Most people think Discovery Plus is just a warehouse for people who yell at each other while looking for gold or getting married to strangers from different time zones. It's an easy trap to fall into. Honestly, if you only look at the trending tab, you'd think the entire human experience consists of 90-day visas and haunted houses. But that's not even half the story.
The reality is that best shows on discovery plus are often the ones buried under three layers of "recommended for you" algorithms. You have to dig. You have to know what you're looking for. Since the merger with Max, some folks think the standalone app is dying, but it’s actually where the deepest library of niche, high-quality non-fiction still breathes.
The Reality of the Best Shows on Discovery Plus
We need to talk about the "True Crime" problem first. Discovery Plus owns Investigation Discovery (ID), which is basically the Vegas of crime content—flashy, addictive, and sometimes a little much. But if you want the high-end stuff, you look for The Bakersfield 3. It’s a 2024-released docuseries that actually respects the victims. No cheesy reenactments with bad wigs here. It’s raw, it’s local, and it shows the actual investigative process without the Hollywood gloss.
Then there’s the nature side of things.
Everyone knows Planet Earth. It’s the GOAT. But if you’ve already seen David Attenborough explain a lizard’s life for the tenth time, check out Mammals (2025). It’s a fresh look at how our own biological "family" is surviving a planet that’s changing faster than they can evolve. The cinematography in the "Dark" episode—using next-gen thermal tech—is genuinely mind-blowing.
Why the 90 Day Universe is Unavoidable (and Which Parts Matter)
Look, we can't ignore the elephant in the room. The 90 Day Fiancé franchise is the engine that keeps the lights on at Discovery. But most of it is filler. If you want the actual "best" of this messy world, you stick to 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way.
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Why? Because it flips the script. Instead of Americans bringing people to the States, the Americans move abroad. Watching someone from suburban Ohio realize they can't have a 24-hour AC unit in a remote village in Ethiopia is the kind of ego-death that makes for great TV. It’s less about the "scam" and more about the culture shock, which feels a lot more human.
The Weird and the Wonderful: Niche Gems
If you aren't watching Ghost Adventures, are you even living? Okay, that's a joke, but Zak Bagans is a vibe you either love or hate. If you want something a bit more grounded in the paranormal space, Ghost Brothers: Lights Out is the way to go. It’s three friends who are actually funny, self-aware, and don't spend every second screaming at a dust mote in a basement.
- Deadliest Catch: Still the king of "job" TV. Season 20 and 21 have been brutal.
- Gold Rush: Stick with the main series; the spin-offs are hit or miss.
- Home Town: Ben and Erin Napier are the antidote to the "fast flip" HGTV culture.
The show Vantara: Sanctuary Stories is a newer addition that most people missed. It’s about the massive animal rescue project in India. It’s not your typical "zoo" show. It’s massive in scale and honestly pretty emotional if you’re into wildlife conservation.
Science and Survival that Doesn't Feel Like Homework
You've probably seen Naked and Afraid. It’s a classic. But Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing turned the survival show into a high-stakes competition. It’s basically The Hunger Games but with real bugs and no weapons. It shouldn't work, but the social dynamics are fascinating.
For the "Big Brain" viewers, How the Universe Works is still the gold standard. They updated a lot of the CGI recently to reflect the newest James Webb Space Telescope data. It makes the 2010 episodes look like they were filmed on a potato.
What Most People Miss
The library is huge. Like, "100,000 episodes" huge. The biggest mistake is staying on the home screen. If you go into the "Magnolia" section, you find Restoration Road with Clint Harp. It’s slow-paced. It’s quiet. It’s about old structures and the people who give a damn about them. In a world of loud reality TV, it’s a pallet cleanser.
True crime fans should also look at Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks. It’s uncomfortable. It features interviews with the actual perpetrators. It doesn't try to make them heroes, but it tries to understand the "why," which is a lot more interesting than just a police report.
Practical Steps for Your Watchlist
If you're starting a fresh subscription or just looking to refresh your queue, do this:
- Toggle the "Brand" tab: Instead of scrolling the "Featured" list, go directly to ID for crime, Discovery for adventure, or BBC for the high-end nature docs.
- Watch "The Bakersfield 3" first: It’s the most "prestige" thing they’ve put out recently.
- Check out the "A-Z" list: Sometimes the best international versions of shows (like 90 Day Fiancé UK) don't show up in the main feed for US users unless you hunt for them.
- Balance the "junk" with the "gems": Pair an episode of 90 Day with something like Planet Earth III so you don't feel like your brain is melting.
The best shows on discovery plus are the ones that actually make you feel something—whether that's awe at a nebula or the sheer secondary embarrassment of a failed airport proposal. Just don't let the algorithm choose for you.