The Founding Fathers; driving historic Route 66; the Essential American Songbook; a melting pot of cuisine; the ERA; the transcontinental railroad; fireworks; and Larry David's skewed take on American history.

America at 250

Jane Pauley

Episode 42

Episode 40

A new mural for St. Patrick’s Cathedral; Priscilla Presley on her memoir about life after Elvis; actor Dwayne Johnson on “The Smashing Machine”; singer Doja Cat; webcams in the wild; the 1954 Supreme Court ruling to end segregation; and an appreciation of Robert Redford.

Episode 1

The friendship between the Unabomber’s brother and one of his victims; Jennifer Lopez on “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter on Broadway in “Waiting for Godot”; Eli Sharabi, who was held hostage by Hamas terrorists for 491 days; the ‘60s British rock group The Zombies; and previews of arts and culture in the New Season.

Episode 2

Students react to cellphone bans in schools; Daniel Day-Lewis and son Ronan Day-Lewis on their film “Anemone”; singer Miley Cyrus; singer-songwriter Yusuf/Cat Stevens; responses to arrests by ICE agents; and how AI is being developed in military aircraft.

Episode 3

America’s spirit of innovation; Jeremy Allen White, starring as The Boss in “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”; Donnie Wahlberg, returning in the “Blue Bloods” spinoff “Boston Blue”; Katheryn Bigelow on her new nuclear thriller “A House of Dynamite”; former Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court today; and “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening.

Episode 4

Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s posthumous memoir; actor Tim Curry; Ben Stiller’s documentary about his parents, Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara; children’s video entertainer Ms. Rachel; AI-generated art; a library that straddles the U.S.-Canada border; and millions march in the “No Kings” rallies.

Episode 5

Combatting phobias; Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom; country superstar Kenny Chesney; “Frankenstein” director Guillermo del Toro; Ford CEO Jim Farley; Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and an avid long-distance runner; and a Colorado town’s celebration of tarantulas.

Episode 6

Ken Burns' "The American Revolution"; George Clooney on "Jay Kelly"; author Salman Rushie on "The Eleventh Hour"; the high cost of childcare; the Trump administration's pressures on universities; pianist Adam Tendler; and watch auctioneer Aurel Bacs.

Episode 7

Research in early-onset Alzheimer's, "Landman" star Billy Bob Thornton, "Hamnet" actress Jessie Buckley, the psychic wounds of returning World War II veterans, a U.S. flag collector, Faith Salie on the Internet meme "6-7," and bonsai fall foliage.

Episode 8

The boom in online prediction markets; Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy; William Shatner and Neil deGrasse Tyson; when workers are pushed into homelessness; "Wicked" composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz; and Walter Isaacson on the Declaration of Independence.

Episode 9

Jane Pauley hosts our annual "Food Issue." Featured: Comfort foods, protein-enhanced foods, a Maine cafe that supports local journalism, Korean fried chicken, sauerkraut, charcuterie, what presidents ate, a cookbook of gravestone recipes, and heartwarming tales that feed the soul. Also: Broadway star Lea Michele ("Chess: The Musical").

Episode 10

Blind rock climber Jesse Dufton; actress Amanda Seyfried; "Avatar: Fire and Ash" director James Cameron; Metallica's philanthropy; Aix-en-Provence celebrates Paul Cézanne; Architectural Digest; and Nancy Giles gets tips on leftovers.

Episode 11

AI-generated actors; a family's history of Nazi espionage; Colonel Tom Parker, manager of Elvis Presley; actor Ethan Hawke; novelist Jan Karon; and tech gift ideas from Techno Claus.

Episode 12

Christmas songs; Jane Austen at 250; Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, stars of "Song Sung Blue"; Jason Sudeikis and the Steps of Faith Foundation; the Made in America Holiday Gift Guide; American workers laid off; and Bûche de Noël cakes, a French holiday tradition.

Episode 13

The town that inspired "It's a Wonderful Life"; Sean Ono Lennon on his parents' legacy; the a capella group Pentatonix; a New Mexico monastery; remembering Rob Reiner; and the Rockettes

The sublime perfection of Raphael

"Hail and Farewell," our annual tribute to those we lost in 2025; the best underreported good news stories of the year; artist Thomas McKean, whose medium is New York City Transit MetroCards; a Gingerbread City exhibit in London; and a brand-new centerpiece for the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop

Episode 15

Hosted by Lee Cowan. Featured: Reconstruction a year after the California wildfires; On the set of "The Pitt"; "Sinners" star Michael B. Jordan; A look back at NYC Mayor Fiorello La Guardia; and Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel with advice on living a longer, happier life.

