Best Breathtaking Movies & TV Shows

Comedy icon Joanna Lumley pursues a life-long dream to track down the elusive and beautiful Northern Lights. She travels North across the Arctic Circle, up through Norway and finally to Svalbard, the most northerly permanently inhabited place on Earth, where she has to cope with temperatures approaching minus 30° C. Joanna’s journey takes her from train to boat and huskysled to snowmobile as she is pulled ever northwards and finally, in a breathtaking climax to the film, Joanna gets to see with her own eyes the spectacular beauty of the Northern Lights. As seen on ABC1.

Simon Reeve travels through the glorious Lake District and breathtaking Cumbria, revealing the secrets of this iconic part of Britain.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. takes a look at the history of Africa, from the birth of humankind to the dawn of the 20th century. A breathtaking and personal journey through two hundred thousand years of history, from the origins, on the African continent, of art, writing and civilization itself, through the millennia in which Africa and Africans shaped not only their own rich civilizations, but also the wider world.

How can a tiny mosquito be such an enormous threat to humankind? And how is it that this once distant threat is now lurking in our own backyards? Filmed on four continents and featuring breathtaking macro photography, Mosquito paints an emotionally charged portrait of the people who are now living with mosquito borne diseases and we in North America who fear their arrival.

Recorded at the breathtakingly beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado in 1983, this concert features Irish rock sensation U2 and front man Bono in their early glory days. Including five previously unreleased songs and a director's commentary.

The inspiring origin story of a basketball superhero, revealing how LeBron James and his childhood friends become the #1 high school team in the country, launching James's breathtaking career as a four-time NBA Champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

Follow Award-winning pool designer Lucas Congdon and his crew as they tackle unprecedented designs, challenging clients, malfunctioning equipment, weather crises, unforgiving materials, and much more in their quest to build breathtaking natural wonders in every day backyards.

Through unprecedented access we showcase the spectacle that is Wild Russia. From east to west, via mountains, volcanoes, deserts, lakes and Arctic ice, this breathtaking six-part series uses stunning cinematography to chart the dazzling natural wonders of this vast country.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, National Geographic presents BORN WILD: THE NEXT GENERATION hosted by “Good Morning America’s” co-anchor Robin Roberts. The one-hour television event presents stories of hope and gives viewers a revealing look at our planet’s next generation of baby animals and their ecosystems, which face daunting environmental changes. Filmed in stunning locations around the globe such as Australia, California, Hawaii, Minnesota, Sri Lanka and Kenya, National Geographic Explorers and ABC News correspondents take viewers on a journey to fascinating, breathtaking environments to witness and celebrate the diversity and splendor of charismatic baby animals, their families and habitats. The special is a worldwide celebration of our vibrant planet and the animals that inhabit it.

Megan Smith, a smart and quirky young assistant at a glossy magazine, is fired when her Yale education proves detrimental to getting ahead in the world of tabloid journalism. Her boss takes pity on her and arranges an interview with the wealthy Laurel Limoges to be a live-in tutor for her twin teen granddaughters. The beautiful and rebellious twins are less-than-thrilled with their new tutor, but Megan is determined to win them over as she enjoys the perks of her new job - breathtaking private suite, gorgeous car and live-in chef.

An epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows over four decades the profound, complex relationship between Pietro and Bruno.

This documentary series brings to life the legends, heartbreak and history created at iconic L.A. club The Comedy Store, which over the past 47 years has launched the careers of a breathtaking array of stars.

Deep in the wilderness of Lapland, Aatami Korpi is searching for gold but after he stumbles upon Nazi patrol, a breathtaking and gold-hungry chase through the destroyed and mined Lapland wilderness begins.

Shot from land and air, in trees and cliff-blinds, on ice floes and underwater, this documentary tells the powerful stories of many of the planet's species and their movements, while revealing new scientific insights with breathtaking high-definition clarity and emotional impact. The beauty of these stories is underscored by a new focus into these species; fragile existence and their life-and-death quest for survival in an ever-changing world.

In the fourth and fifth centuries, B.C., the Greeks built an empire that stretched across the Mediterranean from Asia to Spain. They laid the foundation of modern science, politics, warfare and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever seen. It was perhaps the most spectacular flourishing of imagination and achievement in recorded history.

