Smithsonian TV Guide — Monday TV Listings & Schedule

Browse the full Smithsonian TV guide for Monday, 31 August 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

Mayday: Air Disaster

S12 · E4 · Pushed to the Limit True

Pushed to the Limit

A flight from Jakarta, Indonesia crashes into the Musi River, and the limited evidence leads investigators to three different conclusions about what happened.

01:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S25 · E9 · Collision Catastrophe Documentary

Collision Catastrophe

German investigators are stumped when two planes collide while flying in the skies over southern Germany.

02:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

Hero Pilots True

Hero Pilots

A compilation of true stories are presented about dangerous situations where an airline captain's years' of training are put to the test when a crisis strikes.

03:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S5 · E9 · Fatal Distraction Documentary

Fatal Distraction

A Lockheed L-1011 slips out of autopilot mode unnoticed as its crew tries to determine if its nose wheel is working properly so that they can land safely.

04:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S18 · E8 · Deadly Inclination Documentary

Deadly Inclination

On November 14, 1990, Alitalia Flight 404, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, crashed into the woodlands of Weiach in Zurich, while on a flight from Milan to Zurich.

05:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S15 · E3 · High Rise Catastrophe Documentary

High Rise Catastrophe

Flight 1862 going from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv is involved in a catastrophic collision; investigators try to uncover a lethal problem on every 747 aircraft.

Morning

06:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S1 · E9 · Deadly Distractions True

Deadly Distractions

Stories about pilots who have broken the sterile cockpit rule are featured, which requires pilots to refrain from non-essential activities in the cockpit.

07:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S19 · E4 · Engines Out True

Engines Out

Examining near-fatal accidents caused by engine failures.

08:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S5 · E6 · Southern Storm Documentary

Southern Storm

The pilots of a DC-9 leaving Huntsville, Alabama fly into a thunderstorm and encounter hail that breaks the plane's windshield and kills both engines.

09:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S9 · E8 · Cracks in the System True

Cracks in the System

In 2005, a 1947 flying boat carrying passengers from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to the Bahamas lost its right wing and plunged into the ocean near Miami Beach.

10:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S22 · E6 · Peril over Portugal True

Peril over Portugal

DC-10 Martinair Flight 495 is on final approach when it crashes, tears apart and slides off the runway amidst thunderstorms and heavy rain.

11:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S16 · E7 · Mission Disaster True

Mission Disaster

U.S. Air Force pilots abort their refueling mission and try to land their plane after they lose two engines near enemy territory.

Daytime

12:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S23 · E5 · Training Ignored True

Training Ignored

The highly trained pilots of three separate aircrafts get caught out because they ignored their training when they really needed it the most.

13:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S23 · E3 · Pressure Point Documentary

Pressure Point

A team of investigators try to determine the cause of the single deadliest aircraft accident which claimed 520 lives, the 1985 crash of Japan Airlines 123.

14:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S3 · E12 · Head On Collision True

Head On Collision

In Alberta a westbound freight train on a Canadian National Railway branch line fails to stop at a signal because the drivers have fallen asleep.

15:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S10 · E6 · Who's in Control? Documentary

Who's in Control?

A Turkish Airlines flight crashed when its radio altimeter failed and the computer controlling the autothrottle lowered its engines to idle speed.

16:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S18 · E6 · Deadly Mission Documentary

Deadly Mission

After a commercial spacecraft explodes, the National Transportation Safety Board investigates what caused the accident and how to prevent it.

17:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S2 · E8 · Breakthroughs & Bridges Science

Breakthroughs & Bridges

Exploring the engineering and design wonders of Seattle's Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Lyon's Musee des Confluences and London's Gherkin.

Evening

18:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S1 · E3 · Biomes & Rebuilds Science

Biomes & Rebuilds

An exploration of various radical architectural designs includes a look at a London railway station, giant biodomes in Singapore and a hospital in Las Vegas.

19:00 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.

20:00 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.

21:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S5 · E6 · Twists & Turns Science

Twists & Turns

Witness amazing buildings, bridges, lifts, and other structures that pushed structural concrete engineering to the edge.

22:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S4 · E5 · Ecobuilds & Earthquakes Science

Ecobuilds & Earthquakes

Host Jay Ellis explores the construction of the many buildings designed to be both environmentally friendly and resistant to seismic activity.

23:00 1h

How Did They Build That?

S5 · E6 · Twists & Turns Science

Twists & Turns

Witness amazing buildings, bridges, lifts, and other structures that pushed structural concrete engineering to the edge.