Smithsonian Channel Documentaries
Season 2019
The content of these documentaries are inspired by the Smithsonian Institution’s museums, research facilities and magazines – and feature original non-fiction programming that cover a wide range of historical, scientific and cultural subjects.
Where to Watch Smithsonian Channel Documentaries • Season 2019
32 Episodes
- Incredible Animal MomentsE1
Incredible Animal MomentsThe fiercest, strangest, and wildest creatures in the animal kingdom face off in a countdown of the most incredible animal moments ever recorded. Across arid deserts, through dense rainforests, and into the deepest of oceans, witness remarkable scenes of animal activity, from deadly showdowns to wild romances. - Bird vs. Plane: Miracle on the HudsonE2
Bird vs. Plane: Miracle on the HudsonUS Airways Flight 1549 is about two minutes into its journey from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2009 when bird strikes to both engines cripple the plane. What results is an emergency landing on the Hudson River that astonishes the world and shines a light on a growing problem affecting our increasingly busy skies. Follow a team of forensic ornithologists and discover the remarkable research being conducted to solve the bird strike problem. - Amazing PigsE3
Amazing PigsForget what you think you know about pigs. These remarkable animals have talents we're only beginning to understand. See how pigs have conquered nearly every habitat on Earth, thanks to their remarkable senses, intelligence, and adaptability. From the islands of Indonesia to the beaches of the Bahamas to the frozen tundra of Siberia, meet eight-inch pygmy hogs, cheetah-avoiding warthogs, domesticated pigs with super senses, and more. - Naked Mole Rats
E4Naked Mole RatsLooks aren’t everything. Despite its appearance, the naked mole rat should be envied. It lives to a very old age, never gets sick, and is practically impervious to pain. Scientists want to know why. In the quest to combat age-related illness – and even ageing itself – researchers around the world are searching for the Methuselah gene in this remarkable rodent to find cures for humans. - The Green Book: Guide to FreedomE5
The Green Book: Guide to FreedomIn the 1930s, a black postal carrier from Harlem named Victor Green published a book that was part travel guide and part survival guide. It was called The Negro Motorist Green Book, and it helped African-Americans navigate safe passage across America well into the 1960s. Explore some of the segregated nation's safe havens and notorious "sundown towns" and witness stories of struggle and indignity as well as opportunity and triumph. - My Journey with a Polar BearE6
My Journey with a Polar BearFor four years, Asgeir Helgestad, a Norwegian wildlife filmmaker, has followed a beautiful polar bear mother named Frost in her home on Svalbard, a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean. Rising temperatures are causing dramatic changes in her ecosystem, leading to desperate struggles to find food for herself and her young cubs. Follow this tale of man and beast, hope and despair, and life and death in a land disappearing before their eyes. - Europe in Chaos - Part I: BrexitE7
Europe in Chaos - Part I: BrexitOn the evening of June 23, 2016, Prime Minister David Cameron and his inner circle gathered at 10 Downing Street to witness a turning point in British history. Nearly 52% of the people of the U.K. voted to leave the European Union. This is the inside account of Brexit, from the British conservatives demanding a referendum to the team of European presidents and prime ministers scrambling to prevent the E.U. from being torn apart. - Europe in Chaos - Part II: Migration CrisisE8
Europe in Chaos - Part II: Migration CrisisA boat overcrowded with men, women, and children fleeing Africa sinks near Italy, killing over 800 people in April 2015. The tragedy is the flashpoint of a long-running problem. The number of migrants and asylum seekers coming to European shores had been growing, and the figures were about to skyrocket, fueled by the civil war in Syria. This is the inside story of Europe's migration explosion and its impact across the globe. - Rome's Chariot Superstar - Part IE9
Rome's Chariot Superstar - Part IPart 1: Slave to Star Before Flavius Scorpus became a superstar charioteer in ancient Rome's most popular sport, he was a young slave who dreamed of freedom. Explore the early years of Scorpus' life to see how he escaped his circumstances to become history's most talented and successful charioteer. We rebuild and test the chariots he rode, investigate how the races really worked, and then hit the track for a white-knuckled look at the violent and hugely competitive races. - Rome's Chariot Superstar - Part IIE10
