or


[05/09/18 - 08:42 AM]
Smithsonian Channel(TM) Uncovers Secrets of America's Most Intoxicating Era in "Drinks, Crime and Prohibition"
The two-part special premieres Monday, June 11 at 8:00/7:00c on Smithsonian Channel.

[via press release from Smithsonian Channel]

SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL(TM) UNCOVERS SECRETS OF AMERICA'S MOST INTOXICATING ERA IN

"DRINKS, CRIME AND PROHIBITION"

TWO-PART SPECIAL AIRS JUNE 11 AND JUNE 18 AT 8PM ET/PT

NEW YORK - May 9, 2018 - Prohibition in America was an era of profound contradictions - a period of unprecedented government intervention into the lives of citizens, and yet also a time of exuberance, decadence and casting off restraints. Nearly a hundred years later, Smithsonian Channel's DRINKS, CRIME AND PROHIBITION takes a deep dive into the underbelly of a time characterized as much by jazz, illegal booze and female liberation as it was by gangsters and brutality. Weapons experts, historians, museum curators and mixologists weigh in on "the failed experiment" and the compelling drama it unleashed, with all its unlikely alliances, corruption and machinations of organized crime. The two-part special premieres Monday, June 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

The national ban on alcohol was fully enacted in 1920 and soon spurred the rise of the urban speakeasy - the illegal bars where Americans of different genders, classes, races and sexualities felt free to meet and mingle - but social mixing was a decidedly unintended consequence. As curators from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History attest, the rhetoric of Prohibition's formative years was as fervently anti-immigrant and racist as it was anti-alcohol. "Alcohol is not the central story of Prohibition. Organizing around alcohol is in some ways a politically correct way to go after immigrants," Smithsonian National Museum of American History curator John Grinspan says in the program.

While cocktails were invented in the late 1800s, they really took off once Prohibition began - often as a way to mask the foul taste of bathtub gin. Cocktail historian Derek Brown provides color commentary for some of the era's most popular beverages - including the Three Mile Limit, the Scofflaw and the Southside Fizz - and explains how their resurgent popularity continues to shape the culture of hospitality today.

Prohibition's advocates believed that eliminating alcohol would improve America's moral character; instead, it drove the laws of supply and demand underground and empowered the rise of organized crime. Many ordinary Americans, angered by governmental intrusion into their private lives, looked on gangsters like Al Capone as anti-heroes, and their bold defiance was more revered than reviled. But the deadly St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929 proved a turning point. Newly elected President Herbert Hoover delivered a fiery inaugural address promising a new age of law and order, and Congress quickly enacted legislation that contained harsh new penalties for Prohibition crimes. Even as the stock market crashed and the Great Depression took hold, President Hoover seemed more preoccupied with taking down Capone than with managing the economy.

Although Prohibition ended almost one hundred years ago, its effects still linger - organized crime, vastly expanded federal law enforcement powers, prison overcrowding and even the War on Drugs all have their roots in Prohibition. DRINKS, CRIME AND PROHIBITION tells the enduring story of an era in which fun-loving flappers and well-crafted cocktails seem to make the Twenties roar, even as deeper currents of violence and corruption fuel them.

DRINKS, CRIME AND PROHIBITION is produced and directed by Alex Jouve, with William Morgan and Jason Williams serving as executive producers for JWM Productions. Tim Evans and David Royle serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

About Smithsonian Channel

Smithsonian Channel(TM), owned by Smithsonian Networks(TM), a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing entertainment across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME(R) with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian, to create award-winning programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, history, science, nature, and pop culture. Among the network's offerings are series including Aerial America, America in Color, First Ladies Revealed, Polar Bear Town, The Lost Tapes, Amazing Monkeys, America's Secret Space Heroes, Mighty Ships, Mighty Planes and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include Titanic's Fatal Fire, The Obama Years: The Power of Words, Nightmare on Everest, Diana and the Paparazzi, Diana: The Day We Said Goodbye and Flying High with Phil Keoghan. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Earth(TM), through SN Digital LLC., a new subscription video streaming service delivering spectacular original nature and wildlife content. To learn more, go to www.smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.





