The 25 best shows to stream on Discovery+ (2024)

90 Day Fiancé (2014–present)

Catfishing, breakups, makeups, proposals, lies, love, hate, and, of course, Big Ed. With all the caveats that come with love and internet dating, 90 Day Fiancé and all its spinoff shows make for great entertainment. The majority of the 90 Day Fiancé universe shows engaged couples in long-distance relationships as they meet in person for the first time and decide if their compatibility holds up in the real world.

As TLC's most-watched franchise, 90 Day Fiancé clings to our human optimism (as we hope for the best) and our natural love of chaos (as we await the inevitable train wreck). Each season introduces a cast of characters whose romantic endeavors you either root for, laugh at, or despise. Feel free to call it a guilty pleasure if that makes you feel better about yourself, but there's no denying that these shows are captivating. —Briana Richert

Where to watch 90 Day Fiancé: Discovery+

Cast: Shaun Robinson

Alone (2015–present)

History Channel's Alone challenges ten professional survivalists to endure the wilderness for as long as possible with limited resources and complete isolation. In separate parts of a remote location, the contestants try their best to stay safe (and sane) to beat out the competition for the $500,000 prize. This show is like Survivor's rugged older brother who has undoubtedly been through some trauma. The survivalists face intense weather, wildlife predators, and other life-threatening obstacles throughout each episode.

While the game seems like a nightmare to extroverts and those dependent on modern luxuries, Alone provides its viewers with practical survival knowledge and encourages introspection in a world overwhelmed with media distractions. In a conversation with EW's Mike Miller, Alone season 8 winner Clay Hayes says that "one of the biggest benefits of doing something like this is you get undistracted time to look inward and think about yourself." —B.R.

Where to watch Alone: Discovery+

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–2012)

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations is so much more than a food and travel show. Like everything Anthony Bourdain touched, his worldview — expressed in commentary and through his interactions with food and people — was one of empathy, curiosity, and connection. His show maintains a similar mission statement. Over the course of nine seasons, spread out across seven years, Bourdain travels domestically and internationally, educating his audience and himself about cuisines and culture.

As EW’s critic notes while memorializing the chef after his death in 2018, Bourdain never “spoke of food in a vacuum. When a 2006 trip to Beirut landed him and his crew in the crossfire of a very real war, he returned with No Reservations four years later, recalling his heartbreak at seeing shell bombs and rockets fall on a city only recently freed from Syrian occupation.” —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: Discovery+

Cast: Anthony Bourdain

Chopped Junior (2015–2019)

Chopped Junior is excellent entertainment, provided you don’t mind ending each episode feeling hungry and culinarily inadequate. Hosted by Ted Allen, the show invites a slew of adolescent chefs into the kitchen where they compete for $10,000 and a Chopped Junior chef’s coat. The Chopped spinoff ran for nine seasons between 2015 and 2019, and, in keeping with the franchise, features prodigious, young chefs making inventive meals from mystery ingredients.

A wonderful option for parents looking to sneakily trick their children into becoming interested in cooking, Chopped Junior is a great reminder of the old internet adage that no matter what it is you’re good at, somewhere in the world there’s a child doing it 100 times better than you ever could. —I.G.

Where to watch Chopped Junior: Discovery+

Cast: Ted Allen

Deadliest Catch (2005–present)

Nearly two decades back, audiences first set sail to the dicey waters of the Alaskan coast on the Bering Sea, where crab fishermen gambled their lives for their life's passion and a paycheck. And 16 Emmys later, the documentary-style series has chronicled the harrowing adventures of various vessels and their intrepid crews across the October king crab and January snow crab seasons — battling boat collisions, power outages, 40-foot waves, and beyond. While these teams are under pressure of high-stakes competition among their fellow fishermen, Deadliest Catch eschews contrived drama as Mother Nature provides enough organic thrill, but what truly reels in viewers is the rapport among these seafarers and the eclectic subplots of rookie deckhands finding their footing. —James Mercadante

Where to watch Deadliest Catch: Discovery+

Cast: Mike Rowe, Sig Hansen, Keith Colburn, Jake Anderson

Dr. Pimple Popper (2018–present)

"Once you pop, the fun don't stop" is technically Pringles' tagline, but the same applies to the TLC reality show Dr. Pimple Popper. Dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee started attracting attention as a YouTuber, but her treatments of patients' unusual — and often disgusting — skin conditions attracted such a large following, her content demanded a larger platform. Lee's hour-long reality show began airing on TLC in 2018 and continues to be a huge draw for the network.