Episode 16

Health insurers' denial of coverage; Oprah Winfrey on her new book about weight loss; Carrie Coon and Tracy Letts; German artist Anselm Kiefer; and the surprising history of the Monroe Doctrine.

Episode 17

Year Two of the Trump presidency; Judd Apatow on Mel Brooks; actor Stellan Skarsgård; artist Theaster Gates; making history in the civil rights era; and the Highpointers Club.

Episode 18

"The Righteous Among the Nations" who rescued Jews during the Holocaust; supermodel Lauren Hutton; Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro; accusations against the Falun Gong dance troupe Shen Yun; and the new artistic director at Chanel.

Episode 19

Olympic figure skater Ilia Malinin; author and podcaster Mel Robbins; Jeff Tweedy of Wilco; folk singer Jesse Welles; TV theme songs; and an Arkansas family on black bear hunting.

Episode 20

We explore the art and science of kissing; examine why the quarterback is one of the toughest positions; go inside the Westminster Dog Show; and chat with Don Henley about the Eagles' remarkable journey.

Episode 21

Gisèle Pelicot discusses her mass rape trial; singer Paul Anka; sports commentator Stephen A. Smith; actor Jacob Elordi; Washington's Crossing of the Delaware; and Fettuccine Alfredo.

Episode 22

The threat of polio's return; Oscar-nominee Rose Byrne; reporter Seymour Hersh; Norah O'Donnell on heroines of American history; and the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Episode 23

A memorial to Operation Desert Storm; Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei; Dana White, the head of UFC; Jack Schlossberg; composer Marc Shaiman; and an digital art exhibit in the Arizona desert.

Episode 24

Hosted by Lee Cowan. Featured: The first 50 years of Apple; Viola Davis and co-writer James Patterson; "NCIS"; the persistence of hunger in America; former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein; and the art of picture frames.

Episode 25

Hosted by Mo Rocca. Featured: Hollywood, the Dream Factory; "Peaky Blinders" actor Cillian Murphy; Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola; John Mayer and McG preserve a Hollywood landmark; a Russian schoolteacher's resistance documented in "Mr. Nobody Against Putin"; and a tribute to documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman.

Episode 26

The popular iNaturalist app; removing signs from national parks; Lisa Kudrow on "The Comeback"; Senator Cory Booker; chef Ruthie Rogers; and a look back at TV comedy legend Sid Caesar.

Episode 27

Emma Tsurkov, whose sister was held captive by a terrorist group in Iraq for 903 days; Michael Jordan; new musical, "Cats: The Jellicle Ball"; Mr. Flower Fantastic; actress Olivia Munn (TV series, "Your Friends and Neighbors"); negotiations to end the war with Iran; Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

Episode 28

The Vatican's Mosaic Studio; a fight over history at West Bank archaeological sites; Dan Levy on his new series "Big Mistakes"; the creative talents behind "Hacks"; the latest on the Artemis II lunar mission; the works of Renaissance artist Raphael; and the beauty of moss.

Episode 29

Obstacles to home ownership; fighting health insurance denials; Chinese EVs; opposition to AI data centers; American Girl dolls; skin care mogul Scarlett Johansson; roller coasters; the popularity of bingo!; and is your phone eavesdropping on you?

The Money Issue

The purge of immigration judges; seeking accountability in trucking accidents; Don Cheadle and Ayo Edebiri on Broadway; portraitist Michael Shane Neal; the legacy of woodworker George Nakashima; an operatic car salesman; and Earth Day stories of advances in sustainability.

Episode 31

America's adversarial relationship with Cuba; singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves; Rep. Jim Clyburn; reviving a Welsh soccer town; tree lovers; artist Jenny Saville; and rescuing Venus fly traps.

Episode 32

The effects of overtourism; horse therapy; a tool to help keep dementia in check; Sting on "The Last Ship"; a golf journalist takes over a failing golf course; a Mozart exhibition; and collecting PEZ dispensers.

Episode 33

The Supreme Court ushers in a new era of gerrymandering; the legacy of CBS News Radio; motherless daughters; comedian Martin Short; rebuilding L.A.; remembering Ted Turner; and Martha Stewart prepares a Mother's Day breakfast.

