The Best TV Shows on Smithsonian Channel

Discover the true stories involving very real people, places and events -- some known to the public, others hidden from it -- that went on to inspire some of Hollywood's biggest hits, most iconic heroes and notorious villains.

The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland, a lush environment where a tangled web of lives comes together. Tree-dwelling capuchin monkeys, gravity-defying Piraputanga fish that leap out of the water to pluck fruit from trees, and over 650 species of birds call this ecosystem home. Wade into this wonderland of biodiversity and uncover its natural rhythms.

Encounter the Pearl Harbor attacks, the L.A. riots, the Son of Sam murders and Patty Hearst's kidnapping the way they unfolded on TVs and radios across America. We present these shocking events from the 20th century, not through traditional journalistic reportage, but in real-time, as they were covered by national and local news broadcasts. This footage, much of which has not been seen in decades, gives an intimacy and immediacy to stories we thought we knew but will now rediscover through a unique perspective.

Bill Pullman introduces and narrates this four-part documentary on the world's first national park, Yellowstone.

Enter a world of mummies, witches, zombies, and shamans as we explore Britain's mysterious sites and mystic past.

Harrowing stories of tragedy and triumph are brought to life through official reports, transcripts and interviews with the pilots, air traffic controllers and lucky survivors of history's most terrifying crashes. Widely considered to be the safest form of travel, air transportation is still in its infancy and when midair calamity strikes, the results are often catastrophic. From the cockpit to the cabin, from the control room to the crash scene, we uncover just what went wrong.

An exploration of how some of the world's biggest man-made structures were built.

Take off on a thrilling flight across America. This epic series offers rare glimpses of our nation's most treasured landmarks, all seen from breathtaking heights. From busy cityscapes to quiet landscapes, we capture the history and the pageantry of our amazing country, which is as diverse as the people who occupy it.

Witness iconic assaults, intense battles, and intimate moments of the Pacific War, in color.

From the 1920s through the 1960s, America transformed from a young country on the rise into a global superpower. Using digital colorization technology, we present these formative decades as few have seen them, revisiting 50 vibrant years of good times and great despair, technological triumphs and natural disasters, and global villains and national heroes.

Join Elizabeth McGovern as she takes an in-depth look at the young American heiresses whose real life stories inspired the acclaimed TV drama Downton Abbey. This series explores the time between the 1870s and the outbreak of World War One, when more than 200 daughters of America's new industrial millionaires marry into the money-strapped British aristocracy. They use their affluence, allure and ingenuity to their advantage, and they bring dramatic changes to the English ruling class and eventually the world.

Hell Below is an event-based series charting the stealth game of sub sea warfare, tracking the dramatic narrative from contact to attack of the greatest submarine patrols of World War II. From the rise of the Wolfpack to the drive for victory in the Pacific, we profile the strategic masterminds and the rapid evolution of technology and tactics, as the threat of undersea warfare brings every sailor's worst nightmare to life. Expert analysis and stock footage are woven with narrative driven re-enactments filmed on authentic Second World War era submarines to place the characters at the heart of the action.

The very first submarine, which legend claims lurked beneath New York Harbor during the American Revolutionary War. The small ships that rescued thousands from Dunkirk. The destroyer that forced the easing of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Over the centuries, conflicts have prompted advances to ship designs, making vessels stronger, faster, smarter, and capable of changing the course of wars. Join us as we examine the world's greatest Combat Ships, and reveal how they shaped world history and inspired men and women to acts of incredible courage.

Take a journey back in time and immerse yourself in a 150-year-old battle that nearly split our nation in two. This three-part series explores famous and little known aspects of the Civil War, from the perspectives of the Union, the Confederacy and the millions of enslaved people struggling for freedom. Hosted by Ashley Judd, Trace Adkins, and Dennis Haysbert, all of whom had ancestors greatly affected by the war, this series delivers fresh insights and untold tales, brought to life through dramatic recreations and the Smithsonian Institution's vast collection of artifacts.

They are the high-flying pride of the U.S. military, one-of-a-kind warriors that, over the decades, collectively revolutionized aerial warfare. Through rare, archival footage and compelling testimonies, meet the men and women who fly and maintain these Air Warriors and see how they've overcome incredible obstacles to rule the sky.

Little-known events that played a large role in determining the outcome of World War II are revealed in this documentary series.

From the Legends of King Arthur and Robin Hood to the recent events of the Russian Revolution, history is full of fascinating and evocative unsolved mysteries. They have inspired, intrigued and often confounded us – but how much do we really know about them? And can we separate fact from fiction? In Mystery Files, the dust is blown off the case files of the world’s most famous and iconic mysteries in a dynamic series that asks, what is the truth behind the greatest stories ever told?

This docuseries uses scientific breakthroughs and archaeological research to bring new perspectives to some of the most remarkable, but mysterious, religious locations. Each episode focuses on a site, exploring fundamental questions about the landmarks and the people who constructed them. Exploring the sites allows the show to provide insight into the ancient civilizations and how their practices and struggles are reflected in the shrines and temples they constructed.

Around the world, a group of scientists are risking their lives to come face-to-face with the most fearsome sharks in the ocean. From researchers in Guadalupe attempting to attach a camera to a great white, to a dedicated 'shark lab' in the Bahamas investigating shark migration and overall intelligence, join a thrilling journey into the hidden habitats of these premier marine predators.