The search is over. A new food and travel series hosted by Stanley Tucci has landed at National Geographic Channel: Tucci — The Heart of Italy.
As was true for his CNN series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, which was canceled last year after two seasons on the network, this 10-part docuseries for Nat Geo follows the acclaimed actor across Italy as he unlocks the distinct flavors that define each region and discovers the versatility of Italy through those he meets along the way. The series is produced by BBC Studios’, Specialist Factual Productions, alongside Tucci’s Salt Productions.
Production will begin in January 2024.
Across 10 episodes, Tucci travels to 10 different regions, including Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Marche and Lazio. In each episode, he ventures off the beaten track to meet people from all walks of life who share their stories and the extraordinary dishes that make Italian food the world’s most-loved cuisine.
“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,” Tucci said in a 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 — The Heart of Italy, is produced by Salt Productions and BBC Studios. For Salt Productions, Tucci and Lottie Birmingham are executive producers. For BBC Studios, the executive producers are Alan Holland and Amanda Lyon. Ben Jessop is showrunner. For National Geographic, the commissioning editor is Simon Raikes, Charlie Parsons is svp of Global Development, and Tom McDonald is evp of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.
Tucci’s previous food and travel offering, Searching for Italy, was surprisingly canceled by CNN almost a year ago today (Dec. 15, 2022). It was CNN’s most popular and critically-acclaimed original series since Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, and was a casualty to CNN’s Chris Licht-era policy of winding down programming partnerships with outside production companies; a disappointing cost-cutting measure. Searching for Italy had been a CNN co-production with Raw UK.