* Copacabana Palace (2014)

It will cost you around £500 to spend a night at the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro, but thanks to this one-off documentary, you can have a look around for nothing. Famous guests have included Orson Welles, Charles and Diana, Robert De Niro and Madonna. The fortunes of the Copacabana have changed since the 1960s-80s, when Brazil was ruled by a military dictatorship. Now the country's economy is booming and the rich flock to the hotel, where they rub shoulders with celebrities, while many employees live in the poorest parts of the city and take home less than £300 per month.

* Waterfront Cities of the World (Series)

As seen through the eyes of world-famous photographer Heidi Hollinger, we set off to discover vibrant port cities and capture their true essence and soul. Settled centuries ago when boat travel was the only means of communication, these ports have developed into commercial and cultural metropolises, rich in their unique history.

* The Great Summits (2010)

The Great Summits introduces ten of the world' s most famed mountains such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn in the European Alps and Mt. McKinley in Alaska. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.

* All Aboard (2008)

Emmanuelle Han, filmmaker and explorer has a passion: travelling around the world to meet people living in remote parts of the world. In this series she travels on the most beautiful train rides and makes fascinating encounters as she gets off at the different stations.Among Emmanuelle's destinations are China as she takes the "Dragon of the Himalaya", the highest train in the world, linking Beijing to Lassa and Cuba aboard the "Tren francs" between Havana and Santiago.Other destinations include Sicily, Argentina, Turkey and Australia.

Part 1: China - Tibet :The Dragon of the Himalayas
4,000 kilometers separate Beijing from Lhassa; 4,000 kilometers on board the train nicknamed "The Dragon" . This train holds many records: 2,647 bridges, 11 tunnels one of which is the world's highest at 4,999 meters, pressurized cars equipped with anti-UV windows. Emmanuelle Han will have to deal with altitude sickness but in return she will encounter some very exceptional people.

Part 2: Sicily: Mafia Free
Sicily. A land of travelers where opposing influences meld in unexpected ways. With Emmanuelle Han, we discover the Mediterranean's biggest island while travelling to the rhythm of the rails. Messina, Palermo, Catania... During her voyage, Emmanuelle will meet Sicilians who have chosen to live without the Mafia, to throw off their yoke. She’ll discover what this choice implies.

Part 3: Cuba: El Tren Frances
And what if to see the real Cuba, one had to ride this train which clanks along at 50 km/h over the 835 kilometers of the Santiago-Havana line?

In Cuba, the train is the best way to mix with the masses, people that tourists only glimpse through the windows of their air-conditioned tour buses without ever meeting them, without ever hearing their stories. This ride takes us deep into the heart of a country much more difficult to penetrate than it seems and thus avoid out-dated clich's. Emmanuelle Han embarks aboard the mythic "Tren Franc's"  and lets herself be led from one end to the other along this legendary line, "the Pearl of the Caribbean" .

Part 4: Argentina: El Gran Capitan
Emmanuelle Han chose to travel across Argentina aboard El Gran Capitn, an illustrious train dear to the heart and soul of every Argentine. In this land of contrasts, this mythic train constructed by English pioneers in the 19th century carries passengers more than 1,000 kilometers… in 33 hours.

This iron monster snakes its way around the bends of the Sierras, the vast Pampas and town and villages with their gently fading colors.

A ride on El Gran Capit?n reveals all of Argentina's complexities. We discover this promised land and its descendants as well as their multifaceted identities. A voyage to the borders of a country and its people, a journey along the frontier lands of Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil.

Part 5: Turkey: Vangolu Ekspressi
A land of sunshine and history, Turkey lies at the crossroads of three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. A circumstance which gave birth to a rich and surprising culture. The Vangol? Ekspressi carries Emmanuelle Han on a trip of over 1,300 kilometers, from Istanbul to the Iranian border, gateway to the Orient. In the heart of these very remote lands, this train shows us a kaleidoscope of landscapes, ways of life and cultures.

Part 6: Australia: the Indian Pacific
A land of superlatives, Australia is the world's largest island, the flattest and most arid territory on the planet. Its geographic isolation and its extreme climate have fashioned an uncommon topography where barren stretches of land no longer scare anyone. Thus this railroad, built in the heart of the Nullabor Plain - 200,000 km2 of semi-arid calcareous earth with barely a tree in sight. It takes three days to cross the 4 352 kilometers which separate Sidney from Perth; three days during which Emmanuelle Han will meet with singular characters, between madness, modernity and the outback spirit.

