As much as most of us have come to terms with having to venture online to watch BBC Three now, I can’t say that I don’t miss the glory days of having it as an actual channel on TV.
You might remember those Gavin and Stacy reruns and Snog Marry Avoid disasters, but another thing that BBC Three does fan-fucking-tastically is documentaries. Sitting comfortably? Great. Here are a load of some of the recent instalments that we’ve not been able to take our eyes off of.
1. The Reggie Yates Documentaries
Reggie will always have a special place in my heart as the super crush-worthy guy who presented Smile with Fearne Cotton and that odd little blue puppet called Nev. But now he’s off making documentaries with the BBC and if you haven’t caught any yet, they’re actually really good. Most recently he went over to Melbourne, Australia to work out what’s been going in the midst of an Ice (the drug) epidemic
From the race riots in America to meeting the fans of President Putin, Reggie has covered a lot. Another fave, though, is the episode of The Insider where Reggie spends a week as an inmate at a jail in Texas. It’s intense and will give you butterflies but makes for a really interesting watch.
2. Annie Mac: Who Killed The Night
Exploring a topic close to many a millennial heart, DJ Annie Mac investigates why so many nightclubs have closed down in the last ten years. It’s something that we all spent a lot of time talking about, particularly when London’s Fabric closed last year. But in this doc Annie tries to get to the bottom of who’s to blame for the empty dancefloors.
It’s only 26 minutes long so you could probably watch it on your way to or from work if you’re a commuter. As for whether it’ll make you want to go partying or never go out again is up to you to decide.
3. Stacey Dooley Investigates
Stacey Dooley has been exploring the world on our screens for a long time now. Giving particular focus to the lives of young people, she’s explored some really difficult topics. One instalment that normally comes to everyone’s minds first is My Hometown Fanatics where Stacey takes a look at her hometown of Luton and tries to understand why it was known as ‘the extremist capital of Britain’.
A particularly interesting episode is Canada’s Lost Girls, one of Stacey’s most recent documentaries that explored the mystery around the disappearance of 20-year-old single mum Amber Tuccaro. It’s something that happened recent enough to potentially ring some bells as you watch it.
4. Tourettes: Teenage Tics
I don’t know about you, but most of our understanding of what it’s like to live with Tourette syndrome comes from accounts given to us by adults. But this BBC Three documentary explains it all through the eyes of 12-year-old Rory who meets older people who also have Tourettes.
Fun fact: the documentary itself is made by Todd Austin and Min Clough who have won a BAFTA for their work in the past. You can still watch it on iPlayer here.
5. The Brit Who Tried To Kill Trump
Does the name Michael Sandford sound familiar? He’s the young man from Dorking, Surrey who tried to assassinate pre-President Donald trump at a rally last year. It’s honestly a really sad story but does give some context to the headlines we all read in the news.
We know that Michael has a history of mental health problems that include OCD, Asperger’s Syndrome and was at a point was sectioned after developing anorexia. The documentary basically follows Michael as his family as they go through the trial process in the states.
6. Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands
This one’s an old favourite. You might remember watching the documentary series when it first aired way back in 2011. It follows the ever-eventful days of newly qualified medics when they first start working on a hospital ward in Newcastle.
It was a great series that lasted a whole three seasons, which was nice. Safe to say there was lots of blood, vom and other bodily fluid you find in these sorts of hospital programs. As relayed through the eyes of seven 20-something junior doctors.
7. 15 And Injecting Steroids
Meet Bignattydaddy. A 15-year-old American Instagram famous guy who went public about his use of anabolic steroids. At the age of 15. Which, in case you didn't know, is very illegal btw.
With this one, you get to follow him on his bodybuilding journey and hear from lots of the older online community who want to caution against what Bignattydaddy is doing. A lot of it you'll watch in disbelief, but it's an intresting look into a life that is probably so far beyond most of our own.
Like this? You might also be interested in…
Free Documentaries You Can Watch On YouTube When There’s Nothing On TV
Your Guide To The BBC Three Stacey Dooley Investigates Documentaries
Follow Jazmin on Instagram @JazKopotsha
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.