Stanley Tucci Sets New Italy TV Show at Nat Geo After CNN Dropped Him

Stanley Tucci has found a new recipe for the popular docuseries exploring Italian cuisine he once whipped up for CNN.

The actor has struck a production deal with Disney’s National Geographic that calls for a new ten-part docuseries, “Tucci – The Heart of Italy,” to appear on the Nat Geo cable network. Tucci will explore the cuisine and culture in ten different regions of Italy. The series is produced by BBC Studios’, Specialist Factual Productions, alongside Tucci’s Salt Productions. Production will begin in January 2024.

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“National Geographic is all about adventure and exploration, and I am honored to take viewers once again to explore Italy through the lens of food,” said Tucci, in a prepared statement. “In Italy’s many distinct regions there is always something new to discover and I’m more than excited to begin the process in partnership with BBC Studios.”

Tucci had led two cycles of Tucci’s “Searching for Italy” for CNN. The series had been an internal favorite at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed cable-news outlet, and was viewed as a successor of sorts to Anthony Bourdain’s popular “Parts Unknown.” Both series helped to burnish CNN’s brand among documentarians and filmmakers and took the network to new media circles. But CNN has pulled back on such efforts in the wake of cost-cutting maneuvers executed by its corporate parent, which continues to grapple with a staggering amount of debt after taking control of the Warner assets its former owner, AT&T.

But Tucci, who has authored cookbooks based on the work he had done for the series, expressed hope his efforts would find another home. “Hopefully we’ll end up on another streamer, network, we don’t know,” Tucci told Jimmy Fallon on a broadcast of NBC’s “Tonight Show” late last year. “But yes, I have plans to do season three and more.”

“National Geographic is the perfect home for Stanley to share his knowledge and passion for Italy’s people, food and culture,” said Tom McDonald, executive vice president of global factual and unscripted for National Geographic, in a statement. “Our programming is all about inspiring a deeper connection to the world. With Stanley as their guide, audiences will be transported to places and to flavors they’ve never experienced before.”

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