Part 7: India: the North East Express
In India, it is said that it's best to remain close to the sacred rivers so as not to become impure. That's why Emmanuelle Han has chosen to embark upon the mythic railroad line the North East Express which runs across the valleys of Brahmaputra and the Ganges. By following this spiritual path from Guwahati to Delhi, and passing through the holy citiy of Agra, an unexpected facet of the country is revealed. India is a rapidly developing country, the middle class being its economic as well as cultural motor. The North East Express covers 1,880 kilometers in 22 hours - an opportunity to get closer to this new class of Indians, a class that's slightly schizophrenic and the symbol of a country in full mutation.

Part 8: Malaysia: the Langkawi Ekspres
Travelling over the 700 kilometers between Gemas, in the Southern part of the country, all the way to the North and the Thai border, Emmanuelle Han has gone in search of those marvelous mirrors of contrast and complexity in Malaysian society: its women. Aboard the Langkawi Ekspres, Emmanuelle Han unveils a mosaic of unforgettable portraits. Cigar-smokers, taggers and cobra hunters, they are Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu. At the heart of the dilemma of what it is to be Malaysian identity, these women try to impose their own vision of the future.

Part 9: Vietnam: the Reunification Train
From Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, the train of Reunification carries Emmanuelle Han on a 1,726 kilometer voyage. She discovers a country as modern as it is rural -oscillating between the desire for openness and an attachment to traditions.

Today, 50% of the population is younger than 25 years old and didn't live through the tragic events of their country's history. As Hanoi, the country's capital, celebrates its Millennial Anniversary, what are the concerns of a society where young people represent such a large proportion of the population ?

Part 10: Madagascar: the Train of Life
If ever a train deserved its name, it's the "Train of Life" . Without it, 100 000 people on this remote inland region of Eastern Madagascar would be completely cut off from the world.  Emmanuelle Han climbs on board this clinking-clanking convoy from Fianarantsoa to Manakara travelling 163 kilometers along its 67 bridges and 48 tunnels. Welcome to this local version of a TGV, a Train of Great Vibrations… No reservations necessary and overbooking guaranteed! From high plateaus to the shores of the Indian Ocean via grandiose landscapes, each stop is an occasion to visit these isolated villages and discover a local economy held together by a thundering thread of steel that's 75 years old.

Part 11: Morocco: the Train of the Imperial Cities
Ride the rails with Emmanuelle Han in aboard a train that links country's imperial cities. Marrakesh, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fez, she’ll meet the descendants of Morocco's great dynasties, in search of the secrets of the Moroccan art of living. Whether perfumers, furniture makers or the founders of orphanages, they share the desire to preserve the savoir faire and values passed on from generation to generation. A voyage through captivating settings at the heart of a country in constant evolution.

Part 12: Portugal: the Alfa Pendular
Emmanuelle travels on the Alfa Pendular, the Pendolino high-speed tilting train. Over her journey she will meet people who have chosen to give meaning to their lives by doing things for others.

* Alexander's Lost World (2014)

This series follows photojournalist and director David Adams on an epic journey into one of the most dangerous places on earth uncovering the history buried here. Inaccessible, ravaged by war, filmmakers have not dared journey into its realm until now. Amidst the small mountain towns and ruins of rural Afghanistan is the land of the mighty River Oxus. This was the final frontier of Alexander the Greats vast Empire. Using innovative 3D graphics, the programme creates sights from the Ancient Worlds that have remained unseen for millennia. For the first time on TV, ruins have been rebuilt; the course of the River Oxus has been shown; and long forgotten cities and fortresses are brought to life.

Episode 1:
Exploration on an ancient sea

Episode 2:
"The Mother Of All Cities"

David Adams goes on a hunt for the Oxus civilisation and uses Ancient Greek accounts to search for the lost city of Bactra in Afghanistan.

Episode 3:
"Alexandria On The Oxus"

Did Alexander really build sixteen cities in Afghanistan and Central Asia or was he the destroyer of a far more ancient civilization? Adams goes in search of the most alluring of them all — Alexandria on the Oxus.

Episode 4:
"City Of Moon Lady"

David Adams travels through Afghanistan, braving the harsh desert environment, to find the site of the ancient city of Ai-Khanoum.

* Aerial America: Alabama (Series)

Aerial America is a television series airing on the Smithsonian Channel. Each episode is an aerial video tour of a U.S. state. It consists entirely of aerial scenes with no ground-level shots, and is narrated. Flyovers of natural areas such asnational parks are included along with well-known buildings and urban areas.

