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7 Episodes 2007 - 2007
Episode 1
Sat, Sep 1, 200727 mins
In this program the Smithsonian shares the bird and large mammal specimens donated by Teddy Roosevelt, the invertebrate specimens donated by John Steinbeck and the dresses and jokes donated by Phyllis Diller. Along the way we see the less well known side of these famous contributers that lead them to donate these items.
Episode 2
Sat, Feb 14, 202627 mins
Tom Cavanagh discovers what it means to be the best, the tiniest, the coldest and the most misunderstood. He explores the art of taxidermy at the National Museum of Natural History, the music of a Stradivarius cello at the National Museum of American History and the technology that scrunches the Bible into microscopic print.
Episode 3
Sat, Feb 14, 202626 mins
The Smithsonian hosts many homes in its collection that evidence American's nomadic lifestyles, specifically, teepees, trailer homes and spacesuits.
Episode 4
Sat, Feb 14, 202626 mins
Tom shares some of the Smithsonians more obscure collections; ants, women's underwear and their TV commercials, and orchids.
Episode 5
Mon, Nov 5, 200727 mins
Tom gets the first look at a new exhibit still under contraction at the Air and Space Museum dedicated to the development of the airline industry. Then he goes down into the vaults to look at Thomas Edison's very first light bulbs. Finally he gets to see the world's first video game which is demonstrated by a special guest.
Episode 6
Mon, Nov 12, 200727 mins
Tom's morbid curiosity takes him to the Smithsonian's osteoprep building where he learns about the methods used to preserve animal skeletons. Then he discovers some of the interesting items given to the Smithsonian by the US Postal Service's Dead Letter Office. Finally he gets to see the truly huge collection of the Smithsonian's marine mammals.
Episode 7
Mon, Nov 19, 200727 mins
Tom starts today's tour with the Smithsonian's photograph collection and learns the story behind some of Ansel Adams' classic pictures. Then he visits the National Zoo to see how the animals are trained to make it easier to feed and give them their periodic physical exams. Next he sees the wildly ornate piano that Teddy Roosevelt acquired for the White House. Finally, for those animals that didn't survive to star in the National Zoo, Tom checks out the cryogenic storage facility for their DNA.