff. Like I watched that one on netflix a while back called "Pepsi, Where's My Jet" which was interesting.

Occasionally I will watch True Crimes ones, but I really do not like the kind of true crime documentary that doesn't offer a lot of answers. Like a mystery/true crime that doesn't offer any new evidence or a resolution, just more questions. Especially if they title it or have the tag line as something like "was Person A really murdered or was it all just a terrible accident?" and then the documentary concludes with "guess we'll never know." I hate those lol

Also I generally do not like re-enactment documentaries. I'm not even really a fan of "based on a true story" dramas. Re-enactments because they are usually poorly acted and take something away from the real story imo. The dramas I think because they have to fit all the facts in somehow which means they get too focused on "telling" the story instead of letting the story just happen naturally. If that makes sense.

And I think a good documentary is largely in the editing. But it also has to be well researched and informational.

[yourlibrarian]

Oh that does sound interesting! (I quite like heist fiction). And yes, I'd find those sort of crime documentaries frustrating as well! I prefer crime fiction, frankly. And yes, I understand what you meant about the re-enactment documentaries.