Smithsonian Channel

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

In Chicago, twin concrete towers push the limits of high-rise design. Engineers conquer the sea to unite Sweden and Denmark. And in Sydney, Norman Foster and team take on the challenge of a new metro station that can't disrupt the busy streets above.

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

In Oklahoma, a sacred spiral mound rises on a former oilfield, honouring 39 tribes; London's crumbling Battersea Power Station is reborn with two million new bricks. And in Spain, Frank Gehry crowns a historic winery.

The East and the West fail in their attempts to limit the threat posed by nuclear weapons; the great power competition destroys the Arctic, causes missile accidents, and claims human lives in space.

An inside look at the U.S. Air Force's largest aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy; its most dramatic combat and peacetime missions over the last 50 years.

The tales behind the Blitz; the employment of German speaking radio controllers to confuse Luftwaffe pilots; the French spy who helped the RAF.

A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

As German resources began to run thin as the War progressed, Hitler and Goebbels promoted Wonder Weapons as a way to pave a new path towards victory.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

As German resources began to run thin as the War progressed, Hitler and Goebbels promoted Wonder Weapons as a way to pave a new path towards victory.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

As German resources began to run thin as the War progressed, Hitler and Goebbels promoted Wonder Weapons as a way to pave a new path towards victory.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

Salvor and treasure seeker Phil Risko sets out to retrieve valuable 80-year-old hardwood logs from the bottom of the sea; a multi-million dollar cruise vessel undergoes emergency repairs in Panama.

Bill Nighy narrates a trip along the River Po, traveling across northern Italy from the snow-capped Alps to the delta where it meets the Adriatic Sea.

Come across a set of disturbingly familiar stone monoliths in Colombia, then explore a lost city in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta; puzzle over an ancient ruin in Corinth, Greece, and explore an old structure on a Maltese island.

Responding to an emergency call, Northstar marine sets out to salvage a sunken tug in the Delaware Bay; following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sally, Capt. Chris Ward and his crew work to salvage sunken sailboats and wrecked powerboats.

Bill Nighy narrates a trip along the River Po, traveling across northern Italy from the snow-capped Alps to the delta where it meets the Adriatic Sea.

Come across a set of disturbingly familiar stone monoliths in Colombia, then explore a lost city in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta; puzzle over an ancient ruin in Corinth, Greece, and explore an old structure on a Maltese island.

Tease out the common denominators that lead to tyranny; map the rise of some of the 20th century's dictators and discover how they seized power, exploited governing systems and gutted existing power structures to gain total control.

Uncover the sinister ways that dictators convince their followers to worship them as heroes; watch how they weave mythical narratives around their abilities, selling themselves as saviors who should hold absolute power over the people.

Dictators may appear omnipotent, but their position depends largely on a network of individuals who benefit from their rule, and their support does not come cheap.

Dictators are characterized as charismatic, narcissistic and sadistic, but most of all by their thirst for power; once in power, holding on to it requires negotiation, coercion and force.

Dictators often attempt to expand their jurisdiction beyond the borders of their country; this usually means armed invasion and the death of large numbers of soldiers and civilians.

Consider the factors that inevitably cause dictatorships to crumble; look at how hubris destroys cults of personality; see how factions fracture military dictatorships; weigh the miscalculations that turn the tide against tyranny.

A look at life in the Pacific before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, presented through home movies and combat footage.

As German resources began to run thin as the War progressed, Hitler and Goebbels promoted Wonder Weapons as a way to pave a new path towards victory.

Revisit Colditz Castle, a Nazi fortress where breakouts featured human catapults and clever disguises; meet the pilots who staged the famed Great Escape from a Polish stalag; see how 32 POWs pulled off the Warburg Wire Job in just one minute.

Lord Foster's five-winged steel towers cool Abu Dhabi's national museum naturally. Robots 3D-print a steel bridge in Amsterdam & a concrete tower in Switzerland. And in Sydney, engineers pump out the harbour to build a fish market.

Mike Davidson goes to the biggest automated package sorting facility in the world, UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky; two million packages go through here every day.

A mission to haul hefty cargo across Switzerland to the Netherlands, going through four countries with critical repairs at every turn.

Lord Foster's five-winged steel towers cool Abu Dhabi's national museum naturally. Robots 3D-print a steel bridge in Amsterdam & a concrete tower in Switzerland. And in Sydney, engineers pump out the harbour to build a fish market.

