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.

This series follows the stories of the orangutans and the staff at the world’s biggest orangutan rehabilitation center.

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.

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.

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.

Author and medical historian Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris uses science, tests, and demonstrations to shed new light on famous deaths, ranging from drug lord Pablo Escobar to magician Harry Houdini. Using her lab to perform virtual autopsies, experiment with blood samples, interview witnesses and conduct real-time demonstrations, Dr. Fitzharris puts everything about these mysterious deaths to the test.

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.

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.

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

This documentary series brings to life Egypt’s great pyramid builders and traces one remarkable century of epic construction at Giza, shining a light on the personal stories of individuals who took part in the construction of the pyramids and the Great Sphinx.

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.

Mighty Planes explores the art and science of aviation, on planes that soar to faraway places on astounding missions. From preparation, loading and take off, through the journey and to the landing and unloading, viewers will experience the high-stakes and high-stress jobs through the eyes and lives of the characters that make it all happen. Featuring the genius of flight technology with the aid of high-end CGI, shot in HD, and recorded in 5.1 surround sound, MIGHTY PLANES captures all the action as it happens.

Modern historians, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and newly discovered evidence, rewrite the nation's most iconic stories.

Hosted by actor Tom Cavanagh, Stories from the Vaults is a series of 30-minute shows featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. The new series, produced by Caragol Wells Productions, showcases the Smithsonian's rarest treasures as Tom Cavanagh meets with the experts behind the Smithsonian and discusses what it takes to preserve these precious artifacts for the generations to come. Stories from the Vaults debuted September 2007 on Smithsonian Networks. The second season premiered Sunday July 12th, 2009.

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.