From lipomas and cysts to keloids and tumors, Lee tackles them all with professionalism and a seemingly imperturbable gag reflex. The shooting spurts of goo, pus, and assorted bodily fluids are definitely not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, but for those who enjoy watching an expert pop pimples, lance boils, and generally improve the quality of her patients' lives, Dr. Pimple Popper is sure to deliver. — I.G.

Where to watch Dr. Pimple Popper: Discovery+

EW grade: B (read the review)

Cast: Dr. Sandra Lee

Evil Lives Here (2016–present)

This Investigation Discovery show will delight true crime fanatics but may debilitate those with trust issues. Evil Lives Here details horrific crime stories told from the perspective of the criminal's closest friends and family. With documentary-style interviews, reenactments, and photo and video footage of the criminals themselves, the show paints a terrifying picture of what it's like to live with a real-world monster.

From serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy to high-profile cult leaders like Warren Jeffs to lesser-known case files, Evil Lives Here explores the backgrounds of disturbed individuals before they committed such terrible crimes. Their relatives or former spouses share when they encountered or saw early signs of their loved one's malevolence. Both chilling and heartbreaking, this show proves that evil can lurk anywhere, even in the people we think we know best. —B.R.

Where to watch Evil Lives Here: Discovery+

Fixer Upper (2013–2018)

Much thanks to the design duo powerhouse Chip and Joanna Gaines, the rustic-chic, modern farmhouse vibe has had its chokehold on Millennial homeowners and Targets everywhere. With their hit HGTV reality series, the fix-it team utilized their remodeling business in Waco, Texas, and their less-is-more approach to breathing new life into more than 100 homes — swapping bold colors for monochrome neutrals; cluttered spaces for airy, light-filled rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows; and wedging in a few faux plants as accent details. After it wrapped up its final season on HGTV in 2017, Fixer Upper was revived on the Gaines' very own Magnolia Network, along with Fixer Upper: Welcome Home and various spin-offs like Fixer Upper: The Castle and Fixer Upper: The Hotel. Long live the beige aesthetic! —J.M.

Where to watch Fixer Upper: Discovery+

Cast: Chip Gaines, Joanna Gaines

Ghost Adventures (2008–present)

Dust off your sage and keep your local exorcist on speed dial because, after this show, you might want to do a cautionary spirit cleansing. Ghost Adventures follows Zak Bagans, a paranormal investigator with notoriously bedazzled jeans, as he and his crew hunt for supernatural activity in the world's creepiest destinations. From the Civil War battlegrounds of Gettysburg to the birthplace of the fearsome Dracula in Transylvania, this Travel Channel show proves that Bagans and his team shy away from no haunted location.

The show explores the mysteries of the afterlife with high-tech equipment and overviews of the rich histories of some of the world's most tragic deaths. All of their ghost encounters are certainly up for debate, but it does make you question the tangibility of the afterlife. If nothing else, it educates you about the history of the towns they explore and adds context to some of the most famous horror stories like Dracula and The Exorcist. —B.R.

Where to watch Ghost Adventures: Discovery+

Cast: Zak Bagans

Guy's Grocery Games (2014–2020)

Guy Fieri hosts this Food Network grocery store game show where chefs compete in three cook-off challenges for a $20,000 grand prize. A viewing experience that will simultaneously get your adrenaline pumping and your mouth watering, Guy's Grocery Games is less like the cutthroat Chopped competition and more like a game you'd want to play with your family — yes, even if you suck at cooking. It is lighthearted and playful with exciting challenges involving refrigerator magnets, oddball ingredient combos, and shopping carts that the contestants speed down the aisles like they're in the Indy 500.

