What better host than Stanley Tucci to take viewers on a regional culinary tour of Italy? The avowed food lover is of Italian heritage, on both sides of his family.
And what better timing than now? With many restaurants shuttered and others with limited hours and seating capacity, countless Americans have acquired a pandemic-induced obsession with cooking. They pine to travel as soon as more people are vaccinated and borders reopen. Many want to explore or revisit Italy.
Tucci’s new six-part CNN series, Searching for Italy, will premiere on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 9PM EST. The first episode takes viewers to Campania, located in the southwest portion of the Italian peninsula.
“During a time when everyone wishes they could travel, the series will transport you through Italy’s cultural past and present through its extraordinary cuisine,” said Tucci in announcing the new series. “The food tells the story of this country’s unique history and I’m thrilled to serve as a guide through this journey.”
Each episode has been filmed in a different region (or city) including Tuscany, Sicily, Milan, Rome, Bologna, and Naples/The Amalfi Coast. Viewers get introduced to local chefs, winemakers, farmers, food producers, historians and guides. Four episodes were filmed in the fall of 2019 (before the pandemic) and the last two in the fall of 2020.
