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December 18, 2020
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From a pandemic to protests to the polls, 2020 has been a year of turmoil.
FRONTLINE has kept on filming throughout, often in new ways, and has doubled down on asking tough questions in pursuit of the truth.
Over the past 12 months, the documentary series has released 25 new films investigating everything from Amazon’s growth and dominance, to China’s crackdown on Muslims, to the rise of conspiracy theories in American politics, to why the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. became the deadliest in the world.
As this extraordinary year draws to a close, we’ve collected a list of the 10 new FRONTLINE documentaries that earned the most streams in 2020* and have published them here in one place, for easy viewing. To find out which documentaries made this year’s most-streamed list and what ground they cover, read on. All 10 documentaries are available to stream on-demand below, as well as on the PBS Video App and on YouTube.
More to explore: Read an update on what has happened to several people featured in the documentary since it first aired.
More to explore: Learn what kinds of plastic can be recycled easily and what types rarely are — despite bearing the iconic chasing-arrows icon.
More to explore: Watch a short documentary about a New York City nurse whose family members contracted the coronavirus.
More to explore: Learn about how conspiracy theorists have tapped into race and racism to further their message.
More to explore: Review 10 key takeaways from the investigation.
More to explore: See the latest numbers on how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted poverty in America.
More to explore: Listen to a conversation with correspondent Miles O’Brien as he began reporting on the pandemic.
More to explore: Pore over 47 extended interviews from the making of the documentary, as part of FRONTLINE’s ongoing Transparency Project.
More to explore: Read nearly 40 conversations with sources from the documentary, some with video interviews, as part of FRONTLINE’s ongoing Transparency Project.
More to explore: Delve into interviews with current and former Amazon insiders as part of FRONTLINE’s ongoing Transparency Project and read 10 key takeaways from the investigation.
Stream hundreds more FRONTLINE documentaries online, on-demand and on the PBS Video App. Explore past years’ most-streamed films of 2019, 2018 and 2017. And watch your way through our all-time most-streamed documentaries on YouTube.* Of the FRONTLINE films that premiered in 2020, this list represents those with the most streams, total, between the PBS video player and YouTube combined and was accurate as of press time. Streaming numbers were combined for two-part documentaries.
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Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; Park Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. Web Site Copyright ©1995-2025 WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.