Sergei Polunin is a breathtaking ballet talent who questions his existence and his commitment to dance just as he is about to become a legend.

Beginning in a time of relative peace, we follow an ensemble cast of characters as they confront the re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.

"Breathtaking in its techniques, rhapsodic in its passion, and encyclopedic in its scope, the film traces the long fall from paradise into modern barbarism." - Art Gallery of Ontario

Search for Second Earth brings to life, in breathtaking CGI, an epic future journey that our species has already begun: the voyage of an autonomous spacecraft to a planet beyond our Solar System in search of life. Join NASA planetary explorers Gentry Lee and Steve Squyres; and exo-planet hunters Sara Seager, Francois Forget and Natalie Batalha on their quest to find life beyond Earth.

On June 6th, 1944 the largest military invasion and defence the world has ever seen occurred. D-Day tells the epic story of the preparation and execution of the Allied invasion of Normandy. It tells the story of the defence of the Western Front by the forces of the German Empire, and of the complex and deadly secret war fought by the men and women of France and mainland Europe. D-Day brings to life the dramatic and astounding tales of courage and sacrifice, joy and despair, love and betrayal. The planning for the Allied invasion on June 6th 1944 took two years and cost thousands of lives. It involved a deception of breathtaking audacity. Both the preparation leading up to and the actions and events on the day itself relied on the absolute discretion of many and the genius and nerve of a few. D-Day examines the intricate jigsaw from both sides - presenting events through the eyes of the men and women who were there, telling their extraordinary stories.

Every year, thousands of Antarctica's emperor penguins make an astonishing journey to breed their young. They walk, marching day and night in single file 70 miles into the darkest, driest and coldest continent on Earth. This amazing, true-life tale is touched with humour and alive with thrills. Breathtaking photography captures the transcendent beauty and staggering drama of devoted parent penguins who, in the fierce polar winter, take turns guarding their egg and trekking to the ocean in search of food. Predators hunt them, storms lash them. But the safety of their adorable chicks makes it all worthwhile. So follow the leader... to adventure!!

In this romantic approach to dating, complete strangers each learn half of a dance routine, then meet for the first time on a blind date at a breathtaking location where they dance together without saying a word.

Uncover the secrets of the vast Great Lakes region, which extends from the Canadian border to the American Midwest. It's a place of breathtaking natural beauty, with a unique set of challenges threatening its delicate environmental balance.

Explore the resurgence of iconic wildlife and natural processes across Europe's most breathtaking landscapes, from the Arctic Circle to rich river wetlands, from deep forests to rugged mountain peaks.

Ellie a talented young musician with the opportunity of a lifetime is torn between obligation to her family and the chance to realize her dream. Saddled with the care of her five siblings as a result of an alcoholic mother a breathtakingly irresponsible father and a terrifyingly misguided preacher of a brother, Ellie falls in love with an aspiring young writer.

Deep in the Gulf region is one of the world's last great wildernesses - a mysterious and magical landscape hidden to the world for decades. Observe the dramatic and varied geology and extraordinary wildlife in the world premiere of 'WILD ARABIA'. With unparalleled access, Animal Planet takes viewers to the crossroads of three continents to a clandestine kingdom of rich culture and breathtaking beauty. Once the trade hub of the ancient world, Arabia has transitioned into a secluded splendor where the modern world brushes up against a vast and ageless sweeping terrain. Feast your eyes on the scenic and sculptural sand dunes of Saudi Arabia and Oman, which are populated by camel trains and elegant white gazelles. Discover the scores of undersea volcanoes in the deep trenches off the coast of Yemen, and uncover the secrets of the Tigris-Euphrates River Delta.

It's the land we love and the land we think we know. We see America's breathtaking landscapes and wildlife as timeless, but the truth is very different. Its unique geography drives the forces of nature to extremes, shaping and reshaping the land and throwing down new challenges for life. Led by the iconic species that resonate with us most, journey through America's visually spectacular regions: the Frozen North, the Wild West, the Grassy Heartland, the Deep South and the Mountainous High Wilderness.

Inspired by the incredible events surrounding a treacherous attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, "Everest" documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest of elements found on the planet, the climbers will face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.