Rome's Chariot Superstar - Part IIPart 2: Circus Maximus Chariot racer Flavius Scorpus has won hundreds of races while watching his friends and rivals die on the track. Now, the stakes, and the risks, are about to escalate as the charioteer performs on the greatest racetrack in the Roman Empire: Circus Maximus. Follow Scorpus as he out-muscles vicious competition, earns a fortune, and becomes a hero to hundreds of thousands of adoring fans. Recent excavations and exhilarating recreations bring the races, and the era, vividly back to life. - A Life Among MonkeysE11
A Life Among MonkeysThe jungles of the sacred city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka are home to 33 identified troops of toque macaques and one man. This is the extraordinary story of Dr. Wolfgang Dittus, a scientist from the Smithsonian Institution who, over decades, has tracked and documented the lives of thousands of monkeys, revealing a complex society that is in many ways like our own. His journey is captured through his own words, footage he's taken over the course of 50 years, and his interactions with the scrappy, cheeky monkeys he's dedicated his life to. - The Battle Of Normandy: 85 Days In Hell
E13The Battle Of Normandy: 85 Days In HellOn the morning of June 6, 1944, thousands of ships reached the French coast of Normandy as part of an Allied operation to take back France from the Germans. For the next 85 days, U.S., British, and Canadian soldiers engaged in conflicts of unimaginable violence, conquering and liberating the region's cities, but at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. From the D-Day invasion to the final Nazi surrender in Argentan, this is the definitive story of the three-month Battle of Normandy as it's never been seen before. - Adolf Island
E14Adolf IslandCaroline Sturdy Colls, a world leader in the forensic investigation of Nazi crime scenes, is chasing clues to an unsolved case: a concentration camp that existed on the British island of Alderney. Witnesses and survivors claimed that thousands died there, but only 389 bodies have ever been found. Under heavy restrictions imposed by the local government, which may not want its buried secrets revealed, Colls must uncover the truth using revolutionary techniques and technologies - A-Bombs Over NevadaE15
A-Bombs Over NevadaThe dropping of "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" on Japan marked the end of World War II and the dawn of the Atomic Age. The race against the Soviet Union to build a bigger, better bomb was on. The U.S. put their new nukes to the test on a desolate stretch of desert just 65 miles away from Las Vegas, and people traveled from all over the country to witness the detonations. This is the story of the nation's grand atomic experiment and the bizarre atomic subculture that spawned beauty queens, new hairdos, and radioactive superheroes. - The Day We Walked on the Moon
E16The Day We Walked on the MoonThe Day We Walked on the Moon is the inside story of the first moon landing, told from the unique, first-hand perspective of the astronauts and other key figures on the Apollo 11 Mission and those left behind—watching, waiting, and witnessing what remains, 50 years later, one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Watched live by 600 million people around the world, NASA officials reveal how close the Apollo 11 came to failure while family members recall nervously listening to the radio feed, wondering if their loved ones would make it home. The film also explores the importance of the first Moon Mission to America in an era dominated by an unpopular war and nuclear rivalry with Russia. - 40 Under 40E18
40 Under 40Some of them move. Others make noise. One weighs in at 700 pounds. Collectively, they represent the future of contemporary craft. Go behind the scenes of the "40 under 40: Craft Futures" exhibition, featuring traditional and non-traditional works of decorative art created by the top 40 American craft artists under the age of 40. Observe this wildly creative and diverse exhibition, assembled for the 40th anniversary of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery, and witness the challenges and rewards of bringing together 40 unique artists at the top of their craft. - Volcanoes: Dual Destruction
E20Volcanoes: Dual DestructionIn 2018, two volcanoes unleashed terror on their communities, but in very different ways. Fuego, the Volcano of Fire in Guatemala, sent boiling clouds of gas, ash, and rock down the volcano's slopes and into villages, killing hundreds. In Hawaii, Kilauea spewed out over four billion cubic feet of lava, razing estates, destroying roads, and changing the landscape. Using the latest scientific evidence, we explore what made the eruptions unique, why they were so hard to predict, and whether or not these two catastrophes were somehow connected. - Islands of FireE21