Episode 34

Tiny homes in your backyard; Louis Vuitton; Adobe house construction; Finland's Marimekko; domino art; Philadelphia food favorites; chandeliers; Longwood Gardens; rare maps; and director Jon Favreau of "The Mandalorian and Grogu."

By Design

Hosted by Lee Cowan. Concours d'LeMons, Iranian propaganda, Patti LaBelle.

Episode 36

Marilyn Monroe at 100; former first lady Jill Biden; children detained at the ICE facility in Dilley, Texas; living "books" at The Human Library; pickleball superstar Anna Leigh Waters; and the Undercroft beneath the Lincoln Memorial opens to the public.

Episode 37

La Sagrada Familia, the world largest unfinished Catholic church; Disclosure Day director Steven Spielberg; Broadway musical Ragtime; AI's effects on the job market; honey tasting; GLP-1s; Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe; the legacy of  composer George M. Cohan

Episode 38

The lack of obesity in Japan; Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance; former child star Bill Mumy; the past and future of the Houston Astrodome; a time capsule for America's 500th birthday; and soccer art made with gum wrappers.

Episode 39

Hosted by Lee Cowan. Birthright citizenship; the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library unveiled; Shooter Jennings releases recordings by his father, Waylon Jennings; comedian John Mulaney; childhood obesity; and the secrets of seahorses and seadragons.

The military newspaper Star and Stripes, actor J.K. Simmons, "Little House on the Prairie" returns to screens, Founding Father Thomas Paine, a visit to George Washington's Mount Vernon, and hifi listening bars.

Hosted by Tracy Smith. The only successful coup in U.S. history; Behind the scenes of "The Pitt"; Trump's monumental reimagining of Washington, D.C.; singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams; "Take Me Home, Country Roads"; and a Tuscany tradition: wine barrel races.

Episode 43

Hosted by Lee Cowan. What's the matter with Congress?; singer Shania Twain; special grass for the World Cup; "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe"; a federal judge discusses working with progressive multiple sclerosis; steel artist Carol Bove; and Ted Danson on aging creatively.

Episode 44

Hosted by Mo Rocca. Aging in rural America; compromises to food safety; supermodel and actress Lauren Hutton; singer Corinne Bailey Rae; artist Derrick Adams; worm grunting; and how plants are affected by touch.

Episode 45

Obstacles to home ownership; fighting health insurance denials; Chinese EVs; opposition to AI data centers; American Girl dolls; skin care mogul Scarlett Johansson; roller coasters; the popularity of Bingo!; and is your phone eavesdropping on you?

Hosted by Seth Doane. Saving a candlepin bowling alley; THC tests jeopardize young mothers; writer Gay Talese; actor Tim Curry; protecting the habitat of Venus fly traps; and the world's largest truck stop.

Episode 47

Weather becoming more extreme; Rahm Emanuel; The Eagles' Don Henley; ex-Amish, now social media creator Lovina Zook; trophy bull riding belt buckles; the iNaturalist app; and the long and short of short pants.

Episode 48

Hosted by Steve Hartman. Featured: The explosion of tick bites and Alpha-gal syndrome; singer Kenny Chesney; botanist and bestselling author Robin Wall Kimmerer; origami artist Robert Lang; one artist's very quirky home; an iconic photo of Harlem jazz legends; and a retirement home for musicians in Milan.

Episode 49

Tiny homes in your backyard; Louis Vuitton; Adobe house construction; Finland's Marimekko; domino art; Philadelphia food favorites; chandeliers; Longwood Gardens; and rare maps. Also: A tribute to Dolly Parton.

Communities changed by the terrorist attacks on 9/11; actor Robert De Niro (movie, "The Whisper Man"); seeking the world's best hamburger in Japan; journalist Gloria Steinem; postpartum psychosis

Episode 51

America's missile arsenal; Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on the development of AI; fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg; testing the ethical boundaries of surrogacy; uncovering a Holocaust survival story; the allure of shipwrecks; and the annual Pumpkin Festival in Morton, Ill.

Episode 52

The sparkling notes of a trumpet fanfare and the familiar logo of the sun alert viewers that it's time for CBS's Sunday morning staple. Journalist Jane Pauley helms the show, taking over hosting duties from Charles Osgood, who spent 22 years on the job. A morning talk show, this program airs at a different pace and focuses much of its attention on the performing arts. After a quick update of the day's news and national weather, correspondents offer longer-length segments on a variety of topics, from architecture to ballet to music to pop culture to politics.

America at 250

Seasons49

Season 48 Episodes52

Cast1

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