Episode 1:

California

Episode 2:

Hawaii

Episode 3:

Virginia

Episode 4:

Connecticut

Episode 5:

Tennessee

Episode 6:

Vermont

Episode 7:

Arkansas

Episode 8:

Rhode Island

Episode 9:

Maine

Episode 10:

Oregon

Episode 11:

South Carolina

Episode 12:

Massachusetts

Episode 13:

Georgia

Episode 14:

Washington

Episode 15:

New Hampshire

Episode 16:

Maryland and Delaware

Episode 17:

North Carolina

Episode 18:

New York

Episode 19:

Louisiana

Episode 20:

New Mexico

Episode 21:

Michigan

Episode 22:

Nevada

Episode 23:

Colorado

Episode 24:

Mississippi

Episode 25:

Pennsylvania

Episode 26:

Florida

Episode 27:

Kansas

Episode 28:

Alabama

Episode 29:

Oklahoma

Episode 30:

Arizona

Episode 31:

Amazing Destinations

Episode 32:

Montana

Episode 33:

Ohio

Episode 34:

Minnesota

Episode 35:

Made In the USA

Episode 36:

West Virginia

Episode 37:

Beyond Hollywood

Episode 38:

Alaska

Episode 39:

Texas

Episode 40:

Idaho

Episode 41:

Kentucky

Episode 42:

Utah

Episode 43:

The Dakotas

Episode 44:

Wyoming

* The World's Greatest Balloon Adventures (2012)

This five-part series explores the world's most fascinating landscapes with hot-air balloons. Emotional human encounters, exotic cultural experiences and thrilling adventures in the wild are the ingredients for a dynamic, exciting and entertaining series about the extraordinary life of ballooning enthusiasts and their quest for the “Great Picture”.

Part 1: Sri Lanka
Our balloon trip to Sri Lanka is a journey through an exceptionally beautiful country in the Indian Ocean. Rich cultures, ancient temples, exotic landscapes, old steam locomotives and tea plantations are part of the adventure. Landing however is difficult in a country, which seems to consist only of jungle, lakes and rice-paddies.

Part 2: Mongolia
In Mongolia we follow international crews from France, Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland through the Mongolian steppe, the temple complex of Karakorum and the Gobi Desert. Boundless vastness, pathless solitude and infinite freedom shape the life of the steppe people. The ground logistics alone are pure adventure and off-road vehicles are a must outside the Mongolian Capital Ulan Bator.

Part 3: The Alps
The giant mountain scenery and the majestic panorama of the Alps is an outstanding and challenging experience for every hot-air balloonist. This episode also focuses on the theoretical aspects of ballooning: how high, how far and how precise can a balloon fly? What do you need to know about weather, wind and geography? A spectacular highlight is the Night Glow in Chateau d'Oex, when the fiery balloons illuminate the darkness of the valley.

Part 4: Kenya
The Kenyan Rift-Valley with its enormous herds of animals is one of the most breathtaking savannas of the world. Kenya is also the home of Alan Root, one of the world's most renowned wildlife filmmakers. Over forty years ago he was taught how to fly a balloon by our pilot Phil Dunnington. Now they meet again and fly through the skies above the Maasai Mara as they used to in the old days.

Part 5: Venezuela
Venezuela with its spectacular landscapes is the grand finale of our journey. The spectacular Table Mountains (Tepuis) in the south of the country build the backdrop for the adventurous flights in La Gran Sabana. In this episode the renowned Director Werner Herzog joins us in search of inspiration for new unusual visuals. For a long time he has been an admirer of the austere beauty of the Tepuis - now he not only ventures to experience the eerie ambience on their top, but also takes the risk of ballooning in the vicinity of the “Lost World” mountains.</div></div></div></div>

* In the Footsteps Of Thesiger (2013)

Adrian will be recounting his 44 day and 1000 mile crossing of the ‘Empty Quarter’ of the Arabian Desert by foot and camel in the trail of legendary 1940s British explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger at the Royal Geographic Society, London, on Thursday 30th January 2014 at 7:00pm.

Former Gurkha officer and Arabic speaking Hayes first learned of Thesiger when he served a 2 year tour with the Sultan of Oman’s Forces in the 1990s and vowed one day to repeat his first crossing of the desert. In his powerful story, accompanied by stunning images and film, he speaks of the largely unheralded achievements of Thesiger and his companions’ journeys in the 1940s, the reality of attempting the same journey 65 years later with his own Bedouin team and the changed lives and culture of the Bedouin and peoples of the Arabian Peninsula.

