Documentaries & Education

The Next 48 Hours is a fascinating documentary series which gives us a look at the world of hip hop music as we've never seen it before. Rather than simply focusing on the major events in the stars' lives, this series looks at the day before the milestone, and its aftermath as well. This holistic view of the hip hop high life reveals much about the celebs it profiles.

An educational web channel is rarely one to get excited about, but TED Talks seems to buck the trend. The diversity of its lectures, which tackle such quirky topics as "The Technology of the Heart" and "Inside an Antarctic Time Machine" is surely key to its success. There's also an awful lot here; with more than 750 videos to choose from there's bound to be more than a few that interest you.

Documentary series RADAR aims to switch us on to the exciting projects going on in the world around us. Each episode looks at an innovative arts initiative or event in a personal and revealing way. The diversity of the stories and the intimate nature of their delivery have seen RADAR last well into its third season.

Born out of its iconic Celebrity 100 list comes Forbes Magazine’s celebrity biography webseries Power Performers. It profiles the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry with short snapshots into their lives and successes. The brief episodes are great for the time poor, but I can’t help feeling they merely scratch the surface.

For years we've marveled at the glossy, colored images of the world around us in the pages of the National Geographic. Now the magazine has taken the leap online with its own webseries. The use of high-definition video makes the stories come alive in this weekly educational science and nature series.

The Men's Room bills itself as an empowering educational channel for men looking for love. But there's something just a little bit sleazy about the site that speaks to pick-up artists and self-proclaimed dating experts about ways to impress women. There's something just a little too slick and rehearsed about it all, which makes the site appear to be more about finding sex than real relationships as it claims.

If there's an internet joke that’s passed you by, make sure you check out Know Your Meme. This original documentary series explains the most popular internet memes and their place in the world. These lighthearted, yet informative episodes are very comprehensive and surprisingly fascinating for internet newbies and viral video fans alike.

In Their Boots is an unflinching and profoundly moving documentary series that tells the true human stories of survival during and after military service. Its first-person voice gives it a genuine honesty and emotional content lacking in so many web series. It can be gritty and gut-wrenching, but ultimately this makes for rewarding viewing.

With the globe gripped by World Cup fever, I Scored a Goal in the FIFA World Cup Final couldn't have been released at a better time. Whether you're a football fanatic or not, there's something inspirational about this series which goes beyond the sporting field and reveals much about the athletes who created these magic moments.

Billionaire Warren Buffett is putting his dollars to good use in the new educational children's webseries Secret Millionaire's Club. With its catchy theme song and fun animated characters, the show is a palatable way to train kids to be financially savvy. Twenty-six episodes have already been commissioned, but hopefully more will follow.