or


[02/19/14 - 09:36 AM]
"Treblinka: Hitler's Killing Machine" Premieres March 29 at 8:00 PM ET on Smithsonian Channel(TM)
The special follows the quest to finally uncover clues that reveal the brutal mechanics behind an operation designed to murder people on a mass scale.

[via press release from Smithsonian Channel]

FORENSIC INVESTIGATION AT SECRET NAZI DEATH CAMP REVEALS EVIDENCE OF GAS CHAMBER AT SITE WHERE 900,000 VANISHED

"TREBLINKA: HITLER'S KILLING MACHINE"

PREMIERES MARCH 29 AT 8:00 PM ET ON SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL(TM)

Excavation Led By Forensic Archaeologist Caroline Sturdy Colls

New York, February 18, 2014 -It's one of the most notorious cold cases of World War II -- 900,000 Jews transported by the Nazis to a camp in eastern Poland, never to be seen again. Rare documents and eyewitnesses claimed Treblinka was a death camp even more ruthlessly efficient than Auschwitz-Birkenau, but evidence was thin, because the Nazis destroyed all traces of the camp. Holocaust deniers have even claimed that it was only a transit camp. Now, 70 years later, a forensic investigator and her team have gained unprecedented access to excavate the site for the first time.

TREBLINKA: HITLER'S KILLING MACHINE, premiering Saturday, March 29 at 8pm ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel follows their quest to finally uncover clues that reveal the brutal mechanics behind an operation designed to murder people on a mass scale. It is airing as part of "Women in Science," Smithsonian Channel's special month-long programming block celebrating Women's History Month.

Today, all that is visible where two camps once stood is the Treblinka Memorial and surrounding forest. No security fencing. No buildings. No gas chambers. Nothing to indicate that from 1942-43, the Nazis exterminated 900,000 people as part of Operation Reinhard, the official name for what is now known as the Holocaust. Now, thanks to work by British forensic archaeologist Dr. Caroline Sturdy Colls and her team, the full story of Hitler's killing machine can be told.

The finds documented in TREBLINKA: HITLER'S KILLING MACHINE are significant and chilling, even 70 years after the mass murder. Dr. Caroline Sturdy Colls and her team discovered three previously unidentified mass graves at Treblinka 1, which some thought had only been a labor camp. They also pinpointed the location of a gas chamber and other physical structures at Treblinka 2, the main extermination camp. The team uncovered human remains, personal artifacts and pieces of tile with the Jewish star imprint which match eyewitness descriptions of a gas chamber that had been designed to look like a bathhouse. She also reinforces her suspicions that the death camp was even larger than previously thought.

Sturdy Colls leads a team of archaeologists from the United Kingdom and the Treblinka Museum on a six-year endeavor to answer questions that have persisted for seven decades. It is a monumental undertaking that requires permission from both Polish and Jewish authorities to gain unprecedented access to conduct an archaeological dig at the site. Until now, rabbinical law--which forbids disturbing human remains--has prevented any investigation of what lies beneath the topsoil. In the film, Sturdy Colls meets with the Chief Rabbi of Poland on precisely how to proceed.

In 1943, with Treblinka's grisly mission accomplished, the Nazis tried to eradicate the evidence. To conceal their crimes, they destroyed all structures, leveled the earth, built it up on landfill, added a farmhouse, and installed a Ukrainian "farmer." To pinpoint the most likely areas to excavate, Sturdy Colls deployed cutting-edge aerial photography called LIDAR, which creates a picture of the landscape with no foliage. She identified faint imprints in the ground that could be the original foundations of the camp.

TREBLINKA: HITLER'S KILLING MACHINE follows the progress of the excavation and transports viewers back in time through archival and eyewitness accounts by the few who managed to survive the camp - some of whom have never before spoken publicly about what they saw and endured. One of them, Samuel Willenberg, was the sole survivor from a train of 6,000 people.

The excavation documented in TREBLINKA: HITLER'S KILLING MACHINE is only the beginning. Dr. Caroline Sturdy Colls will be returning to Poland to investigate Treblinka's gas chambers further and to conduct excavations at other Nazi death camps.

