Sunday Special: A Sea of Streaming Docs
16 November 2025 - 50 mins explicitThere was once a time when documentaries could be found only on public television or in art-house cinemas. But today, documentaries are more popular and accessible than ever, with streaming services serving up true crime, celebrity documentaries, music documentaries and so much more.
On today’s Sunday Special, Gilbert is joined by The New York Times’s chief television critic, James Poniewozik, and Alissa Wilkinson, a Times film critic, to talk about the documentaries that are worth your viewing time.
On Today’s Episode:
James Poniewozik is the chief TV critic for The Times.
Alissa Wilkinson is a movie critic at The Times, and writes the Documentary Lens column.
Background Reading:...
Series Episodes
Today’s Mission to the Moon
Today, NASA is set to send four astronauts on a trip around the moon and back. If the mission succeeds, a return of astronauts to the moon’s surface could follow. Kenneth Chang, who covers science, explains why the United States wants to go back to the moon.
25 mins
1 April Finished
How Cesar Chavez Abused His Power
explicitWarning: this episode contains mentions of suicide. The civil rights icon had a history of sexually abusing women and girls, which the Times reporters Manny Fernandez and Sarah Hurtes spent five years investigating. They spoke to “The Daily” about how they uncovered the story.
43 mins
31 March Finished
Trump Says He’s Ready for Diplomacy. Iran? Not So Much.
Despite his threats of escalation, President Trump seems increasingly determined to end the war in Iran through negotiations. The Iranian government doesn’t appear to be on the same page. David E. Sanger, a national security correspondent for The New York Times, discusses the standoff over turning from war to diplomacy.
29 mins
30 March Finished
Our Enduring Fascination With the Kennedys
“Love Story,” the FX limited series about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s relationship, has taken audiences by storm. Its unstoppable wave of ’90s nostalgia has swept through the world of fashion, revitalized iconic New York landmarks and set off a yearning for simpler days before smartphones and dating apps. The series has also drawn significant backlash, with criticism ranging from bad reviews to accusations of inaccuracy and even harm. Today, Rachel Abrams talks to Alexandra Jacobs, a critic for The New York Times Book Review, about why America can’t seem to look away from “Love Story.”
34 mins
29 March Finished
'The Interview': What Is YouTube’s Dominance Doing to Us? We Asked Its C.E.O.
Neal Mohan on A.I. slop, parental controls and his platform’s impact on our lives.
53 mins
28 March Finished
The View of the War From a Florida Gas Station
For the past four weeks, soaring gas prices across the United States have become a symbol of the domestic impact of the war in Iran. Cameron Joudi, who owns and manages a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla., discusses how the war is reaching him at home.
24 mins
27 March Finished
