Sports documentaries can often serve two purposes: the first is to give those that already love the sport more insight into it, whilst the second can cause people who never previously paid much attention to a particular sport to suddenly find it really interesting.
Arguably the best case in point on that front is Netflix’s Drive to Survive, which brought the world of Formula One to a whole new group of people.
When it comes to snooker, the sport can appear to be a little bit dry and dull if you don’t play it or enjoy it in other ways, which is why watching a documentary could be a good place to start.
The question is, which ones are the best?
Gods of Snooker
There was a long period of time when snooker was similar to darts, insomuch as it was largely the niche pastime of people in working men’s clubs up and down the country. In the 1980s, however, something happened in order to switch it around to suddenly become a national obsession.
The three-part documentary series Gods of Snooker explores exactly why it was that that happened, with the likes of Alex Higgins becoming a hero of the sport. It was in the 1970s that the Northern Irishman, smoking, drinking and even punching, entered the national psyche for the first time.
In the 1982 World Championship semi-final, for example, he was on the ropes against Jimmy White, only to produce a clearance of 69 that remains the idea of a brilliant break in the minds of many. We hear from White how it felt to be on the end of such a shellacking, ably supported from the likes of Steve Davis, John Virgo and Cliff Thorburn.
This documentary is very much about the past, not bothering to wander too much into what was then to be considered the modern-day and instead focussing on a time when snooker players really were the gods of the sport that they purveyed.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything
It is difficult to argue against the idea that Ronnie O’Sullivan is one of the best snooker players there has ever been. With countless World Snooker Championship titles to his name, as well as a record number of Masters and UK Championship titles, he is widely thought of as one of the most accomplished players in the sport.
He is also someone who has faced numerous hardships in his life, which are explored in the documentary Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything. He is someone whose personal life has had an impact on his career, which is looked at in detail here.
If you’re wondering why it is that the film has such a feel for the trials and tribulations of the world of sport, it might be down to the fact that it was produced by the David Beckham-owned Studio 99. The film doesn’t shy away from the fact that O’Sullivan seems to have something of a torturous relationship with snooker, both loving it and being infuriated by it in equal measure.
Given the fact that he sometimes comes across as hard work. It is good to see him relaxed and in his element in the documentary, being open about his vulnerability and his drug addiction, which nearly ruined his life and his career.
Alex Higgins: The People’s Champion
The fact that this is just the third documentary that we’ve talked about, but Alex Higgins features prominently in two of them, should give you some indication of just how much of a colossus presiding over the sport he really was. Known as the ‘Hurricane’, Alex Higgins: The People’s Champion looks at his life in detail.
It features contributions from some of his fellow players, including Jimmy White, Dennis Taylor and Ronnie O’Sullivan, charting both the rise and fall of a snooker legend. This is an all-encompassing look at Higgins, not shying away from difficult topics.
Alex Higgins : The People’s Champion on #BBC a very powerful and emotional film pic.twitter.com/qBFx3k3cTh
— Mark Williams-Thomas (@mwilliamsthomas) May 15, 2021
From his life growing up on the streets of Belfast through to his position at the top of the sport when he became world champion for the second time, we are shown just how much of a mercurial talent Higgins truly was.
There was an extent to which Higgins helped to make the sport the global phenomenon that it is today by playing unlike anyone that had come before him, being snooker’s equivalent to George Best or Muhammad Ali. This documentary is unflinching, exploring the likes of the Lowes that he suffered because of his alcohol abuse as well as his battle with throat cancer.
When Snooker Ruled the World
There are more than a few modern-day fans of snooker who are not keen on the narrative that snooker was somehow better in the 1980s. There is no question that the sport managed to break into the public consciousness during that decade, which is why there are so many documentaries that look back at that period of time.
Nowadays, you might argue that darts is the sport that is being treated in the same way that snooker was treated back then, with the best players becoming household names. If you’d like to get an idea of why it is that the ‘80s is considered the sport’s heyday, this will do it.
When Snooker Ruled the World takes an in-depth look at a period of time when snooker was the most televised sport in the United Kingdom, long before Sky Sports launched top-flight football into that position courtesy of the Premier League.
A big part of the reason why snooker was able to capture the public’s imagination was thanks to the fact that it boasted both heroes and villains, which you can learn all about in this documentary. All of the big names from the time can be heard from, as well as some of those that love the sport like Johnny Vegas and Gary Lineker, amongst others.
The Crucible: 40 Golden Snooker Years
It became something of a running joke that Steve Davis was boring, which is a joke that the man himself was always happy to get involved with. That, though, was never really true; he was just a man who took his role as a snooker player very seriously.
As the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield celebrated its 40th year of playing host to the World Championships, Davis hosted a BBC documentary about its role in making the sport of snooker what it is today in The Crucible: 40 Golden Snooker Years. As you might imagine, this is more about the venue than the sport itself.
I dont know if anyone has stayed on to watch The Crucible: 40 Golden Snooker Years on BBC 2. It’s a lovely documentary. Cliffs 147 is still one of my absolute favourite moments in snooker. I love it. Good luck, mate.
— Lorenzo (@InTheBalls147) May 5, 2025
That being said, you will still get to watch some great clips from the archives as well as hear from names like Dennis Taylor, Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry, all of whom tell tales of the tears, laughter and occasional debauchery that took place behind the scenes at the theatre.
You will also hear from some super-fans of snooker, such as Stephen Fry and Richard Osman, who explain why it is that the Crucible is arguably better known for the snooker than for any of the countless players that have been put on there over the years. A love letter to one of the sport’s greatest-ever venues.
Jimmy White: Close to the Wind
Given the relatively boring nature of snooker to those looking from the outside in, it is perhaps something of a surprise when it comes to how many ‘rebels’ the sport has had over the years. Yet names like Alex Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jimmy White have hardly been purer than the driven snow; unless you’re using ‘snow’ as a substitute word for cocaine.
The documentary Jimmy White: Close to the Wind takes a closer look at the trials and tribulations of Jimmy White himself, with talking heads including the likes of his family and friends as well as his opponents on the baize.
Of course, no snooker documentary would be complete without some archive footage showing you just how good a player White was. White made it to the final of the World Snooker Championship six times without winning it, which is an unwanted record for anyone.
Known as ‘the Whirlwind’, his mercurial nature made him thrilling to watch with a cue in his hand, whilst his descent into a drug addiction not only cost him a fortune but also arguably stopped him from winning even more than he did. He was a fascinating character, which is explored in an interesting fashion in this documentary.
