Anthony Bourdain is putting more on his plate to chew on. The author and host of Travel Channel's No Reservations has just signed on to host an as-yet-untitled weekend show on CNN, as part of the cable network's expansion from news-only to food and travel shows.
Launching in early 2013, the show will be shot on location, examining cultures from around the world through their food and travel rituals. The show is slated to air on Sunday evenings, with repeats the following Saturday.
Bourdain, who currently has two similar shows on Travel Channel, is
looking forward to doing his own brand of food and travel essays for
CNN. "I'm really looking forward to coming over to CNN. I think the
world is going to get a whole lot bigger for me," he said.
Bourdain's
other duties at CNN will include providing commentary and insights on
other CNN shows, concerning food, health, and other "cultural
conversations".
Short Order contacted Travel Channel to
see if the CNN deal would affect future seasons of No Reservations and The Layover. We
were told that Bourdain is currently shooting another season of The
Layover, with both shows returning for at least one more 2012-2013
season.
Travel Channel is expected to issue a formal statement shortly regarding the future of Bourdain's relationship with the cable network, though Bourdain might have let the cat out of the bag when he tweeted "Moving with same ZPZ crew over to CNN to do another world travel show.
Congo? Libya? Finally?"
Update: A Travel Channel spokesperson has issued the following statement regarding Tony Bourdain's status with the cable network:
"As part of Travel Channel's strategic repositioning of the brand and its core programming mission, the Network has been aggressively developing new talent, new voices and new shows, as announced last year. Anthony Bourdain has been an iconic figure at Travel Channel for eight groundbreaking seasons of the Emmy award-winning No Reservations and he just finished shooting the latest season of No Reservations. Additionally, we just began filming with Tony for season two of The Layover. Original episodes of both series will run through 2013 and Bourdain programs will always have a home on Travel Channel. We are proud of the great storytelling Tony has brought to the Network. We congratulate him on his new venture and look forward to working with him on new projects in the future."
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