Mike Davidson goes to the biggest automated package sorting facility in the world, UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky; two million packages go through here every day.

A mission to haul hefty cargo across Switzerland to the Netherlands, going through four countries with critical repairs at every turn.

Lord Foster's five-winged steel towers cool Abu Dhabi's national museum naturally. Robots 3D-print a steel bridge in Amsterdam & a concrete tower in Switzerland. And in Sydney, engineers pump out the harbour to build a fish market.

Mike Davidson goes to the biggest automated package sorting facility in the world, UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky; two million packages go through here every day.

A mission to haul hefty cargo across Switzerland to the Netherlands, going through four countries with critical repairs at every turn.

Responding to an emergency call, Northstar marine sets out to salvage a sunken tug in the Delaware Bay; following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sally, Capt. Chris Ward and his crew work to salvage sunken sailboats and wrecked powerboats.

Bill Nighy leads a magical journey in the Norfolk Broads along England's holiday river, the River Bure; discovering a watery world where both wildlife and recreation go hand in hand.

Unlock an abandoned site on a remote Antarctic isle and check out mysterious shapes in the Finnish snow. Puzzle over an inexplicable monolith in the far reaches of Norway, then get shocked by a blood-red frozen waterfall at the bottom of the world.

A mysterious object is raised from the depths of the ocean; a stranded speedboat; an elite crew works to salvage America's biggest shipwreck before hurricane season.

Bill Nighy leads a magical journey in the Norfolk Broads along England's holiday river, the River Bure; discovering a watery world where both wildlife and recreation go hand in hand.

Unlock an abandoned site on a remote Antarctic isle and check out mysterious shapes in the Finnish snow. Puzzle over an inexplicable monolith in the far reaches of Norway, then get shocked by a blood-red frozen waterfall at the bottom of the world.

A mysterious object is raised from the depths of the ocean; a stranded speedboat; an elite crew works to salvage America's biggest shipwreck before hurricane season.

A 284ft wooden skyscraper built from 1,200 bespoke pieces tests fire safety limits in Milwaukee; a decaying Amsterdam crane track transforms into glass offices; a needle-thin tower stacks 28 apartments onto a 21ft-wide plot in Melbourne, Australia.

Host Mike Davidson goes to the remote Atacama Desert in Chile; at observatory ALMA he works alongside the expert team as they repair some of the world's biggest antennas.

Lord Foster's five-winged steel towers cool Abu Dhabi's national museum naturally. Robots 3D-print a steel bridge in Amsterdam & a concrete tower in Switzerland. And in Sydney, engineers pump out the harbour to build a fish market.

Mike Davidson goes to the biggest automated package sorting facility in the world, UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky; two million packages go through here every day.

A mission to haul hefty cargo across Switzerland to the Netherlands, going through four countries with critical repairs at every turn.

Lord Foster's five-winged steel towers cool Abu Dhabi's national museum naturally. Robots 3D-print a steel bridge in Amsterdam & a concrete tower in Switzerland. And in Sydney, engineers pump out the harbour to build a fish market.

Mike Davidson goes to the biggest automated package sorting facility in the world, UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky; two million packages go through here every day.

A mission to haul hefty cargo across Switzerland to the Netherlands, going through four countries with critical repairs at every turn.

Find out how the highly adaptable Douglas DC-3 revolutionized air travel, flying farther and more safely than previous commercial aircraft; Then discover how this model reinvented itself as a cargo- and paratrooper-carrying workhorse for the Allies.

Soar over the frozen Bering Sea as a heavy-hauling helicopter makes its way to a tiny island just 2.4 miles from Russia; prepare for a medevac mission with the Arctic Angels and listen in as a veteran bush pilot tests his grandson's flying skills.

Viewing Southern Italy from the air; Greek temples on the Mediterranean; cities that just seem to float above the sea; one of the most powerful volcanoes on Earth.

Find out how the highly adaptable Douglas DC-3 revolutionized air travel, flying farther and more safely than previous commercial aircraft; Then discover how this model reinvented itself as a cargo- and paratrooper-carrying workhorse for the Allies.

Soar over the frozen Bering Sea as a heavy-hauling helicopter makes its way to a tiny island just 2.4 miles from Russia; prepare for a medevac mission with the Arctic Angels and listen in as a veteran bush pilot tests his grandson's flying skills.

