Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the types of entertainment that most Americans consume on a daily basis. When I was younger, I totally fed into the popular cultures of entertainment; watching popular movies, reading popular fiction novels, and so on. After I got into college and started being exposed to various types of entertainment and media, I also began to see the value of nonfiction works in various forms of media. In spite of all the value that is infused within nonfiction works, I’ve found that most people tend to overlook these types of shows in favor of over-dramatized, entirely made up entertainment that has little to no real world value.

While I do see why someone might want to curl up in bed and watch The Real Housewives of Orange County rather than a show like Time of Death, which deals with an extremely serious reality instead of comedic issues, I think some of the nonfiction shows currently available on popular streaming sites such as Netflix and Hulu might surprise people. Here’s a short list of my top five favorite nonfiction shows currently on either Netflix or Hulu. While we may not have the same tastes in shows, I would recommend that you take a look and see if one of these shows might be something you’d be into.

1. Time of Death

This show makes number one on my list mainly because I think it offers an insider look that we don’t usually get as an audience. It’s a perspective that we as “normal” people typically try to avoid due to the nature of sadness surrounding this topic. "Time of Death" depicts the various perspectives of people, young and old, men and women, who are terminally ill and who are coming to terms with the fact that they’re dying.

While one might snarkily reply that we are all dying so it should make no difference, if you actually sit down and watch this show you will understand how that statement is entirely wrong. Dying from an unexpected cause or suddenly in old age is worlds different than dying from a terminal illness. While you may have time to “come to terms” with your death and may even know your last day when it arrives, it makes saying goodbye no easier and, to make matters even worse, you’re often in pain and suspense every moment until death actually takes you.

"Time of Death" is about more than being sick and more than people dying. It’s about the perspective of those who endure. Not only does it give the audience a look into the minds of the ill and fragile, it also hones in on the experiences of those closest to them and their processes of “coming to terms” with death. Definitely a must watch, but please do bring your tissue boxes.

2. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

I feel like my second choice on this list might surprise some people after reading all the shows that come after it. While there can be criticisms made about "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown"-- and trust me, there have been many-- I find that the overall enriching aspects of this show outweigh the negative commentary. In this series, chef Anthony Bordain travels the world exploring foods and cultures. The primary reasons for this show ranking so high on my list are the cultural aspects of varying countries and peoples, the portrayal of massive amounts of traditional and nontraditional dishes that most people would otherwise go their entire lives without hearing of, and the “underground” nature of each location that the show exposes. I also appreciate the historical facts that are discussed about each location outside of the topic of food.

While I do agree that the show tends to only depict the positive sides of each location and makes every country seem as though there are very limited issues, as well as the fact that Anthony Bourdain never seems to dislike a dish that he eats (which is literally impossible), I also have to commend the show and its host for traveling to locations that most people have negative associations with and are afraid to visit. This show opens up a plethora of new worlds and perspectives that are at once interesting and surprising. By traveling to cities that aren’t typically tourist hot spots, Anthony Bourdain spreads vast amounts of knowledge about local culture and traditions without exploiting them as most television shows do.

3. Survivorman

"Survivorman" is another one of those shows that some people might consider extremely cheesy. However, I highly enjoy this show due to it’s useful and informational nature as well as it’s relevance to actual survival situations that have already occurred. For example, the host and only character of the show, Les Stroud, decided to put himself into a survival situation in a forest in Oregon, USA. The particular forest that he chose was the very same forest that a family of three had become lost in for a total of six days. In order to understand what that situation was like and to demonstrate where that family went wrong and how to better your chances of survival, Les Stroud chose to enter into an extremely similar survival situation with two other people (both young females) who had little to no experience surviving in the wilderness.

My point by giving this example is that the host of "Survivorman" provides highly useful information by traveling to a wide variety of locations during various times of the year and surviving on his own, without any television crew, and with only items that almost any person who decides to venture into the wilderness would have. While filming the show he also gives out loads of facts about the location he’s in and the processes he undergoes. This one is definitely a must watch if you’re at all interested in the relatively unpopulated outdoors.

4. Lifestory

This show absolutely tugs at my heartstrings. "Lifestory" is a detailed non-fiction show that follows the lives of various families within different species of wildlife. As a vegan and a Buddhist, I must admit that I’m fairly biased on the topic of animal rights and animal quality of life. However, in my opinion, the value in this particular show is the perspective that we as an audience don’t typically see. This show not only follows animals and their families as they go through their lives, it also demonstrates that most animals are part of a much different existence than most of us would have thought. The point of this program is to demonstrate that humans aren’t the only species who live relatively complex and interesting lives, but many other species do as well. It’s not to attempt to get people to turn vegan or even vegetarian, it’s simply to attempt to get people to understand that so many other species have meaningful lives, too. It highlights the struggles, the joys, the anger, the pain, and the love involved in the lives of all these creatures that most of us don’t give any thought to.

When we see animals dead on the side of the road or when sad animal abuse videos pop on our Facebooks, most of the time we look away and attempt to pretend that we have no idea what is actually going on because it’s easier for us. As a species we tend to not like to be bothered; in general, we’re an extremely selfish breed that only recognizes worth when it’s convenient to us. In short, this isn’t about my own personal beliefs but is instead about the value of looking at those we typically ignore.

5. The Naked Archaeologist

Okay. I readily admit that I haven’t watched a ton of episodes of this particular show. In fact, I’ve only seen a few. In spite of this, "The Naked Archaeologist" has made my list because I think it’s an extremely interesting concept and involves information one wouldn’t typically seek out. This particular program didn’t actually last for long on television, but it did make the Hulu list for shows to air recently in spite of the fact that it was only filmed from 2005 to 2008. The host of this show is a relatively famous documentarian called Simcha Jacobovici, who documents his travels to a multitude of areas within the Middle Eastern region of the world in search of historical background behind Biblical stories that have become famous.

I know what you non-Christian readers are thinking: why would I want to watch a show that discusses stories that stem from a religion that I don’t believe in? Okay. Wait, hold on. As I previously stated in this article, I am a Buddhist. Not a Christian. Yet, I still enjoy this show. My senior English teacher in high school, an absolutely brilliant man (shout out to Mr. Orlando from Gregori High School), always told us that even if you weren’t Christian or Catholic, everyone should read the Bible simply for its literary and theoretical knowledge value. What I’m basically attempting to say is that you don’t have to be Christian-- or religious at all-- to find this show interesting. Its goal isn’t to convert you to Christianity, but instead to look at and research the historical facts behind the stories that evolved within the Bible. In fact, this show even proves that certain parts of each story could not have possibly been true based on the facts surrounding it. I suggest that you watch this show with an open mind and enjoy the gorgeous scenery and intriguing details behind the stories depicted in the literary work that is the Bible.

Happy viewing!