Fieri is an affable host, the meals look exquisite, and sometimes your favorite TV chefs (Jet Tila, Anne Burrell, and more) take on the game. It is a blast to join these hyper-talented chefs as they create culinary miracles out of grocery store finds. —B.R.

Where to watch Guy's Grocery Games: Discovery+

Cast: Guy Fieri

House Hunters (1999–present)

This classic HGTV franchise takes you on house tours with prospective homebuyers and their realtors as they try to find the perfect place to put in an offer. Around the globe, from tiny houses to million-dollar mega-villas, House Hunters provides a spectacle of home architecture and design as well as insight into the home-buying process. If you wish they would take the whole construction part out of home design shows, then this series is for you. Discovery+ hosts a treasure trove of House Hunters spinoffs, so there is pretty much a version for everyone's taste.

In an interview with EW, former HGTV executive Brian Balthazar calls the show "real estate comfort food." Considering the format, which involves touring three different houses and weighing the pros and cons of each, Balthazar says, "You really feel like you are on this house hunt yourself." —B.R.

Where to watch House Hunters: Discovery+

Cast: Suzanne Whang, Colette Whitaker

How It's Made (2001–2019)

Sometimes, an oh-so-literal title is all it takes to pique a curious mind. For 18 years, this Science Channel docuseries spent more than 400 episodes examining the origins of everyday objects. While some installments tackled the basics like cooking supplies, automobiles, and food, others threw curveballs such as dissecting the inner workings of 3-D commercial signs, false teeth, cuckoo clocks, and more.

With different narrators lending their voices across various editions, How It's Made offers digestible nuggets of knowledge that would please the shortest of attention spans. —J.M.

Where to watch How It's Made: Discovery+

Cast: Mark Tewksbury, Lynn Herzeg, June Wallack, Lynne Adams, Brooks Moore, Zac Fine

How the Universe Works (2010–present)

The Discovery Channel has long attracted viewers with a curious bent, but in their documentary television show How the Universe Works, the network gets down to the science of what really matters: the creation of the universe as we know it. From the tiniest atom to the deepest black hole, How the Universe Works features 11 seasons of expert explanations and explorations into how we got here, breaking down topics large (solar systems, dark matter, nebulas) and small (the birth of Earth, and how the universe built your car).

Accessible to viewers of all ages and levels of scientific literacy, How the Universe Works takes the topics you learned about in school — and promptly forgot — and churns out episodes featuring compelling, memorable, and easy-to-retain content. If you don't already know How the Universe Works, it might be time to find out. —I.G.

Where to watch How the Universe Works: Discovery+

Cast: Mike Rowe, Erik Todd Dellums

I Am Shauna Rae (2022–present)

Childhood brain cancer stunted the growth of 22-year-old Shauna Rae, who now stands at the average height of an 8-year-old. This TLC human interest show chronicles Shauna's day-to-day life as she navigates adulthood, her health, and the public's ignorance toward her 3-foot 10-inch height. TLC is known for opening doors (and minds) to people and livelihoods outside the so-called "norm."

In this show, we watch Shauna participate in average, age-appropriate activities like going to bars and navigating the murky waters of online dating as she struggles to achieve independence and respect from a world that sees her as a child. Not only is Shauna's life and sassy attitude entertaining, but she reminds her audience of their own differences and how we should reserve our judgments and show common decency to people of all sizes. —B.R.

Where to watch I Am Shauna Rae: Discovery+

Cast: Shauna Rae

Married at First Sight (2014–present)

Arranged marriages go modern in Married at First Sight, a reality series where relationship experts get to play matchmaker by creating couples with the understanding the two will get married immediately upon meeting each other. A social experiment based on a Danish series that aired a year before the US show premiered in 2014, Married at First Sight's team of experts includes everyone from clinical psychologists and sexologists to sociologists and marriage counselors.

The series moves to a different location within the continental United States with every season and after eight weeks together, the couples are given the option to remain married or seek a divorce. The show boasts around a 20-percent success rate — pretty good odds both in love and reality TV. —I.G.