Led by British explorer, Adrian Hayes, the three companions brave some of toughest conditions on earth as they navigate the journey by stars, sun, local knowledge and time travelled. The group walk and ride camels through the gruelling 1,600km trail in traditional Arabic clothes and follow a modest diet. From the monsoon- drenched tropical forest of Salah, to Oman and over some of the most dangerous dunes in the world, through the Empty Quarter, where even the most accustomed locals seldom dare to tread. With dramatic adventure, genuine hardship, fascinating science and historical legacy, this audacious re-enactment captures culture, heritage and action all in one unforgettable journey.

Adrian Hayes is a British record-breaking polar explorer and adventurer, best known for reaching the three extreme points of the Earth—the Three Poles Challenge—which involved walking all the way to the North Pole, South Pole and summiting Mt. Everest, all in the shortest period of time (1 year, 217 days - his first Guinness World record).

* Extreme Railways (2012)

Chris Tarrant takes a series of extreme railway journeys across the world's toughest terrains.

Part 1: Congo's Jungle Railway
Chris travels to the Republic of the Congo for a gruelling but ultimately inspiring journey through the country's heart of darkness.

Part 2: Australia's Outback Railway
Chris crosses the Australian Outback on an amazing rail line - the 2,000 mile-long Adelaide to Darwin railway. Building the line proved to be a huge engineering challenge that took over 100 years to complete. In his quest to uncover the extraordinary story of this railway, Chris travels from Adelaide to Darwin, following the original ill-fated route of the line.

Part 3: India's Monsoon Railway
Chris travels down the Konkan rail line, which runs down the west coast of India, connecting the port cities of Mumbai and Mangalore.

* China on Four Wheels (2012)

Anita Rani and Justin Rowlatt embark on two epic car journeys across China, navigating congested cities and winding mountain roads, to explore how the country's economic growth, symbolised by its booming car industry, is affecting people's lives.

Part 1
In the first programme, Anita takes the high road through the rich, industrialised cities of the east, driving a Great Wall Haval, the best-selling 4X4 in China. Meanwhile Justin drives a 'bread van', the loaf-shaped workhorse of the countryside, through China's poor rural hinterland, and discovers that here donkeys are often more common than cars. He visits the 'ghost city' of Ordos and puts his bread van through its paces on China's second-biggest racing track. On the first leg of their journey, Anita and Justin discover a country that has developed rapidly, raising millions out of poverty. But it faces important challenges that may affect us all: a potential property bubble, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and growing inequality.


Part 2
Anita and Justin continue their epic car journeys across China, heading for their final destination, the financial mega-city of Shanghai. On her route through the industrialised east, Anita visits some of the country's most sophisticated and luxurious cities. In Qingdao she discovers a little piece of the Loire valley: a Chinese wine chateau with an accompanying vineyard. In Hangzhou she joins a couple on their wedding day, complete with a luxury car fleet. Meanwhile Justin continues his epic journey through the poor, remote Chinese countryside in his loaf-shaped bread van. He bumps rather precariously up the potholed Aizhai Highway, one of China's most dangerous roads, and visits the brand new engineering marvel of the Aizhai Bridge. He explores the life of farmers from the Miao ethnic minority deep in the Hunan countryside, and tries to get to the bottom of Mao Zedong's legacy in contemporary China.

* Brazil with Michael Palin (2012)

Brazil in the 21st century has become a global player. With a booming economy and massive social changes, there is a swagger to this once-sleeping giant, but what do we know of it apart from football and carnival? Michael Palin has travelled across most of the globe over the years, but never to Brazil. In this four-part series he crosses the country as big as a continent to find out what makes it tick.

Part 1: Out of Africa
The seasoned traveller explores the South American country, beginning in the north-east - where Europeans first landed and grew rich on the profits from sugar and tobacco plantations run with slave labour. In Sao Luis, Michael finds out about a ceremony based on a 200-year-old tale before heading to the coastal lagoons of the Lencois Maranhenses National Park. Journeying inland, he gets a glimpse of the fast-disappearing world of old-style cowboys known as vaqueiros, has his fortune read by a Candomble priest and learns to drum with the Olodum cultural collective.

Part 2: Into Amazonia
The Python star continues his first visit to Brazil by travelling by river from the northern border with Venezuela to the capital of Brasilia. Along the way he visits indigenous tribe the Yanomami, learning about the threat to their hunter-gatherer way of life, before watching a rehearsal by the Amazon Philharmonic Orchestra and searching for the remains of Henry Ford's unsuccessful attempt to build a vast rubber plantation in the middle of the rainforest. In Belem, music producer Priscilla explains why Amazonian women are such powerful forces, then he moves southwards, meeting rock star and political activist Dinho Ouro Preto, who believes that despite its social and environmental problems, the country is on the brink of becoming a superpower.