Islands of FireFew places on Earth remain largely untouched and uninhabited by humans, but such spots exist in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a vast chain of volcanic mountains that have surfaced as tiny, isolated islands thousands of miles from any mainland. These worlds serve as both playgrounds and sanctuaries, where some species struggle and others thrive. Discover the secrets of these little-known oases as we explore eight islands, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. - Gorillas of GabonE22
Gorillas of GabonA race is on to save Gabon's Moukalaba-Doudou National Park and the silverback gorillas that call it home. This area was once protected by a thriving oil industry, but now the logging industry is poised to move in. Ecotourism could be the only way to prevent the trees from coming down, but a team of conservationists needs to make the gorillas tolerant of humans first. Follow them as they get up-close with the gorillas, study their moves, and journey to war-torn Central African Republic to learn the secrets of successful gorilla habituation. - Darwin & The Beagle's ScandalE25
Darwin & The Beagle's ScandalBefore he wrote the book that revolutionized the way people understood evolution, a young Charles Darwin found himself, by chance, on a strange sea voyage. This is the story of the HMS Beagle, which traveled from Great Britain to survey South America's coastline, but also became part of its Captain Fitzroy's flawed social experiment. It's a tale of bold exploration, tragic miscalculation, the death of a civilization, and the birth of Darwinism. - Memphis Belle in ColorE26
Memphis Belle in ColorIn January 1942, the U.S. military created a new bomber command, the Eighth Air Force, and sent a small contingent of men overseas to loosen the Nazis' grip on Europe. The command's star player was the B-17, a fast, heavily armed aircraft that changed the course of World War II. Witness them take on the mighty German Luftwaffe over enemy skies. Discover the story of how one B-17--the Memphis Belle--and its crew lifted the spirits of a nation and became a symbol of American prowess in defense of freedom. - Midway: The True Story
E27Midway: The True StoryIt's June 1942 and the world's fate is about to be decided by a handful of pilots and their untested aircraft. Experience an inside look at the Battle of Midway, captured through rarely seen battle footage and firsthand accounts from its hero dive-bombing pilot, "Dusty" Kleiss. This is an hour-by-hour recount of one of the most pivotal conflicts of the 20th century. Take a closer look at how this desperately needed victory came about through the design of U.S. airplanes, the skill of the pilots, the element of surprise, and a stroke of luck. - Monster Shipwreck: Mystery of the MarsE28
Monster Shipwreck: Mystery of the MarsIt was a 16th century floating behemoth commissioned by Erik XIV of Sweden to help seize control of the profitable trade routes in the Baltic Sea. The legendary warship, Mars the Magnificent, met its match in what is considered history's first modern naval battle. After centuries of searching, a team of scientists and researchers have found the wooden ship 250 feet below the surface of the chilly Baltic waters, revealing the discovery of a lifetime. - Black in Space: Breaking the Color BarrierE29
Black in Space: Breaking the Color BarrierAmerica's experiences during the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race are well documented. However, few know about the moment these two worlds collided, when the White House and NASA scrambled to put the first black astronaut into orbit. This is the untold story of the decades-long battle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to be the first superpower to bring diversity to the skies, told by the black astronauts and their families, who were part of this little known chapter of the Cold War. - Black Hole Hunters
E30Black Hole HuntersAstronomer Shep Doeleman and his team are on a mission that will challenge the theories of Albert Einstein and could pave the way to a revolution in physics: to capture the first-ever image of a black hole. To do this, they must link eight multimillion-dollar observatories around the world to a spot 26,000 light years away. It's the equivalent of spotting an orange on the moon, but after 10 years of planning and the combined brainpower of over 200 international scientists, the team feels they're ready to make scientific history.