  [may 2018]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


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





[07/18/25 - 09:09 AM]
"Bobby's Triple Threat" Is Back With Brand-New Addition to Bobby Flay's Hand-Picked Trio of Culinary Titans
The 10-episode season premieres Tuesday, September 2 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network and streaming the next day on HBO Max.

[07/18/25 - 08:06 AM]
Jaw-Dropping Custom Builds and Outrageous Family Antics Collide in "Truck Dynasty" Premiering Tuesday, August 12 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel
Florida's Apocalypse Manufacturing owner Joe Ghattas is a self-made boss in the custom truck industry, known for his bold designs and loyal following that includes hardcore enthusiasts, world-famous rappers, sports superstars, and elite supermodels.

[07/18/25 - 08:01 AM]
Hallmark Channel Adds Hit Series "Gilmore Girls" to Its Lineup Beginning August 25
Just in time for the fall, the Gilmore family and the beloved residents of Stars Hollow will add twice the warmth and joy to Hallmark Channel's widely adored slate of heartfelt programming.

[07/18/25 - 07:36 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" Beginning July 25
From Oscar-nominated writer and director Wes Anderson, the film stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera.

[07/18/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford - Official Teaser Trailer - Netflix
Two of boxing's most dominant forces, Saul "Canelo" Álvarez and Terence Crawford will face off in a once in a lifetime fight for the unified Super Middleweight championship on Saturday, September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[07/17/25 - 10:01 PM]
Video: "Final Draft" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Twenty-five athletes, most retired, compete to win 30M yen to launch their second career. Can they overcome tough physical and psychological challenges?

[07/17/25 - 07:04 PM]
Video: Preview - Summer Nights 2025 - Coming in August
Tune in for all-new movie premieres this August on Hallmark Channel Saturday nights at 8/7c!

[07/17/25 - 04:15 PM]
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to End After 2025-26 Broadcast Season
Colbert announced the news during tonight's taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater.

[07/17/25 - 02:17 PM]
Thrilling True Crime Docu-Series, "True Crime Story: Smugshot," Returns to SundanceTV Thursday, August 14
Created and executive produced by award-winning documentary filmmakers Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel, the six-episode series spotlights entitled individuals involved in elaborate criminal behavior.

[07/17/25 - 01:31 PM]
Netflix: What We Watched the First Half of 2025
This report, which captures ~99% of all viewing in the first half of 2025, shows that people watched a lot of Netflix - over 95B hours - spanning a wide range of genres and languages.

[07/17/25 - 01:16 PM]
Freida Pinto to Star in Netflix's "Unaccustomed Earth"
Inspired by the internationally beloved Jhumpa Lahiri short story collection of the same name, "Unaccustomed Earth" is an epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging.

[07/17/25 - 01:06 PM]
Samuel L. Jackson to Headline His First TV Series As Paramount+ Greenlights "NOLA King," The First Spinoff of the Hit Series "Tulsa King"
Jackson's character, Russell Lee Washington Jr., will be introduced in the upcoming, highly anticipated third season of "Tulsa King," slated to premiere in September.

[07/17/25 - 12:53 PM]
New Series "The Mother Flip" Premieres Saturday, August 16 at 12pm ET/PT on A&E's HomeMadeNation
Best friends and savvy flippers Kristy Etheredge and Rebecca Franchione, along with contractor Roy Salinas, transform the worst homes in Texas' Hill Country into big profits.

[07/17/25 - 12:11 PM]
AMC Networks' August Highlights Include "Nautilus," "Irish Blood," "Kidnapped," "The Furry Detectives" and More!
The month also features new seasons of Sundance TV's "True Crime Story: Smugshot," and We TV's fan-favorite series "Life After Lockup."

[07/17/25 - 11:35 AM]
ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One" Schedule Update: Division Leaders Collide as Detroit Tigers Visit Philadelphia Phillies on August 3
This marks the third "Sunday Night Baseball" appearance of the 2025 regular season for the Tigers and the fourth appearance for the Phillies.