There are travel shows, and then there is CNN's Parts Unknown.
Hosted by late author and chef Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown took cameras to places no one
else was exploring, and along the way, Bourdain met some incredible people, tried a lot of
amazing food, and uncovered some truly moving stories.
He made it a point to not only introduce his fans and foodie followers to the cuisine and
culture of these oft-overlooked lands, but also to humanize the faces behind the headlines.
Here are a few things you may not known about Parts Unknown.
It started in Lebanon
When most people think of Lebanon or its capital city Beirut, they likely think of a place
torn apart by relentless war and strife.
Bourdain saw something else, writing in 2015:
"[Beirut] is a beautiful city, with layers of scars the locals have ceased to even notice.
It's a place with tremendous heart.
[...] It defies logic.
It defies expectations.
It is amazing."
He was there in 2006 for his Emmy-winning Travel Channel show No Reservations, and so
was Kim Ghattas.
Then a BBC correspondent, Ghattas says filming the show as war broke out in the region was
a turning point for Bourdain.
It was there that he decided to start telling the stories of the people he saw behind the
front lines, those just trying to get on with their lives against a terrifying backdrop
of conflict.
The seeds of Parts Unknown were planted, and it's why Bourdain later decided to visit places
like Gaza, Libya, Cuba, and Haiti, and focus on more than just food ...
"It gave us license, for better or worse, to wander a little further, and then, of course,
later CNN gave us license to wander away completely whenever we wanted."
Helping a jailed journalist
In 2014, Bourdain interviewed Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and his wife, journalist
Yeganeh Salehi, for an episode on Iran.
It was only a few weeks later that CNN reported both journalists had been arrested, and while
Salehi was released quickly, Rezaian spent the next two years in jail facing espionage
charges.
Bourdain continued to advocate for him during his confinement, and he was ultimately released
as part of a prisoner exchange.
Rezaian later lauded Bourdain for putting a face to those who were struggling against
oppression, and credits the interview he did for Parts Unknown as opening the door that
allowed other news outlets to cover his detainment.
Blending in
Bourdain revealed to People magazine in early 2018 that there were only seven people in
the field producing Parts Unknown, himself included, and each episode was filmed over
the course of 10 days.
In order to put everyone at ease and help people get over the fact there was a camera
crew in their midst, everyone would join in the drinking, the carousing, and the conversation.
Bourdain told People the strategy was to make the crew blend in:
"Everyone should think of these crew guys as, at worst, an annoying relative with a
camera.
Not as an invading army from outside."
Animal cruelty accusations
In 2015, thousands of animal lovers signed a petition to cancel Parts Unknown because
of graphic images of animals being slaughtered.
The petition specifically called out a few scenes, including the slow decapitation of
a camel and the death throes of a deer.
Those weren't the only scenes people had problems with, either.
In 2016, Mercy for Animals condemned Bourdain for eating rabbit heads and joking about a
Sichuan dish made by tearing out a living duck's intestines.
"But it's a bit cruel, right?"
"Well, you want 'em fresh, Eric."
Last Chance for Animals also started a petition against Parts Unknown, for scenes like the
one in Hawaii, where Bourdain started chewing on a live octopus in order to kill it.
Supporters condemned him for not only showing the scenes, but for joking about the suffering
he was catching on camera.
Bourdain responded to the complaints, telling Eater,
"Contrary to what some may say, I do not enjoy seeing the death of any living thing.
I do not promote animal cruelty.
But I think people should know where meat comes from, and knowing, they should feel
free to decide what they do from there."
No retirement
You might think that after visiting so many places and traveling so much, Anthony Bourdain
would have been looking forward to wrapping up his time on Parts Unknown and switching
gears.
But he told People less than a month before his death that he had no plans to retire or
to end the show.
Some of the episodes hadn't even aired yet, and while he did say he always enjoyed the
days he spent at home - and noted that he especially loved the sound of doing laundry
- he had no plans to quit the show.
"I just think I'm too nervous, neurotic, driven.
I would have had a different answer a few years ago.
I might have deluded myself into thinking that I'd be happy in a hammock or gardening.
But no, I'm quite sure I can't.
I'm going to pretty much die in the saddle."
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