Season 48

2025 · 52 episodes

Episodes

1Episode 1A 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.
2Episode 2The 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.
3Episode 3Students 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.
4Episode 4America’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.
5Episode 5Jeffrey 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.
6Episode 6Combatting 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.
7Episode 7Ken 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.
8Episode 8Research 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.
9Episode 9The 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.
10Episode 10Jane 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").
11Episode 11Blind 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.
12Episode 12AI-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.
13Episode 13Christmas 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.
14The sublime perfection of RaphaelThe 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
15Episode 15"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
16Episode 16Hosted 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.
17Episode 17Health 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.
18Episode 18Year 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.
19Episode 19"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.
20Episode 20Olympic 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.
21Episode 21We 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.
22Episode 22Gisèle 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.
23Episode 23The 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.
24Episode 24A 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.
25Episode 25Hosted 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.
26Episode 26Hosted 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.
27Episode 27The 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.
28Episode 28Emma 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)
29Episode 29The 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.
30The Money IssueObstacles 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?
31Episode 31The 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.
32Episode 32America'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.
33Episode 33The 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.
34Episode 34The 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.
35By DesignTiny 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."
36Episode 36Hosted by Lee Cowan. Concours d'LeMons, Iranian propaganda, Patti LaBelle.
37Episode 37Marilyn 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.
38Episode 38La 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
39Episode 39The 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.
40Episode 40Hosted 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.
41America at 250The 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.
42Episode 42The 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.
43Episode 43Hosted 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.
44Episode 44Hosted 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.
45Episode 45Hosted 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.
46The Money IssueObstacles 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?
47Episode 47Hosted 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.
48Episode 48Weather 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.
49Episode 49Hosted 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.
50By DesignTiny 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.
51Episode 51Communities 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
52Episode 52America'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.