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183 voters

The Best Non-Fiction TV Series

Updated October 28, 2020 1.8k votes 183 voters 36.0k views101 items

List RulesVote up the best non-fiction, not scripted, television shows.

The very best non-fiction shows on television are truly unscripted and range from reality TV to documentaries and everything in between. Non-fiction TV shows have been a popular staple of television for years, so there's often debate about which series are the most best non-fiction shows of all time. This list of the greatest non-fiction shows is ranked from best to worst thanks to your votes.

Don't let your favorite non-fiction television programs in history get to the bottom of the list - be sure to vote them up so they have the chance to reach the top spot. The list of non-fiction television shows includes series such Mythbusters, American Experience, Ancient Aliens - even The Joy Of Painting is a non-fiction TV show.

This list answers the questions, "What is the best non-fiction show of all time?" and "What are the greatest non-fiction shows?"

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MythBusters
Jon Lung, Brian Louden
Premiered: 2003
More MythBusters
20 Mythbusters Myths You Were Saddest to See Busted#150 of 639 The Best TV Shows To Binge Watch
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22
14
Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files
Austin Porter, Jael De Pardo
Premiered: 2010
More
#18 of 65 The Best Paranormal Reality Shows#191 of 353 The Best Reality TV Shows Ever
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14
6
American Experience
David McCullough, David Ogden Stiers
Premiered: 1988
More American Experience
#305 of 389 TV Shows That Only Smart People Appreciate#98 of 98 The Best True Crime TV Shows
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The Joy of Painting
Bob Ross, Ben Stahl
Premiered: 1983
More The Joy of Painting
#125 of 537 TV Shows Canceled Before Their Time#1 of 15 15 Relaxing Shows To Chill Out To On Netflix
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14
7
Trauma: Life in the E.R.
Chip Demarest, Andy Michaels
Premiered: 1997
More Trauma: Life in the E.R.
#14 of 51 The Best Reality Dramas#1 of 29 The Best Reality Medical Shows
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Secrets & Mysteries
Edward Mulhare
Premiered: 1988
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Juvies

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13
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It's Effin' Science
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Psychic Detectives
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Most Haunted
Yvette Fielding, Ciarán O'Keeffe
Premiered: 2002
11
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4
Patrick Macnee's Ghost Stories
Patrick Macnee
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11
12
Eyewitness
Philip Glenister
Premiered: 1994
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4
3
The World's Astonishing News
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29
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Biography
Joan Lunden, Peter Graves
Premiered: 1987
More Biography
#26 of 213 The Best Documentary Series & TV Shows#6 of 39 The Best Biographical Documentary Series
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8
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The Awful Truth
Michael Moore, Karen Duffy
Premiered: 1999
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Ancient Aliens
Robert Clotworthy, Giorgio Tsoukalos
Premiered: 2010
More
16 Times 'Ancient Aliens' Made (Reasonably) Compelling Points#645 of 659 The Scariest Threats to the United States
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American Masters
Julianna Margulies, Laura Linney
Premiered: 1986
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7
Pet Psychic
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Watchdog
Anne Robinson, Lynn Faulds Wood
Premiered: 1980
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3
6
Campus PD
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7
12
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Jonathan Frakes, Don LaFontaine
Premiered: 1997
More Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
The Most Haunting Paranormal Mysteries From ‘Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction’#223 of 310 The Best Sci-Fi Television Series Of All Time
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Break the Silence: Kids Against Child Abuse
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9
16
Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories
Jared Rushton, Stacy Keach
Premiered: 1991
More Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories
#27 of 86 The Best Paranormal TV Shows#26 of 44 The Best Ghost Hunting Paranormal Reality Shows
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Book TV
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The Real Hustle
Jessica-Jane Clement, Alexis Conran
Premiered: 2006