Coming up Wednesday
Anthony Bourdain: Why CNN's 'Parts Unknown' will be different – premieres April 14th at 9pm
Take world-renowned chef and best-selling author Anthony Bourdain, mix him with global travels to off-the-beaten path locations, and what do you get: A recipe for a show you don't want to miss.
"Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" is a new CNN show that aims to be part cuisine, part culture program. His first show, which premieres on CNN this Sunday, April. 14th at 9:00pm Eastern, offers an inside look at the country of Myanmar.
This morning on "Starting Point," Bourdain explains what will be different about this show compared to his previous travel show.
"With CNN, I get to go to all the places that I never would have been able to go really with any other network," Bourdain says. "Places like Congo, Libya, Myanmar, would have been very, very tricky to do elsewhere. Able to go places I never would have been able to go and look at these cultures in either a bigger picture or a more narrow focus as I choose."
Bourdain also explains what was so fascinating about shooting his first episode in Myanmar.
"For me, it's an enormous and beautiful country that very, very few Westerners have seen or visited. It's been closed off from the rest of the world - a pariah state - for as long as I've been alive. Until just a little over a year ago, a Western film crew, if discovered, would have been kicked out of the country. We're really one of the first crews to have gone in and really shown a big slice, not all, but a big slice of a country that a lot of people haven't seen. It is incredibly gorgeous."
Bourdain also hopes he'll be able to do shows in other hot spots around the world, including Iran and Syria. He says it's important to balance his shows in Spain and Paris, where he says he's 'shoveling a lot of expensive food in his face,' by showing the other side.
"I make friends faster and easier than journalists," he says. "I show up looking to eat whatever you have to offer. People are generally proud of their food. A willingness to eat and drink with people without fear and prejudice...they open up to you in ways that somebody visiting who is driven by a story may not get."
"Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" premieres Sunday, Apr. 14th at 9:00pm Eastern on CNN.
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I was born in Barranquilla Colombia and I am living in the United states for 24 years.My family and I are your fans we love your shows and sometimes I watch your shows more than once .......but we are not happy with the two shows you made about my country.......we have beautiful beaches ,beautiful cities ,wonderful people. I was expecting a show were the people can see the beautiful country we have.In the first show in Medellin you only talked about Pablo Escobar.....come on Tony that was more than 20 years ago....Medellin is a absoluty beautiful city and you didn't show that.....Medellin is more than Escobar ......and last night we were expecting to see more about Bogota and Cali or my town Barranquilla and what about cartagena? you show only the poor areas and in Riohacha you should show more about the CABO DE LA VELA.....if I am a tourist I won't be motivated to go to colombia because your show.You forgot to tell the world my Country is safe now,and we have the best economy in South America........but last night
CNN's advertising/publicity campaign to launch Anthony Bourdain has done that man a grave disservice. They reveal him to be a show-off, a condescending visitor who can go anywhere, do anything, eat anything by remaining superior to it. I have grown to thoroughly dislike the man exhibited in these commercials. Thus, when I saw him being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer, I was prepared to dislike him. But he wasn't really dislikeable in person - though I still resent the loss of newstime to magazine time.
Anthony Bourdain: 'Parts Unknown' is simply brilliant and refreshing. It opens your mind and eyes to issues beyond food in a very subtle way. The show is very entertaining and it broadens your horizon. I love it!
Antony,
Recently, I watched one of your interviews about the new show Parts Unknown. I noticed that you used the word “Pariah”. There is nothing wrong in using that word per se but ethically (in my opinion) it is wrong. Especially, most of the People currently living in Tamil Nadu, India will not like the usage of that word in the context that you used in your interview. I enjoyed watching the show No Reservations and going to enjoy your new show. I bring this to your attention because you are not just a chef but you are interested in learning other cultures and cuisines.
Antony,
Recently, I watched one of your interviews about the new show Parts Unknown. I noticed that you used the word “Pariah”. There is nothing wrong in using that word per se but ethically (in my opinion) it is wrong. Especially, most of the People currently living in Tamil Nadu, India will not like the usage of that word in the context that you used in your interview. I enjoyed watching the show No Reservations and going to enjoy your new show. I bring this to your attention because you are not just a chef but you are interested in learning other cultures and cuisines.
Thanking you,
Yours,
Mohan
Will this be transmitted on CNN in the UK?
Ok, so please tell me that AB is just "BSing" these folks at CNN. Don't get me wrong, I love my guy when he is traveling (via his Travel Channel "No Reservations" series).
Good luck to those of us that appreciate the long admired insight and non-political aspect of what fans long for and enjoy about in our writer and dare I say "Chef".
One BIG question: Will this be on the primary CNN channel or only on CNN International? Because of my basic AT&T U-verse package, I don't get CNN International.