TREBLINKA: HITLER'S KILLING MACHINE is produced by Furneaux and Edgar/GroupM Entertainment for Smithsonian Networks in association with Channel 5. Charles Furneaux is Executive Producer for Furneaux and Edgar. Executive Producers for Smithsonian Channel are Tim Evans, Charles Poe and David Royle.

Smithsonian Channel is owned by Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution. Its programs are largely inspired by the assets of the world's largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available to customers of DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.





  [february 2014]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[04/25/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Earnhardt" - Official Trailer - Prime Video
Start your engines. "Earnhardt" premieres May 22 on Prime Video.

[04/25/25 - 09:12 AM]
One Hell of A Week in New York City with "The Walking Dead: Dead City" Beginning Sunday, April 27 through Wednesday, April 30
AMC is partnering with iconic NYC establishments and events, including the Empire State Building, Citi Field, the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon, PopUp Bagels and more, featuring merchandise giveaways and the show's iconic Walkers.

[04/25/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Sirens" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Worried about her sister's too-close relationship with her billionaire boss, a scrappy everywoman seeks answers at a lavish seaside estate.

[04/25/25 - 08:00 AM]
Peacock Sets Streaming Debut Dates for Focus Features' "Black Bag" and Universal Pictures' "Love Hurts"
Steven Soderbergh's "Black Bag" streams exclusively on Peacock beginning May 2; while Jonathan Eusebio's "Love Hurts" is due on May 9.

[04/24/25 - 01:04 PM]
Saddle Up! New Docuseries "Not Her First Rodeo" Lands at Hulu and Freeform
From ABC News Studios, "Not Her First Rodeo" is a six-part docuseries inside the adrenaline-fueled world of professional bull riding.

[04/24/25 - 12:12 PM]
Jeffrey Dean Morgan Asks Where the X Am I? in NBC's New Travel Competition Series "Destination X," Premiering Tuesday, May 27 at 10 P.M. ET/PT
Viewers can catch an exclusive sneak peek of the series after the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3 at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT and MT, and 7:30 p.m. PT on NBC.

[04/24/25 - 12:00 PM]
"Yellowjackets" Sets Record with Most Watched Season in Series History on Paramount+ with Showtime
The series is now the number two most-streamed global Showtime original ever, only behind "Dexter: Original Sin."

[04/24/25 - 11:00 AM]
The "83rd Annual Golden Globes" to Air Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, on CBS
Nominations for the Golden Globes will be announced on Monday, December 8.

[04/24/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: "Football Parents" - Official Teaser - Netflix
When it comes to their children's amateur football careers, this group of parents has no shame, no chill - and a peculiar sense of team spirit.

[04/24/25 - 10:30 AM]
FOX Unveils Its Summer 2025 Schedule, Featuring New and Returning Unscripted Series and All-New Episodes of "Animation Domination" Favorites
Look for new episodes of "Bob's Burgers," "Grimsburg," "Family Guy" and "The Great North" beginning Thursday, May 29.

[04/24/25 - 10:14 AM]
Love, Desire, and Shocking Twists in TLC's New Series, "90 Day: Hunt for Love"
Set in Tulum, Mexico, these love-hungry alums have loved, lost and learned a few lessons along the way.

[04/24/25 - 10:04 AM]
New Season of "Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan" Premieres Friday, May 9 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
With gold prices surging to new records, the modern-day rush is on.

[04/24/25 - 10:01 AM]
Oxygen True Crime's "Unknown Serial Killers of America" Premieres Sunday, May 18 at 7 P.M. ET/PT
Each hour-long episode of "Unknown Serial Killers of America" profiles the horrific stories of these unconscionable criminals, and delves into what transformed them into evil monsters.

[04/24/25 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Love Death + Robots" Volume 4 - Official Trailer - Netflix
The Emmy-winning anthology of twisted tales from strange worlds returns, with stories featuring MrBeast and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

[04/24/25 - 10:01 AM]
"Saturday Night Live" Closes Out Milestone 50th Season with Three Back-to-Back Shows in May
Walton Goggins and Scarlett Johansson will follow the previously announced Quinta Brunson as hosts.