Despite the Covid-enforced shutdown of much TV production for several months, 2020 somehow still managed to be a vintage year for high-end viewing. And the holiday season is the ideal time to catch up on the gems you missed. From sneakers to striped cats, and NBA all-stars to the world’s greatest naturalist, this is our selection of this year’s 10 must-see documentaries.

Sky/HBO, February

Refreshingly, a true-crime documentary without the lurid sensationalism. This pacy retelling of the McDonald’s Monopoly promotion scam, which defrauded the burger behemoth of a fortune, is a rip-roaring romp. Motormouthed FBI agent Mr Doug Mathews is up there for best TV character of the year.

Netflix, March

Undisputed hit of the spring lockdown, even though we weren’t allowed near watercoolers to discuss it obsessively. This belief-beggaring true-crime tale about gay, gun-toting zookeeper Mr Joe Exotic reassured us that our lives were still relatively sane after all.

ESPN/Netflix, April

With all-areas access to the Chicago Bulls during Mr Michael Jordan’s swansong season, this definitive deep dive painted a grimly compelling portrait of basketball’s best ever team. It was also a remarkable insight into the near-sociopathic nature of sporting greatness. Nice 1990s nostalgia vibes, too.

BBC/Sky, July

Succession fans could ease their withdrawal symptoms with this gossipy three-parter that went back to the source material – the rollercoaster story of media mogul Mr Rupert Murdoch, his frightening influence on global politics and the battle for power between his children.

BBC/PBS/Amazon, July

In this precisely crafted five-part series from Mr James Bluemel, people involved on both sides of the 2003 invasion simply tell their stories with unflinching honesty. A sobering, occasionally even poetic, masterpiece about the harrowing realties of modern warfare and its aftermath.

BBC/YouTube/Amazon, October

Who knew a film about sneakers could be so heartbreaking? The second entry on our list related to Mr Michael Jordan is Mr Yemi Bamiro’s richly intelligent documentary about the Air Jordan phenomenon, which explores the iconic sneaker’s socio-economic, cultural and racial significance. 

Netflix, October

At the mighty age of 94, beloved naturalist Sir David Attenborough is showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, he’s speeding up. This moving film found him mapping how dramatically Earth’s biodiversity has diminished over his lifetime.

Netflix, October

Director Ms Kirsten Johnson pointed the camera at her dementia-suffering father, Richard, and portrayed ways in which he could die. She even had him act out his own funeral. A love letter meets a therapy session, it’s blackly comic, brilliantly imaginative and, ultimately, a celebration of life.

HBO/Amazon, October

The Talking Heads frontman and polymathic powerhouse teamed up with director Mr Spike Lee for this cathartic, magical and joyously uplifting Broadway concert movie. Both a musical masterclass and an exhilaratingly playful piece of filmmaking. 

Amazon/Apple TV/Sky, November

From his 1966 World Cup heroics for England to almost being canonised as the manager of Ireland, Mr Jack Charlton’s footballing story was poignantly juxtaposed with his dementia later in life. This affectionate film was lent even more power and poignancy when Big Jack died before its release.