Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Television

The cast of 'The Addams Family' poses for a publicity shot.

The Cultural History of ‘The Addams Family’

As the spooky clan makes a new appearance on the big screen, a look back on the mystery of their longevity

Fred Rogers, wearing his usual uniform of a cardigan and a tie, in the 1980s.

The Behind-the-Scenes Quest to Find Mister Rogers’ Signature Cardigans

The USPS, a $70 soup pot and whole lot of effort went into finding the perfect zip-up cardigan for Fred Rogers

TV's "Julia" premiered on September 17, 1968 and the show was an instant hit, winning actress Diahann Carroll (above with Marc Copage as Corey Baker) the Golden Globe Award for best actress in a comedy in its first season.

Was the 1968 TV Show ‘Julia’ a Milestone or a Millstone for Diversity?

Diahann Carroll’s award-winning series was a hit, but it delivered a sanitized view of African-American life

The museum will be housed in a former brothel known as the Shasta Room

Deadwood Is Getting a Brothel Museum

A non-profit is telling the local history of prostitution in the Wild West town, popularized by the HBO show of the same name

When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent.

New Research

Laugh Tracks Make Bad Jokes Funnier, According to Science

The bursts of audience laughter hated by TV critics do induce laughter, meaning the sit-com giggles are here to stay

The incomparable Bob Ross

New Investigation Answers Pressing Question: Whatever Happened to All of Bob Ross’ Paintings?

The artist produced almost 30,000 paintings over the course of his lifetime

Annette Sheppard, one of the ten glassmakers competing on "Blown Away."

The Spectacle and Drama of Netflix’s New Glassblowing Show Will Shatter Your Expectations

“Blown Away” showcases the incredible art form in an innovative reality competition series

Reverend Ralph Abernathy, flanked by associates, stand on steps of a mockup of the lunar module displaying a protest sign while demonstrating at the Apollo 11 launch.

While NASA Was Landing on the Moon, Many African Americans Sought Economic Justice Instead

For those living in poverty, the billions spent on the Apollo program, no matter how inspiring the mission, laid bare the nation’s priorities

"Seinfeld"'s Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Michael Richards

Trending Today

Hoochie Mama!: An Interactive ‘Seinfeld’ Experience Is Coming to New York

The attraction will include costumes, sets, a gift shop, yada, yada, yada

A woman looks at wreckage of trucks in the ghost city of Pripyat during a tour in the Chernobyl exclusion zone on June 7, 2019.

HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’ Miniseries Is Driving Tourists to the Nuclear Disaster Site

Chernobyl tourist agencies have reportedly experienced a 30 to 40 percent jump in bookings since the show’s premiere

The winning spellers made history with eight co-champions, the most number in the spelling event history.

The National Spelling Bee Ended in an Unprecedented Eight-Way Tie

“We’re basically throwing the dictionary at you,” pronouncer Jacques Bailly told the spellers. “[A]nd so far you are showing the dictionary who is boss”

The 92-second clip that shows the Fab Four playing their song “Paperback Writer.”

Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music

Lost Footage of One of the Beatles’ Last Live Performances Found in Attic

A man filmed the missing 1966 ‘Top of the Pops’ appearance from his TV set

It's safe to assume Mr. Rogers would've approved of 1-4-3 Day.

Pennsylvania Honors Mister Rogers With First Annual Day of Kindness

The holiday is dubbed 1-4-3 Day in a nod to the TV personality’s favorite phrase, “I love you”

Structures unearthed at Achtriochtan may be linked with the bloody massacre

Archaeologists Are Excavating Site of Scottish Massacre That Inspired the ‘Game of Thrones’ Red Wedding

In 1692, members of the Campbell clan turned on their MacDonald hosts, killing at least 38 men and sending women and children fleeing into the hills

The original Mary Sue

Pop History

The Women Who Coined the Term ‘Mary Sue’

The trope they named in a ‘Star Trek’ fan zine in 1973 continues to resonate in 2019

Trending Today

Sesame Street Is Now a Real Place

In honor of its 50th anniversary on air, New York City has officially named the corner of West 63rd and Broadway after the beloved children’s show

Why We Need a New Civil War Documentary

The success and brilliance of the new PBS series on Reconstruction is a reminder of the missed opportunity facing the nation

Cool Finds

Ring Containing Charlotte Brontë’s Hair Discovered in Attic

The piece of mourning jewelry includes an inscription and a little door covering a plaited lock of the Jane Eyre author’s hair

Suranne Jones stars as Anne Lister in "Gentleman Jack."

Women Who Shaped History

The 19th-Century Lesbian Landowner Who Set Out to Find a Wife

A new HBO series explores the remarkable life of Anne Lister, based on her voluminous and intimate diaries

Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon and Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse in Fosse/Verdon

How Broadway Legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon Made Headlines Long Before ‘Fosse/Verdon’

She was a megawatt performer, one of the best Broadway dancers of the last century, but it’s his influence that is remembered today

Page 11 of 23