Part 3: The Road to Rio
Michael begins the third leg of his journey in the mineral-rich state of Minas Gerais, where he learns about the Brazilian mining industry and meets some of the people dedicated to overturning the environmental damage it causes. He then heads to Rio de Janeiro, focus of the next World Cup and Olympics, where the authorities are ridding the streets of violent drug gangs that have controlled the city's shanty towns. On a lighter note, the globe-trotting broadcaster also learns to celebrate a goal like a well-known radio commentator and visits a "love hotel".

Part 4: The Deep South
On the last leg of his journey across the South American country, Michael explores the Brazilian south, where he is surprised by the rich diversity of European and Asian influences. Along the way he meets Dom Joao de Orleans e Braganca, second in line of succession to Brazil's defunct throne, goes flying with a man who has made a fortune out of rubbish and meets rap star Criolo, who believes social equality is a distant dream for most of his countrymen. Travelling farther south to Blumenau, the former Python's views on what makes a typical Brazilian are challenged when he finds German speakers and Bavarian dancers, before he catches piranha for sushi and helps cowboys treat a calf attacked by a jaguar.

* Behind Closed Doors at Marriott (2012)

CNBC goes behind the scenes to tell the story of one of the largest hotel empires in the world. Marriott International spans 74 countries, 3700 properties, and 18 brands – from Courtyard to Marriott to Ritz-Carlton – and pulls off the massive feat of housing and feeding guests in more than 645,000 rooms each night. With extraordinary behind-the-scenes access, the documentary will explore the strange science of hotel pricing, explain why guests can pay wildly different prices for comparable rooms and profile an executive chef as he prepares a banquet for 2000 people. CNBC cameras examine the Ritz-Carlton's obsessive culture of customer service, and travel to India to witness Marriott's shrewd expansion into the developing world – all part of the story of an American, family-run dynasty that's thrived by walking the line between playing it safe and taking some calculated and hugely successful risks.

* Bavaria a Dream Trip (2012)

Whoever knows Germany, knows that Bavarians (like me) are a little different from the other Germans. One one side very traditional, on the other hand forward looking, always trying to combine modern times with the good ol'times. Josef Vilsmeier - like every Bavarian - loves his homeland, and so he just wants to depict his homeland in a cinematic way. He spent dozens of hours in a helicopter over Bavaria, only shortly interrupted by short pauses in which he shows images of a few larger cities or certain points of interest or to show images of typical Bavarian tradition, and watching the beautiful images, they are simply great and show the beauty of our homeland. But still - a lot of things are missing, and some of the text spoken by the director himself leave a foul taste.... To the things missing: there are almost no informations to Bavarian history. The traditions shown in the film are mainly catholic Christian traditions, besides, there is a lot more in Bavaria than the Oktoberfest. There is a clear dominance to the city of Munich (more than a fourth of the film), which is the hometown of the director, but Bavaria is definitely not only Munich! And, two of the more peripheral regions of the country of Bavaria are only mentioned very shortly, typical for the pure Bavarian, that considers himself somehow to be in the middle of everything. And this is where the film and some of the director's remarks leave a bad taste: he mentions Bavaria to be the ;Land with the most economic power in Europe;the best of the world; come on, I am a Bavarian, but mainly, I'm German! Germany is a independent country, not Bavaria, it's just a part of Germany. And Germany - like all countries - has other beautiful places as well. A certain patriotism is good, but I personally despise this strong feeling of ;Bavarian supremacy;. In conclusion: beautiful pictures, no equilibrium in documentation, lack of historic details, other people of Bavaria than the dominating Bavarians and Frankonians clearly underrepresented. And someone outside Bavaria will definitely be disgusted by this tone of Bavarian supremacy. At school the teacher would say: insufficient work, Grade E (or Note 5 in Germany), sit down.

* Arabia: A Story of the Golden Ages (2011)

Takes viewers deep into an exotic land steeped in 2,000 years of ancient history and unique customs not found anywhere else in the world. As if on a magic carpet ride across this desert kingdom, audiences will discover the lost city of Madain Saleh, explore its ancient tombs, travel with a camel caravan along the early frankincense trade route, survive a desert sandstorm, dive the coral reefs and shipwrecks of the Red Sea, experience the warmth of the world-famous Beduoin hospitality, and join in the annual hajj pilgrimage, where 2 million Muslims gather in Meccah in the single largest gathering of people on Earth. They will also discover modern day Arabia, which finds itself in the midst of monumental change.