The Best TV Shows on ZDFinfo

In 2014, Germany television network ZDF commissioned a comprehensive TV documentary on the history of the Red Army Faction (RAF). In six 45-minute parts, the series describes the origins, rise, and fall of the terrorist organization "Red Army Faction." Interviewees include Winfried Ridder, former head of department at the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution; Rainer Hofmeyer, former head of department at the Federal Criminal Police Office; and political scientist Dr. Wolfgang Kraushaar.

In 1970, near the Ukrainian village of Chernobyl, a utopia was born: the world's largest nuclear power plant. Its inhabitants, chosen for their talent and faith in the future, lived a dream that was shattered on April 26, 1986, when the technologically obsolete plant exploded, causing thousands of victims.

The Maya Civilization has baffled historians for centuries with its unprecedented prowess in Math, Astronomy, and Engineering. All that was left of the Maya seemed to only be the ruins of giant pyramids, but the most recent discoveries from archaeological excavations reveal much more: lost citadels in the Guatemalan jungle found around Tikal, a sacred cenote at Chichen Itza, and underground network of tunnels discovered at Teotihuacan. How were these ancient people able to build such structure, and what was their purpose? With the development and implication of new technologies (Lidar system and electrical resistivity tomography), we will try to answer the questions raised by these megastructures of stone. Through detailed CGI reconstitution, this series brings to life the Maya people, their gods, and the long lost secrets of their way of life.

Recounts the tumultuous history of Cuba, a nation of foreign conquest, freedom fighters and Cold War political machinations.

Using extensive research, this five-part docuseries takes a comprehensive look at Francisco Franco's turbulent, decades-long regime.

Explores the Third Reich from a contemporary perspective to investigate how the Nazis managed to conquer Germany and then half of Europe in the wake of World War I.

Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, we have not finished accounting for the destruction of Europe's Jewish population. One question remains today: not why, but how was the Shoah possible?

Treasures of the Earth: Gems, Metals, and Power is a 3-part series that will take us on a journey deep inside Earth to uncover the mysteries of how these treasures were created, and to explore how they have allowed humankind to progress and build our great civilizations. But even as that quest continues, we are discovering that some of our treasures may soon run out or have unintended consequences that bring new perils. Can our ancient treasures reveal new secrets that will help us solve the problems we face today?

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, reshaped the world far beyond the day itself. The ensuing “War on Terror” transformed warfare and intelligence operations, expanded surveillance and the use of drones, and raised fundamental questions about torture, human rights and the rule of law. At the same time, 9/11 fuelled racism, radicalisation and conspiracy theories, while contributing to growing distrust in political institutions and the media. From the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and Guantánamo to the rise of right-wing populism and increasing political and social division, the long-term consequences of 9/11 continue to shape global politics and society today.