Plot Synopsis

Filmed from helicopters and drones equipped with cutting edge 4K/Ultra High Definition cameras, AERIAL BRITAIN is a one-hour series that presents views of stunning iconic landmarks -- both natural and man-made -- as well as fascinating monuments off the beaten path. This four-part spinoff of AERIAL AMERICA takes viewers on a journey to four regions of Britain, discovering the historical significance of the island from breathtaking heights. Episodes include:

"Southern England" (Sunday, April 28, 2019 @ 8pm): Explores a region of Victorian engineering marvels, ancient spiritual sites and one of the world's greatest cities (along with its famed River Thames). From the dramatic headlands that gave birth to King Arthur to the town where Shakespeare strutted his stuff and the glittering towers of London's financial district, the premiere episode soars across 2,000 years of history, capturing the distinctive spirit of this gateway to the United Kingdom.

"Northern England" (Sunday, May 5, 2019 @ 8pm): Showcases this birthplace of revolution, once the northern edge of the Roman Empire and today home to the soccer mecca of Manchester. Northern England gave the world the fantasy hero Robin Hood, the horror fiend Dracula and the real-life musical sensations The Beatles. Inspired by a spirit of creativity, its people embrace their past and look to the future with ambition. This episode explores England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, and a lake so beautiful that poet William Wordsworth described it as "a universe of fairest forms."

"Wales" (Sunday, May 12, 2019 @ 8pm): This is a land of myth and majesty, of legendary kings and warrior rebels. With more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world, here lie the hills that put the "stone" in Stonehenge and the secret hideaways where Led Zeppelin and Queen changed the history of music. This is a country that bears the indelible marks of 2,000 years of invasion but that forged its own destiny from the great monuments of its industrial past. The fierce Welsh tribes that defied William the Conqueror may be gone, but their hardy spirit lives on.

"Scotland" (Sunday, May 19, 2019 @ 8pm): "Nessie" may never be found in the murky depths of Loch Ness, but from the air, Scotland is a revelation. This is a place of soaring peaks shrouded in mist and snow, of rugged glens that have seen war and tragedy, and a tiny island that once held an illustrious prisoner, Mary Queen of Scots. It's a land of heroes, from hard rock musical icons like AC/DC to freedom fighters like legendary Scottish knight William Wallace. This episode wanders from the seven hills of Edinburgh to a quiet glen in Perthshire that claims to be the oldest whiskey distillery in Scotland.
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AERIAL BRITAIN returned for its second season on Sunday, March 28, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel. The season opener, "The Sporting Life," soars over Wimbledon, St. Andrews, Guards Polo Club and the Wales Coast Path as it explores Britain's love of sports. Then, one week later in second episode, "National Treasures," visits Britain's natural and man-made marvels, from Scotland's Great Glen to the castles of Wales to Hadrian's Wall.