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Television

In the television adaptation, Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke play point-of-view characters Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.

Art Meets Science

Data Science, Psychology Reveal Why the ‘Game of Thrones’ Books Are So Riveting

A network model demonstrates how George R.R. Martin’s sprawling series remains comprehensible but surprising

The Santa Claus and Rudolph puppets are expected to sell for between $150,000 and $250,000.

Iconic ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ Puppets Are Up for Auction

You could own the Santa and Rudolph figurines featured in the classic 1964 holiday special

A new form of entertainment and a wandering trainload of frozen turkey triggered a convenience food boom.

A Brief History of the TV Dinner

Thanksgiving’s most unexpected legacy is heating up again

Ethan Hawke plays abolitionist John Brown in Showtime's "The Good Lord Bird."

‘The Good Lord Bird’ Paints a Different Portrait of Abolitionist John Brown

In a year of anti-racism protests, the new Showtime series focuses on the polarizing abolitionist who led a raid on Harper’s Ferry

Raymond Burr as detective Perry Mason in "Case of the Deadly Toy."

What Perry Mason Taught Americans About the Criminal Justice System

How one of the first courtroom dramas has shaped what we watch and how we see the law

Nickelodon's slime in Space in the cupola of the International Space Station.

Astronauts Got Slimed in Space for Science

Nickelodeon teamed up with NASA to send packets of green slime into space to test its behavior in microgravity and to create a virtual field trip for kids

Elle Fanning portrays the eponymous empress in Hulu's "The Great."

Based on a True Story

The True Story of Catherine the Great

Hulu’s “The Great” offers an irreverent, ahistorical take on the Russian empress’ life. This is the real history behind the period comedy

"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" was a funky, lighthearted alternative to the action cartoons that, for years, had dominated Saturday morning lineups.

How Scooby-Doo’s Origins Are Related to the RFK Assassination

The senator’s death changed Saturday morning cartoons and paved the way for the gang of “meddling kids” to become a TV hit

A Labrador retriever, but you probably knew that already, given that this pooch is America's most popular breed

Labrador Tops Most Popular Dog Breed List for 29th Year in a Row

The rankings stay much the same from year to year, but in 2019, Pembroke Welsh corgis broke the top ten for the first time

Charles Lindbergh, Walter Winchell and Franklin D. Roosevelt (L to R) are among the public figures fictionalized in Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.

Based on a True Story

The True History Behind ‘The Plot Against America’

Philip Roth’s classic novel, newly adapted by HBO, envisions a world in which Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election

Left: Walker in 1912; Right: Octavia Spencer as the inspiring businesswoman in the Netflix series “Self Made,” which debuts this month.

Women Who Shaped History

Madam C.J. Walker Gets a Netflix Close-Up

A turn-of-the-century hair-care magnate who shared her wealth gets the spotlight

Presenting Smithsonian magazine's top ten stories of 2019

Our Top Ten Stories of 2019

From a 16-million-year-old tree to Confederate soldiers’ diaries, voracious snakes and England’s warrior king, these were the most-read stories of 2019

When the special finally aired in 1964, it became such a hit that it has been rebroadcast every year since, making it the longest-running Christmas special in history.

The Magical Animation of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’

The Christmas television special—the longest running in history—was groundbreaking in its use of stop-motion animation with puppets

Mrs. Maisel's pink wool house coat and peignoir nightgown, worn in the pilot episode, and black dress, worn in the season one finale

Two Dresses From ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Are Coming to the Smithsonian

Though plans aren’t finalized, the costumes might feature in the National Museum of American History’s upcoming “Entertaining America” exhibition

Helpers fill sandbags on the tip above the shattered Pantglas Junior School to divert a spring and avert the risk of further landslides at Aberfan, South Wales.

Based on a True Story

The True Story of the Aberfan Disaster

The 1966 Welsh mining tragedy claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults and features heavily in the third season of Netflix’s “The Crown”

The design of "Sesame Street" was based on rows of brownstones found in Manhattan's Harlem and Upper West Side and the Bronx.

The Unmistakable Black Roots of ‘Sesame Street’

Making its debut in 1969, the beloved children’s television show was shaped by the African-American communities in Harlem and beyond

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Smithsonian Voices

A Conversation With Katie Couric and 23 Other Smithsonian Associates Events in November

A Conversation with Katie Couric and 23 Other Things to Do at the Smithsonian in November

Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies portray Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Based on a True Story

Watch the New Trailer for Season Three of ‘The Crown’

The hit Netflix show returns November 17 with a new cast and will focus on events from the 1960s and ‘70s

The fifth season of BBC drama "Peaky Blinders" is available now on Netflix

Based on a True Story

Who Were the Real ‘Peaky Blinders’?

The Shelby family is fictional, but a real street gang operated in Birmingham at the turn of the 20th century

Netflix's animated series, Carmen Sandiego, just released its second season.

How a Generation Became Obsessed With Tracking Down Carmen Sandiego

The globe-trotting thief of the popular 1985 computer game is back at it in a second season of an animated Netflix series

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