# Is there a Netflix for documentaries?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 30, 2020, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887 "2020-04-30T09:54:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/1 "2020-04-30T09:54:00Z")
Is there something similar to Netflix for documentaries? I am looking for wildlife, astronomy, science and technology, and crime documentaries. I do not mind paying a subscription fee. I know Discovery, NatGeo and BBC produce excellent documentaries, but I would like them in one browseable, searchable interface, something similar to Netflix. Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/2 "2020-04-30T10:54:10Z")
Why not just use Netflix? They have tons of documentaries.
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### Author:  [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/3 "2020-04-30T11:36:29Z")
There’s [Documentary Heaven](https://documentaryheaven.com).
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/4 "2020-04-30T11:46:06Z")
There are also tons of docs on Disney+, which you can get pretty inexpensively nowadays.
(it includes National Geographic content)
mmm
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/5 "2020-04-30T11:55:07Z")
As the market gets divided up, there won’t be anywhere where you can get everything anymore. Content is being controlled by large providers and they are fighting for titles with exclusive access. So you won’t have a single place anymore that has all documentary content any more than you’ll find a service that has all comedies. I think what you’re looking for doesn’t exist.
We’ve found excellent documentaries on Netflix and Amazon Prime, but some things aren’t available and we’re not willing to pay for another service.
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### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/6 "2020-04-30T12:04:42Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> Why not just use Netflix? They have tons of documentaries.
Yeah, Netflix has a category called “documentaries”. And they do have a lot of really good ones.
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/7 "2020-04-30T12:22:12Z")
Besides Netflix and Amazon Prime, my wife also watches documentaries on [PBS.org](http://PBS.org) and using our local library’s streaming option (Kanopy is the provider they use).
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> As the market gets divided up, there won’t be anywhere where you can get everything anymore.
Indeed, I don’t think Netflix even qualifies as a “Netflix for movies” as the OP is using the term.
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### Author:  [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/8 "2020-04-30T16:48:31Z")
Roku dingus for streaming has at least one channel dedicated to documentaries.
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/9 "2020-04-30T18:07:33Z")
Have you checked out [Curiositystream](https://curiositystream.com/)?
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### Author:  [@Anne\_Elk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Elk)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/10 "2020-05-03T00:39:08Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> Have you checked out [Curiositystream](https://curiositystream.com/)?
Thanks! I subscribed to it immediately. Tons of content for about five bucks a month.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/11 "2020-05-03T00:48:30Z")
> [@Anne\_Elk](#):
>
> Thanks! I subscribed to it immediately. Tons of content for about five bucks a month.
Five dollars a month? Their normal subscription is twenty dollars a year and they’ve been running a promo where you can get a year’s subscription for twelve dollars.
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/12 "2020-05-03T00:55:02Z")
Twelve dollars a year? Must be nice to have that kind of money sitting around.
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### Author:  [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/13 "2020-05-03T00:58:34Z")
I’m fond of [Films For Action](https://www.filmsforaction.org/), some interesting stuff on there.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/14 "2020-05-03T01:02:43Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> Twelve dollars a year? Must be nice to have that kind of money sitting around.
I’m just waiting until I can go back out in public and take all my bags of soda cans to the redemption center. That’s when I cash in.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/15 "2020-05-03T03:19:22Z")
Kanopy has a lot of documentaries and indie films. As a bonus, it might be free if you have a library card.
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### Author:  [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2020, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/16 "2020-05-04T10:01:33Z")
Thanks for many good suggestions in this thread. I am planning to subscribe CuriosityStream. I will check out the other suggestions. Thanks!
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### Author:  [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2020, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/17 "2020-05-04T12:04:36Z")
You might also check out Hoopla if your local library system takes part.
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### Author:  [@Anne\_Elk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Elk)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2020, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/18 "2020-05-04T23:54:18Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Five dollars a month? Their normal subscription is twenty dollars a year and they’ve been running a promo where you can get a year’s subscription for twelve dollars.
Sorry, 2.99 a month
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### Author:  [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2020, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/19 "2020-05-06T23:57:36Z")
I recommend The Great Courses Plus. The content isn’t quite documentary’s, but I think it is better. They have courses on almost any topic you can think of. I have The Great Courses Plus and CuriosityStream, and I went through all the content that interested me on CuriosityStream very fast.
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### Author:  [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-netflix-for-documentaries/852887/20 "2020-05-07T00:12:57Z")
If you have amazon prime, be sure to look in there. I’ve found some good ones (included with Prime).
[https://www.amazon.com/Off-the-Cuf/dp/B07R6PKR45](https://www.amazon.com/Off-the-Cuf/dp/B07R6PKR45)
[https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorker-Presents-Episode-One/dp/B00RR12JP4/ref=sr\_1\_2?dchild=1&keywords=new+yorker&qid=1588810107&sr=8-2](https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorker-Presents-Episode-One/dp/B00RR12JP4/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=new+yorker&qid=1588810107&sr=8-2)
[https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Off+the+Grid&i=instant-video&ref=nb\_sb\_noss\_2](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Off+the+Grid&i=instant-video&ref=nb_sb_noss_2)
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