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Shows Like Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World

If you were moved by Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World, are likely to find resonance in stories that questions the purpose and weight of our choices while ensuring targets the intellect with complex, multi-layered ideas. Carefully balances character depth with narrative flow makes this a deeper look into what makes these stories stick.

Mood Breakdown
Runtime Cluster

Standard feature-length experiences.

Viewer Fit

Best for fans of who appreciate concise storytelling.

Top Picks

The Universe
7.9

The Universe

2007

From the planets to the stars and out to the edge of the unknown, history and science collide in a wondrous yet deadly adventure through space and time.

Modern Marvels
8.0

Modern Marvels

1993

HISTORY’s longest-running series moves to H2. Modern Marvels celebrates the ingenuity, invention and imagination found in the world around us. From commonplace items like ink and coffee to architectural masterpieces and engineering disasters, the hit series goes beyond the basics to provide insight and history into things we wonder about and that impact our lives. This series tells fascinating stories of the doers, the dreamers and sometime-schemers that create everyday items, technological breakthroughs and manmade wonders. The hit series goes deep to explore the leading edge of human inspiration and ambition.

Gadget Man
7.0

Gadget Man

2012

Gadget Man shows the world's collection of handy gadgets throughout the ages, from today's smart devices to decades old electronics to even older mechanical devices.

How Do They Do It?
7.6

How Do They Do It?

2006

An insider's look at the engineering and scientific miracles behind the things that form the modern world.

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
7.7

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything

2021

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 like never before.

The World According to Jeff Goldblum
6.6

The World According to Jeff Goldblum

2019

Through the prism of Jeff Goldblum's always inquisitive and highly entertaining mind, nothing is as it seems. Each episode is centered around something we all love — like sneakers or ice cream — as Jeff pulls the thread on these deceptively familiar objects and unravels a wonderful world of astonishing connections, fascinating science and history, amazing people, and a whole lot of surprising big ideas and insights.

Horizon
7.4

Horizon

1964

Horizon tells amazing science stories, unravels mysteries and reveals worlds you've never seen before.

Expedition Unknown
8.0

Expedition Unknown

2015

The adventures of Josh Gates as he investigates unsolved iconic stories across the globe.

More Shows Like Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World

MegaStructures
7.4

MegaStructures

2004

MegaStructures is a documentary television series appearing on the National Geographic Channel in the United States and the United Kingdom, Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, France 5 in France, and 7mate in Australia. Each episode is an educational look of varying depth into the construction, operation, and staffing of various structures or construction projects, but not ordinary construction products. Generally containing interviews with designers and project managers, it presents the problems of construction and the methodology or techniques used to overcome obstacles. In some cases this involved the development of new materials or products that are now in general use within the construction industry. MegaStructures focuses on constructions that are extreme; in the sense that they are the biggest, tallest, longest, or deepest in the world. Alternatively, a project may appear if it had an element of novelty or are a world first. This type of project is known as a Megaproject.

Bill Nye the Science Guy
7.3

Bill Nye the Science Guy

1993

It's "Mr. Wizard" for a different decade. Bill Nye is the Science Guy, a host who's hooked on experimenting and explaining. Picking one topic per show (like the human heart or electricity), Nye gets creative with teaching kids and adults alike the nuances of science.

This Is Pop
5.9

This Is Pop

2021

Unknown histories take center stage as the hitmakers themselves - from ABBA to T-Pain - explore dimensions of pop music you never knew existed.

The Real History of Science Fiction
7.0

The Real History of Science Fiction

2014

The series heads to the very frontiers of space and science to produce the definitive television history of science fiction, told through its impact on cinema, television and literature, with the help of filmmakers, writers, actors, and graphic artists. Each episode will explore one of the enduring themes of science fiction: time travel; the exploration of space; robots and artificial intelligence; and aliens.

American Experience
6.6

American Experience

1988

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

The Food That Built America
7.9

The Food That Built America

2019

The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat and tears to get to America's heart through its stomach, those who invented new technologies and helped win wars.

Pee-wee as Himself
8.1

Pee-wee as Himself

2025

A kaleidoscopic portrait told in two parts tracing the life of the imaginative artist.

Doctor Who Confidential
8.2

Doctor Who Confidential

2005

Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey
7.7

The Story of Film: An Odyssey

2011

A worldwide guided tour of the greatest movies ever made and the story of international cinema through the history of cinematic innovation.

Court of Gold
8.3

Court of Gold

2025

Go behind the scenes with the top medal contenders in men's basketball as they battle for gold and glory at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Through the Wormhole
7.6

Through the Wormhole

2010

Hosted by Morgan Freeman, Through the Wormhole explores the deepest mysteries of existence - the questions that have puzzled mankind for eternity. What are we made of? What was there before the beginning? Are we really alone? Is there a creator? These questions have been pondered by the most exquisite minds of the human race. Now, science has evolved to the point where hard facts and evidence may be able to provide us with answers instead of philosophical theories. Through the Wormhole brings together the brightest minds and best ideas from the very edges of science - Astrophysics, Astrobiology, Quantum Mechanics, String Theory, and more - to reveal the extraordinary truth of our Universe.

The New York Times Presents
7.2

The New York Times Presents

2020

A series of standalone documentaries powered by the unparalleled journalism and insight of The New York Times, bringing viewers close to the essential stories of our time.

Why These Shows Are Similar

These recommendations share core qualities with Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World (2019): Documentary themes, similar pacing, and comparable production quality. NoBadPicks uses TMDB collaborative filtering, genre matching, and AI analysis to surface series most likely to resonate with fans of Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World.

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