Smithsonian TV Guide — Today's TV Listings & Schedule

Browse the full Smithsonian TV guide for today. 24 programmes listed , including 6 tonight. US listings updated daily — scroll down to tonight's highlights or use the day tabs above to browse the weekly schedule.

Early Morning

00:00 1h

Mighty Cruise Ships

S2 · E3 · Carnival Vista Travel

Carnival Vista

Carnival Vista is the latest edition to the Carnival Cruise Line, but it suffers from growing pains and it's up to a captain and crew to resolve its issues.

01:00 1h

Mighty Trains

S1 · E2 · The Shinkansen Science

The Shinkansen

The world's fastest bullet-train known as Shinkansen is examined to see how rail operators keep passengers safe and handle earthquake-prone areas in Japan.

02:00 1h

Mighty Trains

S4 · E3 · Seven Stars of Kyushu Science

Seven Stars of Kyushu

Japan's Kyushu Railway Company unveils the super-luxury Seven Stars train at its train yard in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka prefecture in October 2013.

03:00 1h

Mighty Cruise Ships

S2 · E4 · Royal Clipper Travel

Royal Clipper

A modern-day ship known as the Royal Clipper pays homage to traditional seafaring ships of the late-1800s with five masts and 42 sails.

04:00 1h

Mighty Cruise Ships

S1 · E3 · Azamara Journey Travel

Azamara Journey

A 15-day cruise on the Azamar Journey includes elephant-guided jungle tours and overnight stops in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

05:00 1h

Mighty Cruise Ships

S2 · E5 · Ocean Endeavour Travel

Ocean Endeavour

A unique cruise ship known as Ocean Endeavour offers passengers a different experience from the usual tropical expedition by traveling across Arctic ocean.

Morning

06:00 1h

Mighty Cruise Ships

S2 · E6 · MSC Divina Travel

MSC Divina

The crew and passengers aboard a cruise ship called MSC Divina is in danger of ending in disaster when a tropical storm grows to hurricane force.

07:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S4 · E10 · Super Stadiums & Extraordinary Elevators Science

Super Stadiums & Extraordinary Elevators

A 70,000-seat stadium defies seismic forces and international flight paths in LA; Zaha Hadid's dramatically twisted 33-story tower rises around ancient vaults.

08:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S3 · E7 · Floating & Lifting Science

Floating & Lifting

Engineers and architects construct a convention center on Vancouver's waterfront, a cocoon-shaped skyscraper in Tokyo and a lift bridge in Bordeaux.

09:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S3 · E2 · Jungles & Bricks Science

Jungles & Bricks

Host Mike Davidson goes on a global journey to see the world's mightiest machines and meet the mechanics, engineers and technicians who keep them running.

10:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S1 · E4 · Viaducts & Hotels Science

Viaducts & Hotels

An examination of unusual and inventive structures around the world includes a look at a towering bridge in France and an "upside down" hotel in China.

11:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S4 · E7 · High Waters & Harsh Winds Science

High Waters & Harsh Winds

Defy gravity in an Amsterdam high-rise that hangs 164 feet above the water; marvel at interconnected towers in Chicago that have a road running through them.

Daytime

12:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S1 · E6 · Arches & Opera Houses Science

Arches & Opera Houses

An in-depth look at numerous innovative structures around the world includes a horseshoe-shaped complex in Rotterdam and a rock-shaped opera house in China.

13:00 1h

How Did They Fix That?

S4 · E7 · Scream Machines Science

Scream Machines

Host Mike Davidson works with the repair and construction teams of Australia's largest theme park and helps them finish an expensive expansion.

14:00 1h

How Did They Fix That?

S1 · E6 · Toronto Tunnel Science

Toronto Tunnel

Host Mike Davidson goes under one of the world's largest lakes to help with a multi-million-dollar tunnel boring project which is vital to a fast-growing city.

15:00 1h

How Did They Fix That?

S2 · E5 · Abandoned Oil Wells Science

Abandoned Oil Wells

Host Mike Davidson helps the Well Done Foundation with finding and capping the 2 million abandoned oil and gas wells that are leaking throughout the U.S.

16:00 1h

How Did They Fix That?

S3 · E2 · Savannah: Mega Cranes & Mega Moves Science ▶ Now

Savannah: Mega Cranes & Mega Moves

Host Mike Davidson is asked to fix a machine that keeps one of the United States's biggest ports moving and assist in moving a 3-million-pound crane.

17:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S4 · E9 · Facelifts & Scaffolds Science

Facelifts & Scaffolds

A new museum building bends 1,100-glass tubes to form a facade & tunnels below the water table; an 11-storey glass atrium is built on the former Berlin Wall.

Tonight's Highlights

18:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S2 · E10 · Radical & Resplendent Science

Radical & Resplendent

The engineering and design history behind the Museum of African American History, the Montreal Tower once abandoned and the Equinor building in Oslo.

19:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S4 · E3 · Speedcore & Steambend Science

Speedcore & Steambend

Host Jay Ellis learns more about the construction of a library spanning a railway line and how a skyscraper was built in record time.

20:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S1 · E8 · Arctic Modules & Auditoria Science

Arctic Modules & Auditoria

An examination of unusual and inventive structures around the world includes a mobile research station in Antarctica and a concert hall on the Canary Islands.

21:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S4 · E8 · Summit & Submerge Science

Summit & Submerge

A mountain-top center defies extreme altitude; a stunning museum is sunk into an old dock; a 600-foot tower with floating gardens rises in Singapore.

22:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S25 · E2 · Running on Empty Documentary

Running on Empty

A cargo plane approaching its destination runway in Cincinnati suddenly has both engines flame out, sending the whole plane down in a nearby golf course.

23:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S2 · E5 · Lost True

Lost

As an American Airlines flight nears Cali, Colombia in 1995, its crew accidentally deletes the waypoints from the flight plan in their Flight Management System.