Viewing Southern Italy from the air; Greek temples on the Mediterranean; cities that just seem to float above the sea; one of the most powerful volcanoes on Earth.

Find out how the highly adaptable Douglas DC-3 revolutionized air travel, flying farther and more safely than previous commercial aircraft; Then discover how this model reinvented itself as a cargo- and paratrooper-carrying workhorse for the Allies.

Soar over the frozen Bering Sea as a heavy-hauling helicopter makes its way to a tiny island just 2.4 miles from Russia; prepare for a medevac mission with the Arctic Angels and listen in as a veteran bush pilot tests his grandson's flying skills.

A 284ft wooden skyscraper built from 1,200 bespoke pieces tests fire safety limits in Milwaukee; a decaying Amsterdam crane track transforms into glass offices; a needle-thin tower stacks 28 apartments onto a 21ft-wide plot in Melbourne, Australia.

Host Mike Davidson goes to the remote Atacama Desert in Chile; at observatory ALMA he works alongside the expert team as they repair some of the world's biggest antennas.

Traveling the Dordogne River via traditional boats through the green heart of southwest France; drinking wine and hunting for truffles; riding a luxury cruiser to a lighthouse built for a king.

The view from above reveals baffling behavior from one of the ocean's fastest fish; whales with a strange, aquatic accessorizing habit; a confounding congregation of sharks down under; a perplexing collection of circles decorating the seabed.

A salvage maestro returns to raise more valuable tropical hardwood trying not to wreck his own boat in the process; the multimillion dollar operation to salvage America's biggest shipwreck.

Traveling the Dordogne River via traditional boats through the green heart of southwest France; drinking wine and hunting for truffles; riding a luxury cruiser to a lighthouse built for a king.

The view from above reveals baffling behavior from one of the ocean's fastest fish; whales with a strange, aquatic accessorizing habit; a confounding congregation of sharks down under; a perplexing collection of circles decorating the seabed.

A salvage maestro returns to raise more valuable tropical hardwood trying not to wreck his own boat in the process; the multimillion dollar operation to salvage America's biggest shipwreck.

Building an eco-friendly visitor center in the permafrost on Colorado's Pikes Peak tests the team. A museum is constructed in a disused dry dock that's in danger of collapse.

Diving into retrofits on the world's only underwater habitat, where NASA astronauts train for space missions; Mike joins a crack repair team who breathe new life into this oceanic environment after a global pandemic shut it down.

Find out how the highly adaptable Douglas DC-3 revolutionized air travel, flying farther and more safely than previous commercial aircraft; Then discover how this model reinvented itself as a cargo- and paratrooper-carrying workhorse for the Allies.

Soar over the frozen Bering Sea as a heavy-hauling helicopter makes its way to a tiny island just 2.4 miles from Russia; prepare for a medevac mission with the Arctic Angels and listen in as a veteran bush pilot tests his grandson's flying skills.

Viewing Southern Italy from the air; Greek temples on the Mediterranean; cities that just seem to float above the sea; one of the most powerful volcanoes on Earth.

Find out how the highly adaptable Douglas DC-3 revolutionized air travel, flying farther and more safely than previous commercial aircraft; Then discover how this model reinvented itself as a cargo- and paratrooper-carrying workhorse for the Allies.

Soar over the frozen Bering Sea as a heavy-hauling helicopter makes its way to a tiny island just 2.4 miles from Russia; prepare for a medevac mission with the Arctic Angels and listen in as a veteran bush pilot tests his grandson's flying skills.

Viewing Southern Italy from the air; Greek temples on the Mediterranean; cities that just seem to float above the sea; one of the most powerful volcanoes on Earth.

A member of the Osage Nation investigates the series of murders and unexplained deaths that struck the oil-rich tribe in the 1920s.

In less than 200 years, the Aztecs rose from nomadic origins to build the powerful empire of Tenochtitlan. Combining archaeology and stunning 3D reconstructions, this series reveals the rise and fall of a remarkable civilization.

Uncover the sinister ways that dictators convince their followers to worship them as heroes; watch how they weave mythical narratives around their abilities, selling themselves as saviors who should hold absolute power over the people.

A member of the Osage Nation investigates the series of murders and unexplained deaths that struck the oil-rich tribe in the 1920s.

In less than 200 years, the Aztecs rose from nomadic origins to build the powerful empire of Tenochtitlan. Combining archaeology and stunning 3D reconstructions, this series reveals the rise and fall of a remarkable civilization.