Smithsonian Channel Presents RISE OF THE SUPERCARRIER

Set sail on HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest and most advanced warship ever built in Great Britain, in Smithsonian Channel's RISE OF THE SUPERCARRIER. Filmed over three years, with exclusive and unprecedented access, the new three-part series takes viewers on an intimate and extraordinary journey with the Royal Navy, as 700 sailors learn the intricacies of the new warship and are pushed to their breaking points. RISE OF THE SUPERCARRIER premieres Sunday, October 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

In the premiere episode, BIRTH OF A GIANT, HMS Queen Elizabeth is still under construction at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland, where Captain Jerry Kyd and his sailors take up their posts to prepare for dangerous sea trials. The sailors endure rigorous fire and flood training, working quickly and efficiently as teams, to prepare for the difficult life out at sea. "The ship is just a metal box," Captain Kyd says. "It's only when you add in the human component of blood and flesh does it become a warship." After 20 years of technical and scientific development, eight years of engineering and construction and two years to assemble and train the ship's company, HMS Queen Elizabeth prepares to go to sea for the very first time.

Subsequent episodes of RISE OF THE SUPERCARRIER are:

DO OR DIE

Premieres Sunday, October 20 at 9 p.m.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is full steam ahead as she embarks on dangerous sea trials in the North Sea. Problems arise after only one day at sea, from an explosion in a cooling plant and a fuel leak in one of the main engine spaces to an alarm alerting the crew of a man overboard - revealing the harsh realities of life on a warship. The sailors must test everything on the ship for the first time and ask questions at every turn: What is the supercarrier's top speed? How stable is she in rough waters? While working under pressure and responding quickly to each emergency, the ship's company becomes a seaborne community.

TRIALS AT SEA

Premieres Sunday, October 27 at 9 p.m.

The grueling sea trials near an end, but not before HMS Queen Elizabeth moves at greater speeds to make a dramatic rendezvous with American carrier USS George H.W. Bush and a major battle group of international warships. For the first time, the ship's key innovation, the automatic flight-deck firefighting system, is tested. The supercarrier marks an astonishing naval centenary with a visit to the Orkney Islands off of Scotland, 100 years to the day after an aircraft first successfully landed on a moving vessel. Before heading to her home port for the next 50 years, the warship receives a special visit by her namesake, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

RISE OF THE SUPERCARRIER is produced by STV Productions and Uppercut Films Limited for Smithsonian Channel and BBC. The series is directed, filmed and written by Chris Terrill; Alan Clements and Christine Hall serve as executive producers. Charles Poe, Tim Evans and David Royle are executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

Smithsonian Channel™, offered by Smithsonian Networks™ which is owned and operated by Showtime Networks Inc., is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing factual entertainment, available in HD and 4K Ultra HD across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel, winner of Emmy® and Peabody awards for its programming, combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME® with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian Institution, to create programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, travel, history, science, nature and Pop culture. Among the network's offerings are series including Aerial America, America in Color, America's Hidden Stories, Apollo's Moon Shot, THE PACIFIC WAR IN COLOR and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include The Coronation, The Green Book: Guide to Freedom and Black Hole Hunters. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Channel Plus™, a subscription video streaming service delivering over a thousand hours of the Channel's stunning and diverse library of documentaries and series in HD and 4K Ultra HD. Smithsonian Channel is also available internationally in Canada, Singapore, Latin America and the UK. To learn more, go to www.smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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