Television series
Embarrassing Bodies
- Dip in and out
Embarrassing Bodies strips away the shame from the conditions nobody wants to talk about. Doctors examine real patients with genuine problems—skin complaints, sexual dysfunction, digestive issues—on camera, offering practical advice and reassurance. It's educational without being preachy, frank without cruelty, and genuinely useful if you've avoided seeking help for something you thought was weird or wrong.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy frank, unembarrassed factual television, where an awkward complaint gets a matter-of-fact look and a warm, light touch throughout.
Skip it if the format is repetitive by design, with a case-of-the-week rhythm that can feel samey if you come for drama rather than information.
What it asks of you: It asks for an hour per episode and a tolerance for close-up, unglamorous talk about bodies; it moves briskly and rarely lingers on anything for long.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
24 Hours in A&E2011
Real hospital drama with no script—genuine emergencies, genuine doctors, genuine stakes. You'll see the range of human crisis and the people who handle it with skill and unexpected gentleness.
But Some episodes feature serious injury or death. The repetition can blur together into a kind of overwhelming documentary fatigue.
Dr. Pimple Popper2018
Same impulse as Embarrassing Bodies but laser-focused: a dermatologist removes cysts, growths and skin problems. Satisfying, educational, oddly soothing. You'll learn about conditions you didn't know existed.
But If you have a weak stomach for medical footage, this will test it. Some people find it gross; others find it weirdly meditative. You're either in or you're out.
Queer Eye2018
Five experts rebuild people's lives—grooming, fashion, food, culture, emotional health. Like Embarrassing Bodies, it meets people where shame lives and dismantles it with warmth and practical skill.
But It can feel formulaic once you've seen a few episodes. And if you're cynical about transformation narratives, the optimism might feel forced.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Embarrassing Bodies
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Private Life2018
Both treat bodily dysfunction without shame but with full recognition of its emotional weight. Embarrassing Bodies offers help; Private Life offers witness to what help cannot always solve.
A couple's struggle with infertility and IVF, shot with brutal honesty about the body, desire, and what it costs to pursue parenthood. It shares Embarrassing Bodies' refusal to look away from bodily truth, but channels it through narrative grief.
But It's painful to watch. There's no reassuring doctor or happy fix. If you need resolution or uplift, this will leave you raw.
More like this (5)
The Repair Shop2017
Craftspeople restore broken objects with genuine care for the owners' stories. The parallel to Embarrassing Bodies is unexpected but real: both show that what's broken can be fixed, and someone trained actually wants to help.
But It's aggressively wholesome. If you need grittiness or conflict, this will feel saccharine. Also very slow.
Human Planet2011
David Attenborough explores how different cultures live with their bodies and environments. It shares Embarrassing Bodies' fascination with human variation and the acceptance that normal is broader than we think.
But Some episodes contain scenes of ritual scarification and body modification that might disturb viewers. It's anthropology, not advocacy.
The Pill2011
A documentary about the contraceptive pill's history and ongoing debates. Same willingness to discuss bodies and sexuality without embarrassment, grounded in evidence and lived experience.
But It's academic and slightly dated. If you want a fast-moving narrative rather than historical context, this won't engage you.
eheExamination2014
Embarrassing Bodies normalizes the medical gaze. The Examination questions what that gaze does to both doctor and patient. One demystifies; the other re-mystifies to ask harder questions.
A graphic meditation on medical examination itself: a woman consents to a full physical examination by a stranger, filmed unflinching. It's philosophy and experience fused—what does it mean to be looked at, medically, sexually, objectively?
But It's experimental and static. There's no plot, barely dialogue. Some viewers will find it pretentious; others will find it revelatory. You have to meet it halfway.
Ask Dr. Ruth2019
Dr. Ruth opened the door that Embarrassing Bodies walked through. This film is the history of permission—how one woman made it safer for everyone else to speak about what matters.
A documentary about Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the sex educator who made talking about desire and dysfunction on television possible in the first place. She's the spiritual ancestor of Embarrassing Bodies—and her story is unexpectedly moving and funny.
But It's a biographical film about a media personality, not a sex education show. If you want practical health info, you're in the wrong place. But you might learn why shame about bodies is worth fighting.
People
Cast
Ashley JensenNarrator
