Smithsonian TV Guide — Friday, 17 July 2026

Browse the full Smithsonian TV guide for Friday, 17 July 2026. 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

Air Warriors

S11 · E2 · PBY Catalina True

PBY Catalina

The PBY Catalina seaplane served multiple roles during WWII, primarily for air-sea rescue missions, cargo transport, convoy bombing and anti-submarine warfare.

01:00 1h

Air Warriors

S8 · E2 · B-29 Superfortress True

B-29 Superfortress

An examination of the B-29 vessel's involvement in ending the war in Japan and bombing airfields during the Korean War.

02:00 1h

Air Warriors

S6 · E9 · Zero True

Zero

The history behind Japan's A6M Zero from World War II is showcased with a look at how the U.S. Navy beat it with their F4U Corsair aircraft.

03:00 1h

Air Warriors

S3 · E1 · C-17 True

C-17

The C-17 Globemaster has been the primary cargo hauler for the U.S. Air Force for decades, but its critics in Congress almost halted its development.

04:00 1h

Air Warriors

S5 · E3 · U-2 Dragon Lady True

U-2 Dragon Lady

The U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance airplane's very existence was denied until the Soviet Union shot one out of the sky and set off an unpleasant conversation.

05:00 1h

Air Warriors

S11 · E3 · B-17 Flying Fortress True

B-17 Flying Fortress

The USAF's deadliest bomber in World War II campaigns in Europe and the Pacific, the B-17 Flying Fortresses were used by the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

Morning

06:00 1h

Air Warriors

S11 · E9 · Stuka Dive Bomber True

Stuka Dive Bomber

Experts and veterans discuss the high-speed dives and pinpoint accuracy of the Junkers Ju-87 Stukas became a symbol of German power.

07:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E42 · The Dakotas Travel

The Dakotas

The Dakotas helped future president Theodore Roosevelt overcome the loss of his first wife and became the home of a sculptor's greatest triumph.

08:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E57 · Washington D.C. Travel

Washington D.C.

Washington's skyline makes a profound impression because of all the history and symbolism embodied in its buildings, monuments and memorials.

09:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E22 · Nevada Travel

Nevada

An aerial tour of Nevada shows that it has more to offer than Las Vegas, revealing historic gold and silver mines and ghost towns as well as Hoover Dam.

10:00 1h

Aerial America

Made In The USA Travel

Made In The USA

Narrator Jim Conrad uses an aerial perspective to showcase the nation's most iconic industries and the people who operate them every day.

11:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E46 · Alaska's Fire and Ice Travel

Alaska's Fire and Ice

The state that is twice the size of Texas contains 16 of the U.S.' 20 tallest mountains and hosted North America's most powerful earthquake ever.

Daytime

12:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E38 · Texas Travel

Texas

Thousands of square miles are explored to reveal the great sites in the state of Texas, from lush forests to forbidding deserts to modern cities.

13:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E6 · Vermont Travel

Vermont

A helicopter view of the state provides a look at its famous scenery, with maple trees, classic red barns and green forests as far as the eye can see.

14:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S20 · E1 · Headline News True

Headline News

After three plane crashes make the front page of all the newspapers, the media starts putting pressure on the authorities to uncover the cause of these crashes.

15:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S19 · E2 · Rookie Errors True

Rookie Errors

After a cargo jet crashes into the Swedish Arctic, a team of investigators pours over the evidence and discovers a terrifying picture of chaos and confusion.

16:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S5 · E8 · Mixed Signals Documentary

Mixed Signals

In 1996 a Boeing 757 carrying returning vacationers back to Germany crashes soon after takeoff as the pilot's air speed indicator gives spurious readings.

17:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

Frozen Wings True

Frozen Wings

Experts analyze the crash of American Eagle Flight 4184 that got caught in icy conditions near Roselawn, Ind.

Evening

18:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S23 · E6 · Cockpit Catastrophe Documentary

Cockpit Catastrophe

When an Airbus A319 cockpit window explodes, investigators try to understand the freshly serviced aircraft was released with a fatal flaw.

19:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S20 · E8 · No Warning Documentary

No Warning

Safety systems are tested after a turbotop aircraft crashes into a mountainside before its approach to Papua, Indonesia and all 54 people on board are killed.

20:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S23 · E8 · Deadly Deception Documentary

Deadly Deception

A Bulgarian airliner gets hijacked and to save them the hijackers must be convinced that their demands have been met before the planes fuel runs out.

21:00 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.

22:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

Accidents in the Air True

Accidents in the Air

After the Flydubai Flight 981 enters a rapid descent and crashes in Russia, investigators realize that it aborted its second landing attempt in poor weather.

23:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S2 · E3 · Collision Course True

Collision Course

When a Greek ferry is pushed off course by strong waves, it crashes into some rocks and makes eighty passengers lose their lives waiting for a rescue.