SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL(TM) PROBES MORE MARITIME ACCIDENTS AND MYSTERIES IN A NEW SEASON OF

"DISASTERS AT SEA"

SEASON TWO PREMIERES JANUARY 5 AT 9 PM ET/PT

SEASON 14 OF HIT SERIES AIR DISASTERS ALSO RETURNS SUNDAY, JANUARY 5 AT 8 PM ET/PT

NEW YORK - December 3, 2019 - From a routine New York ferry trip that turned deadly to the mysterious loss of a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea, the question still remains - how and why do these maritime catastrophes happen? Smithsonian Channel will transport viewers to the scene of the accident in the second season of DISASTERS AT SEA, revealing what went wrong on these fatal voyages. Using eyewitness accounts, archival footage and dramatic reenactments, experts search for answers and provide invaluable knowledge on how to prevent future fatal accidents. The new season of DISASTERS AT SEA premieres Sunday, January 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

Season two of DISASTERS AT SEA continues to follow investigators as they uncover shocking revelations behind maritime disasters, and send Remotely Operated Vehicles equipped with cameras to the bottom of the sea floor to recover a ship's black box - the Voyage Data Recorder - in order to piece together what happened.

Leading up to DISASTERS AT SEA, long-running hit series AIR DISASTERS returns with another season of the most infamous aviation disasters. In this season, each episode examines multiple cases under a central theme - revisiting the toughest cases, from maintenance issues to dangerous cargo and extreme weather to find the exact cause of every accident. Season 14 of AIR DISASTERS premieres Sunday, January 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

DISASTERS AT SEA is produced by Exploration Production Inc. in association with Smithsonian Networks and Discovery Channel (Canada). Executive producer for EPI is Kelly McKeown. Bruce Glawson is executive producer for Discovery. Tim Evans and David Royle are executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

AIR DISASTERS is produced by Cineflix (Mayday 20) Inc. for Smithsonian Channel. Alex Bystram is the executive producer for Cineflix. Joy Galane and David Royle are executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

Smithsonian Channel(TM), offered by Smithsonian Networks(TM) 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(R) and Peabody awards for its programming, combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME(R) 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(TM), 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.