The final season of Parts Unknown will air this fall and feature a tribute to its host Anthony Bourdain. The series first aired in 2013 and followed Bourdain as he traveled to destinations around the world, sampling their cuisine, and learning more about their culture - and it has run for 10 seasons. Sadly, in June, Bourdain was found dead in a hotel in Fracne, where he was shooting an episode about Strasbourg for the upcoming season. His death took the world by surprise and, since then, outpourings of love and appreciation have come from his fans.
Since its beginning, Parts Unknown has proved a popular addition to the CNN lineup. As a signature program for CNN Original Series, it has been nominated for 11 Emmys and won 5 in a number of categories including Outstanding Informational Series or Special, as well as for sound mixing, writing, editing, and cinematography. Parts Unknown also won a Peabody Award in 2013. While it presumed that CNN would cancel the new season due to Bourdain's death, that doesn't seem to be the cast, at least not entirely.
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L.A. Times reports that CNN has enough footage to release a final season of Parts Unknown this fall. Only one the episodes in the upcoming season was completed before Bourdain’s death and will feature his signature narration. The episode centered a trip to Kenya with W. Kamau Bell, the host of CNN’s United Shades of America. The rest of the episodes will be completed by their directors using audio of Bourdain acquired during filming on location. They will also utilize follow-up interviews to tie all of the material together. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content at CNN, had the following to say about the season:
“Each one will feel slightly different depending on what’s gathered in the field. They will have the full presence of Tony because you’ll see him, you’ll hear him, you’ll watch him. That layer of his narration will be missing, but it will be replaced by other voices of people who are in the episodes."
Towards the end of the final season, an episode will be dedicated to the cast and crew, discussing what it was like to film the series. It will be filled with outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. The last episode will be about how Bourdain affected the world, and it will feature reactions and stories from fans as well as some of Bourdain's many friends and acquaintances who have appeared on the series.
Bourdain began his career as a professional chef before branching out into writing, having had his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly published in 2000. His first series, A Cook’s Tour, soon followed on Food Network. Then, in 2005, he began Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, a show that would run until 2012. Bourdain never shied away from new adventures and took his fans along with him on his journeys. From three star restaurants to home kitchens, Bourdain experienced it all with the same appreciation. He drew fans into cultures they may have not been familiar with and showed the beauty of them. This final season of Parts Unknown will give fans a chance to say goodbye to the beloved host and his popular show.
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Source: L.A. Times
