Plot Synopsis

RISE OF THE SUPERCARRIER is a documentary series that goes behind the scenes with the Royal Navy, as 700 sailors are pushed to their breaking points while learning the intricacies of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest and most advanced warship ever built in Great Britain. The three episodes in Season 1 include:

"Birth of a Giant" (Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT): HMS Queen Elizabeth is still under construction at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland, where Captain Jerry Kyd and his sailors take up their posts to prepare for dangerous sea trials. The sailors endure rigorous fire and flood training, working quickly and efficiently as teams, to prepare for the difficult life out at sea. "The ship is just a metal box," Captain Kyd says. "It's only when you add in the human component of blood and flesh does it become a warship." After 20 years of technical and scientific development, eight years of engineering and construction and two years to assemble and train the ship's company, HMS Queen Elizabeth prepares to go to sea for the very first time.

"Do or Die" (Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT): HMS Queen Elizabeth is full steam ahead as she embarks on dangerous sea trials in the North Sea. Problems arise after only one day at sea, from an explosion in a cooling plant and a fuel leak in one of the main engine spaces to an alarm alerting the crew of a man overboard - revealing the harsh realities of life on a warship. The sailors must test everything on the ship for the first time and ask questions at every turn: What is the supercarrier's top speed? How stable is she in rough waters? While working under pressure and responding quickly to each emergency, the ship's company becomes a seaborne community.

"Trials at Sea" (Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT): The grueling sea trials near an end, but not before HMS Queen Elizabeth moves at greater speeds to make a dramatic rendezvous with American carrier USS George H.W. Bush and a major battle group of international warships. For the first time, the ship's key innovation, the automatic flight-deck firefighting system, is tested. The supercarrier marks an astonishing naval centenary with a visit to the Orkney Islands off of Scotland, 100 years to the day after an aircraft first successfully landed on a moving vessel. Before heading to her home port for the next 50 years, the warship receives a special visit by her namesake, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
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RISE OF THE SUPERCARRIER returned for its second season on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel. In the first season, the HMS Queen Elizabeth was under construction and undergoing trials. Now, in the new season, she's ready to set sail on her first deployment. Episodes in the new season are:

"Heading for America" (Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT): The aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain's $4 billion gamble, is finally ready to set sail from Portsmouth Dockyard on her make-or-break four-month deployment on the high seas. The mission is to forge the brand-new ship's crew into an effective fighting force. Hop on board for an exclusive look at life above and below deck, and follow the crew as they face the challenges of a Russian warship, floods, fuel leaks, and a headline-making first night on U.S. soil.

"Hurricane Alert" (Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT): Britain's biggest warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is in her second month of a grueling four-month deployment in the west Atlantic Ocean to test her compatibility with the top-secret F-35B Lightning stealth jet. After dozens of landings and launches--by day and by night--Commanding Officer Jerry Kyd wants to find out how well the aircraft and the supercarrier will operate in difficult weather and wind conditions. They are put to the test when the ship is pounded by one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the southeastern United States in decade.

"Pushing the Limits" (Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT): It's the final weeks of HMS Queen Elizabeth's first deployment and things are ramping up. Test pilots must try a risky, never-before-attempted method of landing the F-35B Lightning and launch weapons from the aircraft for the first time. The supercarrier will finish her four-month mission in a spectacular fashion by docking in New York Harbor, where she will transform from a warship to a floating embassy, a conference center, and a concert hall for the VIPs and dignitaries of America.