I have the DVR set to record. Am hoping the broadcast change will make Bourdain's show all the better. Am a little worried after 'The Taste' which did not go down so well. Maybe no fault of Anthony's. Err maybe yes, maybe no.
I don't like Bourdain at all.. But you have to respect the guy, he has taken over the food channels on Australian cable. This one actually looks interesting to me though
How can you dislike the man. I mean yeah he's a typical tri state area liberal but he always goes out of his way to include the likes of Ted Nugent on his show. He especially champions local cuisines be it street food or mom and pop eateries. He had Bill Murray on an episode. But more importantly.... he HATES all hipsters!
No Reservations was one of my favorite shows. It's basically back on a different channel which is fine by me. I don't think it needs any changes. I'm enjoying the show and I'm hungry for more.
Had to switch channels since Food Network/Travel Network refused to let him travel to the numerous dangerous places he wanted to; Gaza, for example.
Bourdain made no pretense: it's the same production crew as No Reservations and it's essentially the same show. The difference is the level of access/control that CNN offers over the Travel Channel. The name "CNN" still opens doors across the world in a way that his old network never could. Thus, we get a premier in Myanmar, which would've been inaccessible to even CNN a few years ago. I'm really excited, although I'm a fanboy. I loved No Reservations and The Layover and have high expectations for Parts Unknown.
The first Beirut episode got him the highest ratings of any episode of No Reservations...so it's possible.
I really like this piece Bourdain wrote: Human race is 'essentially good' Before I set out to travel this world, 12 years ago, I used to believe that the human race as a whole was basically a few steps above wolves. That given the slightest change in circumstances, we would all, sooner or later, tear each other to shreds. That we were, at root, self-interested, cowardly, envious and potentially dangerous in groups. I have since come to believe — after many meals with many different people in many, many different places — that though there is no shortage of people who would do us harm, we are essentially good. That the world is, in fact, filled with mostly good and decent people who are simply doing the best they can. Everybody, it turns out, is proud of their food (when they have it). They enjoy sharing it with others (if they can). They love their children. They like a good joke. Sitting at the table has allowed me a privileged perspective and access that others, looking principally for “the story,” do not, I believe, always get. People feel free, with a goofy American guy who has expressed interest only in their food and what they do for fun, to tell stories about themselves — to let their guard down, to be and to reveal, on occasion, their truest selves. I am not a journalist. I am not a foreign correspondent. I am, at best, an essayist and enthusiast. An amateur. I hope to show you what people are like at the table, at home, in their businesses, at play. And when and if, later, you read about or see the places I’ve been on the news, you’ll have a better idea of who, exactly, lives there. “Parts Unknown” is supposed to be about food, culture and travel — as seen through the prism of food. We will learn along with you. When we look at familiar locations, we hope to look at them from a lesser-known perspective, examine aspects unfamiliar to most. People, wherever they live, are not statistics. They are not abstractions. Bad things happen to good people all the time. When they do, hopefully, you’ll have a better idea who, and what, on a human scale, is involved. I’m not saying that sitting down with people and sharing a plate is the answer to world peace. Not by a long shot. But it can’t hurt.
Looks like the Season 2 premiere this Sunday will be close enough to Pakistan. Punjab, India. Should be good.
