Eye-opening documentaries to spark your curiosity

News 12 December 2025

From true crime to human stories, your holiday documentary guide.

Eye-opening documentaries to spark your curiosity

The holidays are here! It’s the perfect time to slow down, relax, and catch up on the shows you’ve missed.

If documentaries are on your list, you’re in for a treat. From gripping true-crime stories to fascinating glimpses into different ways of life, these picks will spark your curiosity. Whether you’re drawn to murder mysteries or thought-provoking explorations of the human experience, we’ve got something for every inquisitive mind.

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Here are 8 eye-opening documentaries and true-crime series to watch this festive.

Going back in time

Holy Marvels

Hosted by actor Dennis Quaid, the docuseries uncovers the truth behind legends, from sacred sites to mythical creatures and hidden codes. For centuries, cultures worldwide have revered sacred objects, rituals, and symbols that inspire and sometimes terrify. With insights from historians and archeologists, Dennis investigates subjects such as sacred strongholds and legendary beasts are believed to roam the earth and the seas in Season 2.

Watch Holy Marvels Season 2 from Monday, 15 December at 8:15PM on History Channel 186.

Solving the mystery

Who Hired the Hitman?

Although detectives may know who fired the shot, they might not know who orchestrated a crime. The true-crime series reveals chilling information about masterminds behind seemingly solid alibis. Each episode u unravels a twisted plot, from the killing of a beloved snow-plough driver that shakes a community, to a real estate mogul entangled in multiple murder attempts.

Watch Who Hired the Hitman? Season 1 on Saturdays at 9PM on ID Channel 171.

Unmasking the Killers of the Third Reich

Join historian Dr Stefan Hördler, a leading expert on Nazi history, as he examines a never-before-seen photo album featuring hundreds of Nazi officers. Captured between 1928 and 1943, these images trace the rise of a young Hitlerite group within concentration camps. Explore who these men were and the path that turned them into perpetrators of mass murder.

Watch Unmasking the Killers of the Third Reich Season 1 from Tuesday, 16 December at 8:30PM on Nat Geo Channel 181.

To Catch a Smuggler: Seized at Sea

The docuseries follows Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations as they battle drug smuggling at Unites States ports of entry. With evolving trends, agents also intercept outbound shipments of marijuana and firearms, dismantling criminal networks before they strike. The high-stakes operations protect America’s borders from dangerous contraband.

Watch To Catch a Smuggler: Seized at Sea Season 1 from Thursday, 18 December at 6:50PM on Nat Geo Channel 181.

Mother May I Murder

What happens when the unbreakable bond between mother and child turns deadly? The true-crime series dives into shocking real-life cases where greed, jealousy, or revenge drive families to murder. Through eyewitness accounts, police archives, and gripping reenactments, each episode uncovers dark secrets and betrayals hidden within American homes.

Watch Mother May I Murder Season 5B from Friday, 19 December at 9PM on ID Channel 171.

Living on the edge

Hoarding for the Holidays

There’s collecting and then there’s hoarding. Come inside the world of extreme holiday decorators and festive collectors whose passion knows no bounds. The series follows couples clashing over decor overload to families balancing storage struggles.

Watch Hoarding for the Holidays Season 1 from Friday, 26 December on HGTV Channel 177.

Living on Green Ice

There’s life in the Arctic. As the docuseries displays, it isn’t just frozen, white land: there’s colour beneath the ice. Join scientists as they uncover this secret layer of polar biodiversity and reveal what these discoveries tell us about climate change in Earth’s coldest regions.

Watch Living on Green Ice Season 1 from Thursday, 25 December at 11PM on Curiosity Channel 185.

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