Dear ...

This inspirational series uses a unique format to highlight how media figures, musicians, athletes, and other exceptional figures can touch the life of a "regular person." The short episodes of Dear ... are ideal for families with younger kids who are fans to watch together; often documentaries can be long and weighty, but these bite-sized explorations are just enough for a start. That also means that if someone is watching because they're a fan of Aly Raisman, there's time to check out an episode on someone they're less familiar with as well -- every one of the 10 episodes tells an incredible story.

From a woman of Indian descent writing to Big Bird thanking him for helping her feel more comfortable as a kid immigrant to Stevie Wonder helping a woman who is also blind, each episode packs in a ton of info, and usually lots of tears. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the letter writers' lives are "real" or if the scenes showing their lives are enhanced in some way (they are filmed almost too beautifully), but it's moving both to hear their stories of gratitude and to see that the icons themselves are also deeply moved by their impact and influence.