The Speed of Life is a brand new series, specializing in high speed photography to capture the amazing, blazing fast intricacies of daily life for animals and insects on the planet. Most especially, Speed of Life focuses on predators and prey, showing remarkable detail and breathtaking footage that you wouldn't believe.

An unsentimental elegy to the American West, Sweetgrass follows the last modern-day cowboys to lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana's breathtaking and often dangerous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture. This astonishingly beautiful reveals a world in which nature and culture, animals and humans, vulnerability and violence are all intimately meshed.

A look at the history of the American comedy publication and production company, National Lampoon, from its beginning in the 1970s to 2010, featuring rare and never before seen footage, this is the mind boggling story of The National Lampoon from its subversive and electrifying beginnings, to rebirth as an unlikely Hollywood heavyweight, and beyond. A humour empire like no other, the impact of the magazines irreverent, often shocking, sensibility was nothing short of seismic: this is an institution whose (drunk stoned brilliant) alumni left their fingerprints all over popular culture. Both insanely great and breathtakingly innovative, The National Lampoon created the foundation of modern comic sensibility by setting the bar in comedy impossibly high.

The legendary life of Harry Houdini remains as much of a mystery as his death. Modern magicians marvel at his death-defying performances. His breathtaking escapes and astonishing illusions have never been equaled - or fully understood. Now, in this active investigation, magicians and scientists will try to unlock the secrets and mysteries he took with him to the grave.

Satellites orbit Earth at 17,000 miles an hour, capturing images of our world that are breathtaking, but some are bizarre. This unique perspective reveals objects that seem to make no sense & phenomena that defy explanation. Such images force the question, what on Earth is that?

Take off on a thrilling flight across America. This epic series offers rare glimpses of our nation's most treasured landmarks, all seen from breathtaking heights. From busy cityscapes to quiet landscapes, we capture the history and the pageantry of our amazing country, which is as diverse as the people who occupy it.

Adrenaline Rush: the Science of Risk takes audiences on a breathtaking journey from extraordinary heights, featuring spectacular footage of extreme skydiving while delving into both the biology of risk-taking and the physics that make human flight possible

Ten rising culinary stars live together in a breathtaking Italian villa and compete against each other as individuals and in teams to prove their mastery of Italian cooking techniques and dishes. Described as "Big Brother" meets "Under the Tuscan Sun," the participants must also navigate alliances and rivalries as they pick their own teams. Each week, the losing team must vote off one of their own. In the end, only the last chef standing wins the life-changing grand prize: an immersive culinary education across Italy, training with renowned Italian master chefs.

Moki, a Cree Indian, is made foreman of a sprawling cattle ranch owned by his former army commander. But he carries with him through life the lore of his own people. When he rescues a bear cub, Wahb, he feels a mystical connection between himself and the magnificent creature. Later, Wahb, now a 1,300-pound bear, returns from the wild to wreak havoc on the cattle ranch, and Moki must face this fearsome grizzly. This spectacular film depicts a territorial battle over a country of breathtaking beauty.

When David is left by his fiancé just days before the wedding, his relentlessly upbeat best man, Flula, insists that the pair go on David's previously planned honeymoon: a seven-day backpacking trip through the breathtaking mountains of Oregon. Their adventures are bookended with passages from William Clark's diary describing his friendship with Meriwether Lewis and the terrain they crossed during their expedition.

Even though he's the only black student at the elite Palmetto Grove Academy, star basketball player and future NBA hopeful Odin James has the adoration of all, including the team's coach and the Dean's beautiful daughter Desi. Odin's troubled friend Hugo, the coach's son, is deeply resentful of his father's preference of Odin on and off the court. When Hugo plots a diabolical scheme to sow the seed of mistrust between O and Desi, it sets in motion a disturbing chain of events which erupts into a firestorm of breathtaking intensity.

Viewers are taken on a breathtaking journey through the planets in our solar system. In each episode, see stunning images of each planet including highly detailed images captured by today’s ultra high-tech telescopes. Advanced animation takes you up close and personal with these distant worlds, as we plunge through space to get a better look at the neighbors.

