Shows Like The New York Times Presents

If you liked The New York Times Presents (2020), a documentary series, here are 20 shows with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
History 101 (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
Infographics and archival footage deliver bite-size history lessons on scientific breakthroughs, social movements and world-changing discoveries.
2
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes (2022)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer confesses to his gruesome crimes in unguarded interviews, offering an unsettling view into a disturbed mind.
3
Last Chance U (2016)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
In a docuseries set at one of NCAA football's most fertile recruiting grounds, guys with red flags seek to prove their worth on the field and in class.
4
Eli Roth's History of Horror (2018)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
An in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.
5
World War II with Tom Hanks (2026)
★ 8.3/10Also documentary
Explores WWII from Germany's invasion of Poland through the atomic age, examining pivotal battles, wartime leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt, and the human cost of total war.
6
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (2021)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
In a tumultuous era, 1971 was a year of musical innovation and rebirth fueled by the political and cultural upheaval of the time. Stars reached new heights, fresh talent exploded onto the scene, and boundaries expanded…
7
Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos (2024)
★ 8.3/10Also documentary
A portrait of celebrated filmmaker David Chase: his life, his career and his groundbreaking work on the HBO original series The Sopranos.
8
Trust Me: The False Prophet (2026)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
In this true-crime documentary, a cult expert and filmmaker infiltrate a polygamist sect to expose a self-proclaimed prophet and bring him to justice.
9
The Walking Dead: Origins (2021)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
The Walking Dead: Origins is a series of specials exploring the journeys of the series' most celebrated characters. Each episode charts the story of the zombie apocalypse from the point of view of a single character…
10
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden (2025)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
Featuring rare footage and interviews with CIA insiders, this edge-of-your-seat documentary series traces the epic hunt for Osama bin Laden.
11
Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields (2022)
★ 6.5/10Also documentary
An overgrown field and a stretch of highway connect a series of grisly murders spanning several decades as grieving families search for answers.
12
Kylie (2026)
★ 8.7/10Also documentary
A look at the life of Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, who opens her personal archives and reflects on a career in which she has sold 80 million records and reinvented herself, and by extension pop, several times…
13
Mind Field (2017)
★ 8.2/10Also documentary
Explore the surprising things we know (and don’t know) about why people are the way they are through expert interviews, rare footage from historical experiments, and brand-new, ground-breaking demonstrations of human…
14
Visible: Out on Television (2020)
★ 6.7/10Also documentary
Explore the history of the American LGBTQ movement through the lens of TV in this five-part docuseries. Combining archival footage with new interviews, the series looks at homophobia, the evolution of LGBTQ characters…
15
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing (2023)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
Archive footage, chilling reenactments and exclusive interviews shed new light on a tragedy — and two brothers — that suspended a city in terror.
16
Pee-wee as Himself (2025)
★ 7.9/10Also documentary
A kaleidoscopic portrait told in two parts tracing the life of the imaginative artist.
17
Medal of Honor (2018)
★ 6.5/10Also documentary
Honoring service members whose courage merited the awarding of a Medal of Honor, this docudrama series re-creates their inspiring true stories.
18
How to Become a Mob Boss (2023)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
This darkly satirical how-to guide explores the rise and fall of history's most notorious mob bosses and their tactics for success.
19
Hulk Hogan: Real American (2026)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
Before he was Hulk Hogan, he was Terry Bollea. Uncover the man behind the legend in this unfiltered documentary featuring his very last interview.
20
Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
Transcending the music documentary genre by creating a new lane that merges music, socio-cultural commentary and and intimate family portrait of the Wu-Tang Clan.