Michael Apted’s 56 Up offers a regular glimpse of fascinatingly ordinary lives
In a culture so reliant on phony reality shows, documentary series offers a refreshing glimpse of real people in real lives
Documentary-makers join forces to expose the evil of global poverty
Directors of films in the forthcoming BBC series Why Poverty? explain how they tackled the subject and what it taught them
Fab furore: Is it time to re-evaluate the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour?
The Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour caused outrage in 1967 – and is now being compared to Buñuel and the Pythons. As it returns, John Harris hears the true story of the shoot from those involved
The film-makers creating trouble on the estate
Owen Hatherley: Residents of the Shadsworth estate are protesting at their portrayal in a documentary that follows a well-worn path
Jeffery Boswall obituary
Wildlife film-maker and natural history broadcaster who worked for the BBC
Mighty real: Gillian Wearing’s favourite documentaries
From 7 Up to TOWIE, Andy Warhol to the Maysles brothers, I watch films that highlight human reality and interaction, writes Gillian Wearing
Peter Loizos obituary
Other lives: Anthropologist and film-maker who documented life in his father's Cypriot village
Diamond diva: C4 documentary to tell Liz Taylor’s life through jewellery
Feature-length film that explores late actor's fascination with jewels to air on Channel 4 in the spring. By Ben Dowell
Protecting Our Children: gruelling story of family turmoil could herald new dawn for documentary TV
Protecting Our Children, a hard-hitting series that follows a team of social workers, has been accused of exploiting a vulnerable family – and praised as the antidote to reality TV
The artists’ artist: wildlife film-makers
Five wildlife film-makers nominate their favourite living artist in their field
Grierson awards honour documentaries about cricket
Fire in Babylon and Storyville's Afghan Cricket Club take gongs at documentary awards. By Tara Conlan
Paul McCartney 9/11 documentary to air on US TV
Film about former Beatle's experience in New York following 9/11 will air on eve of 10th anniversary of terrorist attacks
Adam Curtis to make TV project inspired by The Wire
Documentary-maker behind Power of Nightmares also calls Twitter a 'self aggrandising, smug pressure group'. By Ben Dowell
Viewers accept TV fakery, say documentary-makers
Programmes such as The Only Way Is Essex are watched by 'sophisticated' audiences, claim executives. By Ben Dowell