Where to watch Married at First Sight: Discovery+

Cast: Pepper Schwartz, Calvin Roberson, Viviana Coles, Jessica Griffin

MythBusters (2003–2016)

When it comes to determining the veracity of superstitions and local legends, there's no duo more committed than the MythBusters. Throughout the show's 296 episodes, a pair of special effects experts and their staff work to prove or disprove the common myths that haunt our everyday lives.

From testing to see if banana peels are really as slippery as comedies make them out to be to proving that Jack and Rose both could have survived the Titanic sinking if she had just made some more room on that door, these hardworking hosts and their team of artists, metal workers, and robotics experts helped make the show one of the Discovery Channel's tentpole series during its 13-year run. When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Mythbusters! —I.G.

Where to watch MythBusters: Discovery+

Cast: Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Kari Byron, Tory Bellici, Grant Imahara, Scottie Chapman, Jessi Combs, Jon Lung, Brian Louden, Bisi Ezerioha, Faye Hadley

Naked and Afraid (2013–present)

An exercise in extreme vulnerability, the American reality series Naked and Afraid pairs two survivalist strangers, strips them down to nothing, and drops them in the wilderness to survive for three weeks. Now in season 17, each episode of Naked and Afraid follows a different couple as they meet for the first time (naked), attempt to feed themselves and evade wild animals (naked), and ultimately arrive at an extraction point at the end of their 21-day journey (still naked).

Survivalists are allowed one helpful item, but are given no help from the camera crews that are there to document their progress — although they are given the option of tapping out for medical or emotional reasons. A cross between Alone and Dating Naked, the show is unpredictable, captivating, and filled with opportunities to pick up survival tips. —I.G.

Where to watch Naked and Afraid: Discovery+

Cast: Michael Brown

Pawn Stars (2009–present)

Everyone loves a treasure hunt, and in the History Channel's reality series Pawn Stars, little trinkets can pay off tenfold. The show follows the owners and employees of Las Vegas' World-Famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, a family-owned business focused on authenticating and purchasing valuable artifacts from everyday people.

Featuring context and commentary about the different pieces brought in and evaluated, the show also focuses on the interpersonal relationships between its colorful cast, and the conflicts that arise between the employees and the sellers when the two don't see eye to eye on an object's value. A series that will have you exploring your local thrift store with fresh eyes, Pawn Stars helps put a price tag on history. —I.G.

Where to watch Pawn Stars: Discovery+

Cast: Rick Harrison, Richard "Old Man" Harrison, Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison, Austin "Chumlee" Russell

Planet Earth (2006)

Developed over half a decade, this wildlife miniseries — lauded with four Emmys and a Peabody Award — traverses the diverse landscapes of our planet. From the harsh climates of the Arctic tundra to the lush jungles of South America and the uncharted depths of the ocean, the series unveils the natural world's most captivating wonders across 11 episodes, each providing a behind-the-scenes peek into its production challenges. Narrated by the venerable David Attenborough in the BBC version and the incomparable Sigourney Weaver in the Discovery Channel edition, Planet Earth treats audiences with its high-tech, cutting-edge visuals that encompass both the grandeur and subtleties of Mother Earth. —J.M.

Where to watch Planet Earth: Discovery+

Cast: David Attenborough, Sigourney Weaver

Say Yes to the Dress (2007–present)

Though most of us aren't the ones saying "I do," it's hard not to get caught up in some armchair fashion commentary as we watch brides scour for their dream dresses, with price tags ranging from $1,000 to $40,000. Inside the glamorous walls of Kleinfeld Bridal — one of the world's bougiest bridal salons — a crew of more than 250 experts pull out all the stops to measure up to the bride's fairy-tale fantasies. And as the almost-newlywed hunts for the perfect gown, Say Yes to the Dress serves a binge-worthy docuseries that serves up both a fashion makeover and a glimpse behind the veil into her family dynamics. —J.M.

