This week on "Sunday Morning" (October 20)

The Emmy Award-winning "CBS News Sunday Morning" is broadcast on CBS Sundays beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET.  "Sunday Morning" also streams on the CBS News app beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. (Download it here.) 

Guest host: Bill Whitaker

WATCH THE FULL OCTOBER 20 BROADCAST!

COVER STORY: John Grisham and Jim McCloskey on the plight of the wrongfully convicted | Watch Video
Bestselling novelist John Grisham has co-authored a new work of non-fiction: "Framed," a collection of stories about people wrongfully convicted of crimes and the fight to exonerate them. Grisham and co-writer Jim McCloskey, founder of Centurion (an organization dedicated to freeing the innocent), talk with "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty about the factors that contribute to a wrongful conviction. Moriarty also talks with three men who spent 26 years in prison for a murder they didn't commit.

READ AN EXCERPT: "Framed" by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

For more info:

• "Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions" by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey (Doubleday), in Hardcover, Large Print, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org
• Centurion
• jgrisham.com (Official site)

       
ALMANAC: October 20 (Video)
"Sunday Morning" looks back at historical events on this date.

U.S.: Fall foliage season: Time for "Larch Madness" (Video)
Washington is the Evergreen State, but for a few brief weeks each fall, there's a gold rush in the mountains. Correspondent Conor Knighton travels to where foliage fans bask in the vibrant colors of the larch tree, a deciduous conifer whose pine-like needles are ablaze in orange and yellow. 

For more info:

• The Methow Naturalist
• Photographer Joe Tobiason
• Where to "larch march" this fall (Washington State Parks)
• The Science of Larches (Washington Trails Association)

POLITICS: Sarah McBride on her run to become first trans member of the House | Watch Video
In 2020, Sarah McBride made history as the first transgender person ever elected to a state senate seat. Now, the Delaware Democrat is running for Congress. McBride talked with correspondent Rita Braver about her campaign, and about attitudes toward trans candidates.

For more info:

• sarahmcbride.com
• Dannagal Young, director, Center for Political Communication, University of Delaware
• Photos courtesy of Delaware Senate Democrats

TV:  Keri Russell pulls back the curtain on "The Diplomat" | Watch Video
Keri Russell, who played a Russian spy in "The Americans," is now on the frontlines of geopolitics in the Netflix series "The Diplomat," starring as Kate Wyler, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Correspondent Seth Doane talks with Russell about a show seemingly ripped from the headlines. Doane also asks America's real ambassador to the U.K., Jane Hartley, how much the show gets right about working in the State Department.

To watch a trailer for Season 2 of "The Diplomat" click on the video player below:

For more info:

• Season 2 of "The Diplomat" debuts on Netflix October 31

       
PASSAGE: Remembering Mitzi Gaynor and Lilly Ledbetter (Video)
Bill Whitaker looks back at two people who left indelible marks in their fields: Lilly Ledbetter, a fair-pay advocate whose fight for equality led to passage, in 2009, of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; and entertainer Mitzi Gaynor, whose effervescent singing and dancing was featured in Hollywood musicals like "South Pacific," in TV specials, and on the Vegas stage. 

OBITUARY: Mitzi Gaynor, "South Pacific" star, dead at 93
     

NATURE: What you never knew about pigeons | Watch Video
Love them or hate them, pigeons are an iconic animal of New York City. But there is much about these birds that remains a mystery to most. "Sunday Morning" contributor Christian Cooper talks with bird enthusiasts about a pigeon's intelligence, ability to thrive in a concrete jungle, and suitability as a pet; and with artist Iván Argote, whose T. Rex-sized sculpture of a pigeon is now on display at New York City's High Line.

For more info:

• Art on the High Line: "Dinosaur" by Iván Argote, at the Spur, 30th St. & 10th Ave. (through Spring 2026)
• Artist Iván Argote
• Wild Bird Fund
• Photographer Jeffery Jones (Instagram)
• Photographer Andrew Garn

      
SUNDAY JOURNAL: The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (Video)
He was Israel's "most wanted," the accused mastermind of the October 7 attacks. But the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, killed by IDF forces this week in southern Gaza, has not ended Israel's long conflict against the terrorist group. Correspondent Holly Williams reports on the latest developments, and looks back on a 2021 press conference, where Sinwar issued a warning about another war.       

TV: Damon Wayans on "Poppa's House" | Watch Video
Like father, like son: Damon Wayans is starring with Damon Wayans Jr. in the new comedy series "Poppa's House." It's the latest family affair for a comedian who has built a career working with his talented siblings Keenan, Shawn, Marlon and Kim, son Michael, and nephews Damien and Craig. Damon talks with correspondent Tracy Smith about his journey from working in the Paramount Studio mailroom, to creating edgy characters in movies and TV.

To watch a teaser for "Poppa's House," click on the video player below:

For more info:

• "Poppa's House" debuts October 1 on CBS and Paramount+

MUSIC: "Rhapsody in Blue" turns 100 (Video)
This year, musicians all over the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl, are celebrating the 100th birthday of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." Correspondent David Pogue looks into the history of Gershwin's first major work, a piece that melded jazz, classical and orchestral music, and became a fixture of American culture.

For more info:

• George & Ira Gershwin (Official site)
• Michael Feinstein
• Louis Arques, Avalanche Orchestra
• Concert pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet

       
COMMENTARY: Erin Moriarty on what we owe to the wrongfully convicted | Watch Video
After spending years behind bars for crimes they didn't commit, some men and women who have been wrongfully convicted have received their freedom. But as "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty points out, for many, justice falls short.

NATURE: Manta rays in Mexico (Extended Video)
We leave you this Sunday morning under the sea in Quintana Roo, Mexico, where the Manta rays are enjoying breakfast. Videographer: Mauricio Handler.

WEB EXCLUSIVES: 

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Entertainer Mitzi Gaynor (Video)
Singer, dancer and actress Mitzi Gaynor, who wowed audiences in movies, on TV, and in Vegas, died Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 93. In this Oct. 6, 2019 "Sunday Morning" interview, Gaynor talked with Mo Rocca about landing the starring role in the film version of "South Pacific"; being wooed by Howard Hughes (and how she washed that man right out of her hair); and sharing the "Ed Sullivan Show" stage with The Beatles.

WEB EXTRA: Watch an extended interview with Al Pacino (Video)
In this web exclusive, Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz sits down with Al Pacino to discuss the Oscar-winning actor's memoir, "Sonny Boy." They also explore Pacino's early years in New York City's South Bronx and the influence of his family and friends; the encouragement he received from appearing on stage, and his friendship with fellow actors like Martin Sheen; winning roles in "Panic in Needle Park" and "The Godfather," and filming "Dog Day Afternoon"; his troubles dealing with success and fame; and how he nearly died from COVID.

GALLERY: Notable Deaths in 2024
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.

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

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