Shot around the breathtaking coastline of B.C.'s Howe Sound, Whale Music is the triumphant adaptation of Paul Quarringaton's Governor General's Award-winning novel about the redemption of a faded rock star through love and music. Richard J. Lewis' exploration of the reclusive musician's efforts to create a piece of music that will summon the whales is a sensory and emotional tour de force. Written by Vancouver Film Festival, Handbook

Biography of the famous Italian violinist Nicola Paganini which focuses as much on the musician's romances as it does on his craft. Phyllis Calvert plays Jeanne de Vermond, the aristocratic French woman who captures Paganini's heart, and real-life violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin supplies the breathtaking Paganini solos.

Follow a group of best friends as they embark on their next travel adventure - an exclusive floating festival in the Bahamas where they will join 30 yachts. The group leaves behind their high-level careers to travel the breathtaking Bahamas and embrace a subculture of elaborate costumes, eccentric rules and hallowed traditions.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a motor race like no other. Taking place in France each year, it is an endurance test for drivers and cars that literally takes 24 hours to complete. Traveling from Kuala Lumpur to the Côte D’Azur, shot in breathtaking 4K and with unprecedented access to six of the teams competing for glory, Le Mans: Racing is Everything is motorsport as you’ve never seen it before.

The Yosemite Valley Railroad, which runs through the breathtaking scenery and stunning vistas of Yosemite National Park, is on the brink of failure. The grandson of a Chinese railroad laborer embarks on a romantic, but ultimately doomed, quest to save this railroad from being sold for scrap. His love of trains finds him working as a railroad-man, instead of at his father's profitable business. He manages to locate a wealthy eccentric investor to help him acquire the railroad, but its financial inviability makes this a quixotic reprieve, at best. The film also portrays the anti-Asian racism present in America at the conclusion of World War II.

General Fitzhugh, an ageing Lothario has an over-active eye for a pretty woman. Despite a long and satisfying career as a seducer extraordinaire, something always seems to get in the way of his bedding the breathtakingly lovely Ghislaine, a more-than-willing town local.

Celeste has it all - a successful career, a handsome boyfriend and a luxurious new apartment with a breathtaking view of the city. However, Celeste's dream life becomes a nightmare when she's targeted by a menacing voyeur, who terrorizes her with anonymous packages and grim nocturnal phone calls.

A large commercial mining company has claimed the Patagonia Mountains, and the environmentalist mother wants to enjoy the area before the digging begins. The daughter devastated by her recent job loss from the Albuquerque Symphony finds her mother’s political correctness infuriating. When a magical and breathtaking encounter occurs with an endangered animal, hope emerges as they realize their discovery may be a possible key to saving the environmentally sensitive area.

It's Miriam's 21st Birthday. As a birthday gift, Miriam's aunt Gail has decided to lend Miriam her beautiful country house for an entire weekend. Aunt Gail's country house is amazing. It's a four bedroom house surrounded by breathtaking mountains and miles and miles of woods. Miriam invites her young college friends Cassy, Mark, Tanya and Leo to join her at the country house for what looks to be the most amazing weekend ever. Of course they all jump at the chance to spend a free weekend in the country, in the middle of nowhere. Miriam's friends are totally in the mood for a big time party weekend. They're also anxious to escape the dark and gloomy concrete jungle known as Manhattan. Miriam, Cassy and Tanya bring the food. Mark brings the beer and Leo, the aspiring filmmaker, brings his new video camera. Leo hopes to produce a short movie by documenting every amazing moment of this weekend getaway...

There has never been a documentary like "Land of Look Behind". Relatively unknown due to poor distribution and New York Film Festival skullduggery, this breathtaking film presents a unique epic vision with quasi-dramatic elements and cinematographic wizardry. The non-reggae original soundtrack is outstanding, as is the reggae music of Bob Marley and Gregory Isaacs. The great documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog has called "Look Behind" the non-fiction film that has influenced him most over the last fifteen years. Indeed, this film's peers are the best of Herzog, Bunuel's "Land Without Bread", Flaherty's "Nanook" and Leacock-Pennebaker's "Louisiana Story". With thoughtful viewing, one will see this moving documentary actually end with a lovely little dream sequence. No American has come close to making a film this ingenious in the last thirty years.