Browse the full Smithsonian TV guide for Wednesday, 7 October 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
Mighty Cruise Ships
S1 · E6 · Marco Polo TravelMarco PoloThe Marco Polo delivers travelers to cities such as Copenhagen, St. Petersburg and Helsinki in late autumn, when crowds are smaller but travel is riskier. -
01:00 1h
Mighty Trains
S3 · E3 · Bernina Express ScienceBernina ExpressSwitzerland's Bernina Express travels from Switzerland to Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps, navigating through 55 tunnels and nearly 200 viaducts and bridges. -
02:00 1h
Mighty Trains
S1 · E5 · The Ghan ScienceThe GhanPassengers can explore the heart of Australia aboard a luxurious cruise train called The Ghan, which offers additional off-rail excursions at every stop. -
03:00 1h
Mighty Cruise Ships
S2 · E1 · Europa 2 TravelEuropa 2A minuscule cruise ship known as Europa 2 offers passengers a unique experience by leaving their Mediterranean destination up to a vote. -
04:00 1h
Mighty Cruise Ships
S4 · E5 · Costa Diadema TravelCosta DiademaCosta Diadema is a Dream-class cruise ship owned by Carnival Corporation which gives its 3,700 passengers the ultimate Mediterranean experience. -
05:00 1h
Mighty Cruise Ships
S1 · E4 · Celebrity Solstice TravelCelebrity SolsticeThe Celebrity Solstice carries nearly 3,000 passengers on a luxurious journey along Australia's northern coast, with 10 restaurants and 12 bars.
Morning
-
06:00 1h
Mighty Cruise Ships
S4 · E1 · Norwegian Joy TravelNorwegian JoyNorwegian Joy sails amid icebergs in Alaska's Inside Passage, treating guests to glaciers, humpback whales, and the largest zipline in the world. -
07:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S1 · E2 · Towers & Roofs ScienceTowers & RoofsAn in-depth look at numerous innovative structures around the world includes a Manhattan high-rise, an Athens cultural center and a university in Singapore. -
08:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S3 · E6 · Tricks & Trains ScienceTricks & TrainsEngineers are put to the test with a new Olympic and Paralympic museum's cutting-edge accessible design and a gravity-defying curved glass skyscraper in Milan. -
09:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S2 · E7 · Steep & Stunning ScienceSteep & StunningExploring the engineering and design history behind a renovated 145-year-old museum, an innovative condo in Miami and the world's steepest mountain railway. -
10:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S3 · E1 · Fantastic & Futuristic ScienceFantastic & FuturisticHost 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. -
11:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S2 · E3 · Retrofits & Airport Glitz ScienceRetrofits & Airport GlitzHost Jay Ellis goes to Hearst Tower in Manhattan and the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore and learns how designers try to create a worthy museum.
Daytime
-
12:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S1 · E7 · Sky Gardens & Seismic Stations ScienceSky Gardens & Seismic StationsDesigners and engineers share what inspired their radical structural ideas, including a massive sky garden in Singapore and the world's most slender tower. -
13:00 1h
How Did They Fix That?
S3 · E3 · Cirque Du Soleil High-Flying Fixes ScienceCirque Du Soleil High-Flying FixesHost Mike Davidson goes to Cirque Du Soleil to meet the talented teams that are in charge of maintaining the machines behind the circus' stage shows. -
14:00 1h
How Did They Fix That?
S2 · E7 · UPS Worldport ScienceUPS WorldportHost Mike Davidson visits the UPS Worldport, the biggest automated package sorting facility in the world, to see if it's in need of any repairs. -
15:00 1h
How Did They Fix That?
S3 · E1 · US Coast Guard: Safeguarding the Seas ScienceUS Coast Guard: Safeguarding the SeasHost Mike Davidson fixes vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard by replacing engine parts, removing a large can from a buoy and fixing a helicopter. -
16:00 1h
How Did They Fix That?
S2 · E1 · Powerships SciencePowershipsHost Mike Davidson goes to Brazil to meet up with a crew who's racing against the clock to use powerships to deliver electricity to a country in need. -
17:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S1 · E1 · Cantilevers & Lifts ScienceCantilevers & LiftsDesigners share what inspired their radical structural ideas, including a Manhattan skyscraper, a museum in Paris and a cliffside elevator in Hunan, China.
Evening
-
18:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S2 · E6 · Upside Down & Undersea ScienceUpside Down & UnderseaHost Jay Ellis goes to the Vancouver House, Norway's Under Restaurant and the Seattle Central Library to figure out how these visionary buildings were created. -
19:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S2 · E1 · Riverparks & Artworks ScienceRiverparks & ArtworksEngineers and architects discuss the stories behind the Hearst Tower in New York City, the Library Learning Centre in Vienna and the Audain Museum in Vancouver. -
20:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S4 · E5 · Ecobuilds & Earthquakes ScienceEcobuilds & EarthquakesHost Jay Ellis explores the construction of the many buildings designed to be both environmentally friendly and resistant to seismic activity. -
21:00 1h
How Did They Build That?
S5 · E10 · Sculptures & Skyscrapers ScienceSculptures & SkyscrapersSome of the most unique buildings, bridges and lifts in the world highlight the creativity of the engineers and architects behind their radical designs. -
22:00 1h
Ice Airport Alaska
S7 · E1 · Fuel's Gold OtherFuel's GoldFather-son aviators battle turbulence to refuel a remote mine, bush pilots fight an aerial jam to reach Alaska's biggest sled race. -
23:00 1h
Mayday: Air Disaster
S18 · E4 · Deadly Airspace DocumentaryDeadly AirspaceOn July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over the Ukraine-Russia border, killing all passengers and crew aboard.