shows on Smithsonian Channel

Working alongside salvage teams, former NASA engineer Chad Zdenek takes apart huge machines piece by piece to figure out how they were built and how they worked; he explores the impact of each invention and how it changed the world.

It's a place where snow meets fiery underground forces, where waters travel from Rocky Mountain peaks to the Great Plains, and where age-old battles between predator and prey take place. This is Yellowstone, home to some of the most spectacular landscapes and wildlife in America. Join host Bill Pullman on an exploration of its colorful springs and raging waters, its glittering winters and lush summers, and its returning packs of predators and vast array of winged creatures.

There's no better way to take in Greece's great diversity, natural beauty, and mythic grandeur than to experience it from a god's-eye-view. This exhilarating aerial tour whisks you away on a four-part, cross-country journey above the heart of Athens, over the timeless, contrasting Aegean archipelago, and across eastern islands of mesmerizing beauty and priceless heritage. Along with the physical splendors, we also explore the human stories of the people who embody the ingenuity, resilience, and vibrant spirit of this remarkable country.

Host Mike Davidson is on a globetrotting mission to get an up-close look at some of the most incredible machines on Earth and to meet the hard-hat heroes that keep them running. This six-part series will take us from the forests of the Pacific Northwest for a heli-logging expedition, to the jungles of the Panama Canal for some big track repairs, to the Alps of Switzerland aboard one of Europe's busiest haulers, and detail how each team overcomes violent storms, mechanical failures, arctic conditions, and more to keep their machines operating.

Crank up the volume as we go behind the power chords and pounding rhythms to celebrate the innovations that made rock 'n' roll what it is today. Join us as we explore the instruments, special effects, and moments of inspiration that gave the world vinyl, electric guitars, synthesizers, digital singles, and even laser shows. Music legends Martha Reeves, Dave Davies, and others share their insights, all accompanied by the classic and modern hits that have provided the soundtrack to our lives.

They're massive metal beasts, transporting over one billion dollars' worth of U.S. Navy aircraft across hostile waters to bring air power against the enemy. This is an unprecedented look at life inside the U.S. Navy's premier supercarriers, above and below deck. From the building of these floating airports to the tough jobs required to keep them running, we celebrate the highly trained crew and the machines that allow them to bring the fight to anywhere on the planet.

Journey to Zambia's Luangwa Valley, a landscape abundant with prey. In the spectacular wilderness, two neighboring lion prides lay claim to prime hunting territory. The mighty MKs and the Hollywood lionesses must find mates to ensure their future. When the Nomads, a group of rampaging young males, invade their land in search of new territory, these two prides are in for the fight of their lives.

This epic series explores stunning vistas and extraordinary stories from the tip of the continent in Cape Town, South Africa, to the powerful Zambezi River in Zambia. From the air, the series showcases the places, wildlife and personalities that have left a permanent imprint on Africa, including a young Xhosa boy who grew up to be Nelson Mandela, and the Scottish explorer Dr. David Livingstone, whose adventures in Africa became world-famous. The series ranges from the Wild South Coast to Johannesburg, Botswana, the Skeleton Coast of Namibia and the majestic lands of Zambia.

On April 23, 1945, the U.S. Navy warship USS Eagle 56 exploded off the coast of Portland, Maine due to a malfunction of the ship's boilers...or so the official report said. For decades, questions and confusion about the tragedy have plagued its survivors and their families. Some believe the sinking was actually the result of an attack by a rogue German U-boat. A civilian-led dive expedition attempts to discover the lost wreckage and find out what really happened, uncovering fresh clues, startling eyewitness accounts, and a possible cover-up.

The Pacific War in Color immerses viewers in a graphic and dramatic look through an unfiltered lens. Rare home movies from servicemen capture intimate images of troops on tropical beaches, naval hazing rituals when sailors cross the equator, and morale-boosting USO shows on dusty desert islands. Personal movies shot by pilots in cockpits crackle with intensity, and color combat footage bursts with the nervous energy of storming beaches, white-knuckle dogfights and face-to-face island-hopping warfare. Remarkable home movies from General Douglas MacArthur show his family in the Philippines before the war and later in Japan after the surrender, offering a different view of life during wartime.