20 episodes
Is It True That...? - The year 2026
First aired Jan 7, 2026Season 2
Browse all 20 episodes in this season, including available images, air dates, runtimes, ratings and episode summaries from TMDB.
Episodes
Episode 1
...The principle of "an eye for an eye" used to apply?
Jan 7, 202623 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 2
...Raw materials really make countries richer?
Jan 14, 202622 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 3
...Witch hunts began as early as the Middle Ages?
Jan 21, 202625 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 4
...Only silk was transported on the Silk Road?
Feb 18, 202624 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 5
...The Past Was Less Violent?
Feb 25, 202621 min
Destruction, terror, war: It seems that there has never been more violence than in the world today. But what can we learn from history? Was there really less violence in the past?
Episode 6
...There was less paperwork in the past?
Mar 4, 202620 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 7
...Slavery was abolished for moral reasons?
Mar 11, 202625 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 8
...Global trade does make us richer?
Mar 18, 202624 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 9
...The dog has always been man's best friend?
Mar 25, 202624 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 10
...humans have always experienced intoxication?
Apr 1, 202625 min
Is drug-induced intoxication a new phenomenon – emerging in a pleasure-seeking society that knows no bounds? Discoveries of drug artifacts thousands of years old raise doubts. Intoxication seems to have been used in many cultures for spiritual insights and social rituals. Why, then, are most drugs illegal today?
Episode 11
...Columbus was the first to cross an ocean?
Apr 8, 202624 min
To this day, Columbus is considered the first person to have crossed an ocean. But archaeology, genetics, and indigenous knowledge systems tell a different story: Polynesians, Vikings, and even early humans reached distant continents long before him. Why do we remember Columbus—and not them?
Episode 12
...dirndls and lederhosen are quintessentially Bavarian?
Apr 15, 202624 min
Traditions seem ancient—but many are invented, politically dictated, or shaped by modern tourism. This documentary traces the origins of traditions from Bavaria through France to Georgia, showing how customs create identity, secure power, or foster community. And it asks: If traditions are invented, why don't we simply create new ones ourselves?
Episode 13
...all African countries were European colonies?
Apr 22, 202625 min
Africa is often considered a continent entirely colonized by Europeans – although large parts of it remained independent until the 19th century. So what was it really like? This documentary tells the story of Leopold II's reign of terror in the Congo, of African-American colonizers in Liberia, and of the Ethiopian victory at Adwa. It shows just how multifaceted Africa's history truly was.
Episode 14
...there is no progress without war?
Apr 29, 202625 min
GPS, space travel, industrial fertilizer production: they all arose under military pressure. Wars accelerate decisions, pool resources, and drive innovation. But they also destroy knowledge, societies, and lives. Is it possible, then, to achieve progress without extreme violence?
Episode 15
...the modern age began with the printing press?
May 6, 202622 min
The myth sounds seductive: Johannes Gutenberg invents printing – and suddenly the Reformation, the scientific revolution, and the Enlightenment begin. A single machine is said to have triggered an entire era. But historical reality is far more complex. From Chinese prototypes to conservative early printing presses, to Luther and global knowledge networks, it was the interplay of many forces that gave the printed word its historical power.
Episode 16
...tourism was invented thanks to the railway?
May 13, 202621 min
Did tourism originate with the railway? Pilgrimages were important precursors – but it was romantic notions of nature and the expansion of infrastructure that created the necessary conditions. Politics and media staging ultimately shaped mass travel as we know it: tourism arises when longing finds structure.
Episode 17
...The Gap Between Rich and Poor Has Never Been Bigger?
May 20, 202623 min
Are the rich today richer than ever? This episode shows how the gap between rich and poor has developed over the millennia: From the first states, through the slave trade and industrialisation, to globalised trade and neo-liberal politics. How did the rich get richer? And can the trend be reversed?
Episode 18
...we have always been addicted to sugar?
May 27, 202626 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
No episode image
Episode 19
...the super-rich have made the world a better place?
Jun 3, 202626 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
No episode image
Episode 20
...we have always enjoyed gaming?
Jun 10, 202623 min
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.