This week on “Sunday Morning” (December 19)

Host: Jane Pauley

COVER STORY: Prison art
Nancy Giles reports. 

For more info:

• Maine State Prison Showroom, Thomaston, Me. (Facebook)
• “Freedom & Captivity: Maine Voices Beyond Prison Walls”
• Maine Department of Corrections
• Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition

ART: Memorializing John F. Kennedy in bronze
For its 50th anniversary the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C., commissioned a statue of President John F. Kennedy, one that would reflect the humanity of a leader beloved and mourned by so many. Correspondent Chip Reid talks with sculptor Ivan Schwartz about capturing the 35th president in his team of artists’ memorial to JFK.

For more info:

• Studio EIS, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• The 44th Kennedy Center Honors (to be broadcast December 22 on CBS and streamed on Paramount+)
• David M Rubenstein
• Thanks to Geoffrey Greene of VSI Aerial

SUNDAY PROFILE: NIH director Dr. Francis Collins on a life in science
After more than 12 years as leader of the National Institutes of Health – longer than any director in its history – Dr. Francis Collins is stepping down. He talks with correspondent Rita Braver about how he resisted political pressures to support unproven treatments for the coronavirus; the problem of vaccine hesitancy; and how he will continue with two passions: research and rock ‘n’ roll.

PREVIEW: Retiring NIH director faced off with Trump over disproven COVID treatments

For more info:

• Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director, National Institutes of Health
• Progeria Research Foundation

      
MUSIC: A joyful noise: Contemporary Christian music
Christian rock is as old as rock ‘n’ roll itself. It’s revered by some and rejected by others. “Sunday Morning” contributor Kelefa Sanneh talks with some of the biggest stars in the world of contemporary Christian music: Amy Grant, and the duo from For King and Country, Joel and Luke Smallbone.

For more info:

• For King and Country
• Amy Grant
• Michael W. Smith
• David Stowe, Department of Religious Studies, Michigan State University
• “The Jesus Movie” (documentary), available on demand,  Blu-Ray and Digital

‘TIS THE SEASON: What goes into a box of See’s Candies?
At the See’s Candies factory, in Culver City, Calif., candymakers are busy cranking out holiday cheer, which is sold online and in more than 200 stores across the U.S. Correspondent Luke Burbank tests his candy-making skills, and also finds out how a Christmas tradition, stalled during last year’s pandemic, is now back.

For more info:

• See’s Candies

      
PASSAGE: In memoriam
     

MUSIC: Vince Guaraldi’s classic Christmas music
When Lee Mendelson produced the 1965 TV special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” he got San Francisco jazz musician Vince Guaraldi to compose the music. The songs Guaraldi wrote, including “Christmas Time Is Here,” are now considered classics. Correspondent David Pogue looks at how the music of Peanuts became inseparable from the joy and melancholy of the holiday season.

You can stream the album “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by clicking on the embed below (Free Spotify registration required to hear the tracks in full):

For more info:

• “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will air on PBS Sunday, Dec., 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET., and can also be streamed on Apple TV+
• Vince Guaraldi (Peanuts Wiki)

     
HARTMAN: The return of Secret Santa
     

MOVIES: Penélope Cruz: Mother, actress, and student of life
She’s a movie star who’s spent years in the Hollywood spotlight, and won an Academy Award. But Penélope Cruz, who has found global acclaim, is at home in Spain, where she recently filmed her latest collaboration with director Pedro Almodóvar, “Parallel Mothers.” Cruz talks with correspondent Holly Williams about a life beyond her wildest ambitions; balancing family and projects; and working with her husband, actor Javier Bardem.

To watch a trailer or “Parallel Mothers,” click on the video player below:

For more info:

• “Parallel Mothers” opens in New York City and Los Angeles December 24
• Follow penelopecruzoficial on Instagram

      
‘TIS THE SEASON: Holiday music from Josh Groban and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City
This year we continue a Sunday Morning holiday tradition: The Young People’s Chorus of New York City – joined by Josh Groban – performs two holiday songs: the John Lennon 1971 classic, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” and the Grammy-winning “Believe,” from the movie “The Polar Express.”

For more info:

• Young People’s Chorus of New York City
• joshgroban.com
• “Josh Groban: 2020 Holiday Concert Encore Presentation,” streaming December 17-19
• Thanks to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City

      
COMMENTARY: Jim Gaffigan: What would Jesus want for his birthday?
The comedian ponders the evolution of the holiday season, which started with one man’s birth, and now involves indoor trees and door-to-door singers.

For more info:

• jimgaffigan.com
• https://www.jimgaffigan.com/

     
NATURE: TBD

EXTRA:

“Follow the Suns”: The “CBS Sunday Morning” 2022 Day-to-Day Calendar
Celebrate “Sunday Morning” every day of the week with this handy 365-day tear-off calendar featuring examples of our luminous “sun art,” and quirky historical facts from our popular “Almanac” segment – a perfect holiday gift!

WEB EXCLUSIVES:

MOVIES:  “Return of the Jedi,” “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “WALL-E” added to the National Film Registry”
“A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train,” “Stop Making Sense” and “Richard Pryor: Live in Concert” are also among the films to be preserved by the Library of Congress for future generations. CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan looks at this year’s additions.

PHOTO GALLERY: 2021 additions to the National Film Registry

‘TIS THE SEASON: “Dickens of a Christmas” in Tennessee (VIDEO)
For the 36th year the town of Franklin, Tenn., has ushered in the holiday season with a historic, Dickens-flavored celebration, filling the streets with period dress (and maybe even some figgy pudding). “Sunday Morning” producer Roman Feeser paid a visit.

PODCAST: “Unsung Science”
“Sunday Morning” correspondent David Pogue explores the origin stories behind some of the most mind-blowing advances in science and technology. Presented by CBS News and Simon & Schuster. 

Listen to the episode, “How the Cellphone was Born: Three Months of Craziness”:

The Emmy Award-winning “CBS Sunday Morning” is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET. Executive producer is Rand Morrison.

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