Where to watch Say Yes to the Dress: Discovery+

Cast: Mara Urshel, Ronald Rothstein, Randy Fenoli, Dorothy Silver, Nicole Sacco, Nitsa Glezelis, Joan Roberts

Storage Wars (2010–2023)

Treasure hunters and thrift lovers will find a worthy obsession in Storage Wars, a reality competition series about what happens to abandoned storage units. Originally set in California, local law dictates that after three months of not paying for a locker, owners forfeit their rights to its contents, which then go up for auction. The series follows the professional buyers who bid on these lots, often with little insight as to what might be inside.

After the auction ends, the winner combs through their winnings, itemizing the value of what’s inside and crossing their fingers that the gamble pays off. A reality show that crosses the appraising spirit of Pawn Stars with the reality of disgusting lockers, Storage Wars now has Season 14 and 15 available to stream on Discovery+. —I.G.

Where to watch Storage Wars: Discovery+

Cast: Dave Hester, Darrell Sheets, Brandon Sheets, Jarrod Schulz, Brandi Passante, Barry Weiss, Dan Dotson, Laura Dotson

This Is Life With Lisa Ling (2014–2022)

Lisa Ling is traveling the country — and taking CNN’s audiences along with her. A journalist known for investigating America’s most interesting and least-known subcultures, Ling uses her show to find a fresh way to introduce different types of Americans to each other.

Described as an “edgier” version of Ling’s former OWN series, Our America, the first season of This Is Life With Lisa Ling sees Ling digging into — among other things — the worlds of North Dakota’s booming oil industry, traveling strippers, gay rodeos, and men who feel called to priesthood. With nine seasons currently available to stream on Discovery+, This Is Life With Lisa Ling is a reminder that America’s diversity extends far beyond racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines. —I.G.

Where to watch This Is Life With Lisa Ling: Discovery+

Cast: Lisa Ling

Trixie Motel (2022)

In this Discovery+ original series, drag superstar Trixie Mattel and her partner David renovate a rundown motel in hopes of transforming it into a bold and fabulous Palm Springs getaway. With the help of skilled designers and some of Trixie's famous friends (Zooey Deschanel, Nicole Byer, Leslie Jordan, and more), the Trixie Motel steadily goes from drab to fab one room at a time.

This show is a mix of hilarity, fashion, and stylistic construction coupled with the humorous wit of a drag show and the architectural glamor of a Barbie Dreamhouse on steroids. As Trixie says in her interview with EW, "...it's like going to sleep in an art installation. It makes every other hotel look like four walls and a bed." Trixie Motel brings a much-needed pop of color to Discovery+'s usual lineup of renovation shows. —B.R.

Where to watch Trixie Motel: Discovery+

Cast: Trixie Mattel, David Silver, Brandon Lim, Dani Dazey, David Rios

Undercover Underage (2021–2023)

There are only two seasons of ID's docuseries Undercover Underage, but every episode still packs a punch. Led by child advocate Roo Powell, the show follows her nonprofit SOSA (Safe From Online Sex Abuse) and its decoy work aimed at identifying and arresting pedophilic predators.

Aided by other adult women who pose as underage girls online to collect information on potential abusers, Roo and her team work alongside law enforcement to apprehend the worst offenders among us. Taking a sensitive and informed approach to its delicate subject matter, Undercover Underage is a great show for parents looking to educate themselves about the dangers of online sexual abuse. —I.G.

Where to watch Undercover Underage: Discovery+

Cast: Roo Powell

Where We Call Home (2022)

Short attention span or just short on time? The Magnolia Network (founded by Chip and Joanna Gaines), which is available through Discovery+, has a few quick and comforting shows to squeeze into your limited timeframe. Where We Call Home runs around 10 minutes per episode and challenges our ideas on what types of buildings we can make homes out of. With families living in old churches, abandoned schoolhouses, and car dealerships, this short series proves that we can find "home" just about anywhere.

More importantly, you can build a home from just about anything. In this show, homeowners of the most unlikely houses give us a tour and a bit of background on how they transformed their space. It takes the age-old insult "Were you raised in a barn?" to a literal level. —B.R.

Where to watch Where We Call Home: Discovery+