Smithsonian TV Guide — Sunday TV Listings & Schedule

Browse the full Smithsonian TV guide for Sunday, 30 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

Aerial America

S1 · E12 · Massachusetts Travel

Massachusetts

The sights of the Bay State span hundreds of years, including the Pilgrims' landing place, the highway on which Paul Revere rode and Boston's sports venues.

01:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S13 · E9 · Terror in Paradise True

Terror in Paradise

A plane of an airline linking the islands of French Polynesia leaves Moorea Island for Tahiti, but two minutes out it suddenly dives into the ocean.

02:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S3 · E2 · Attack Over Baghdad True

Attack Over Baghdad

In November 2003, insurgents in Iraq fire at an air freighter owned by European Air Transport; the hit takes out its hydraulics and sets its left wing ablaze.

03:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S10 · E1 · Cockpit Failure True

Cockpit Failure

A regional airliner crashed as it was trying to land at Zurich, Switzerland, and it was determined that the captain went below the minimum descent altitude.

04:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S7 · E6 · Sight Unseen Documentary

Sight Unseen

An Air Kazakhstan flight over India failed to maintain the altitude assigned to it and collided with a Boeing 747, killing all 349 people on both planes.

05:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S15 · E2 · Terror in San Francisco Documentary

Terror in San Francisco

In 2013, a flight from South Korea approaches the runway at San Francisco but comes in too low, striking the seawall and breaking off the tail section.

Morning

06:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S25 · E3 · Power Struggle Documentary

Power Struggle

Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashed into the Java Sea after a hard left bank, revealing deadly defects in the investigation that followed.

07:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E63 · Natural Wonders Travel

Natural Wonders

A collection of aerial views of America's natural wonders includes the story of the original debates over how the Grand Canyon was formed.

08:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E4 · Connecticut Travel

Connecticut

A tour of the historic state by air shows towns with colonial-era churches and meeting houses built around village greens as well as a 17th-century university.

09:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E5 · Tennessee Travel

Tennessee

An aerial tour of the width of the state reveals mountains and rivers, Civil War battlefields, and the cities where country music and the blues were born.

10:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E7 · Arkansas Travel

Arkansas

From the air, the green forests and the spectacular terrain of the Ozark Mountains and the wide Arkansas and Mississippi rivers are impressive sights.

11:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E17 · North Carolina Travel

North Carolina

The Tar Heel State has mountains, a picturesque coastline and the U.S.' first gold mine, and it is famed as the site of the Wright Brothers' first flight.

Daytime

12:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E20 · New Mexico Travel

New Mexico

From the air, the Land of Enchantment displays the Rio Grande Rift, dormant volcanoes and adobe villages, and the birthplace of atomic weapons.

13:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E43 · Wyoming Travel

Wyoming

The striking landscapes of Wyoming have witnessed much history, from the expeditions of mountain men such as Jim Bridger to women's rights pioneers.

14:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E65 · Trailblazers Travel

Trailblazers

A helicopter team travels from coast-to-coast seeking out landmarks that celebrate over two centuries of leaders who had a hand in shaping America's history.

15:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E39 · Idaho Travel

Idaho

The millions of acres of untamed land and great ancient stones of the state of Idaho are explored, featuring a look at the state's unique visual treasures.

16:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E58 · Northern California Travel

Northern California

An aerial crew presents a dramatic view of Northern California where the region displays natural landmarks and historical manmade structures.

17:00 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.

Evening

18:00 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.

19:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S20 · E15 · Mountain Impact True

Mountain Impact

Investigators discover critical weaknesses in the operations necessary for aircraft to avoid flying into mountains after three terrifying crashes.

20:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S19 · E9 · Football Tragedy True

Football Tragedy

A chartered plane carrying the Brazilian Chapecoense soccer team, crashed on their way from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, to Medellin, Colombia in 2016.

21:00 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.

22:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S1 · E5 · Explosive Evidence True

Explosive Evidence

An examination of the changes that occur in the aviation industry when civilian airliners crash as investigators try to determine the catalyst of the disaster.

23:00 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.