Bad news for fans of Anthony Bourdain’s runaway hit Travel Channel show No Reservations: after eight seasons on the air, it is coming to a close. But for every door that closes, a window opens, and this is no different. According to reports, Bourdain has inked an exclusive deal with CNN to bring his patented snark and wiseassery to the channel for a weekend show about food and travel. So, in other words, we’re trading in No Reservations on the Travel Channel for No Reservations: Redux on CNN.
The L.A. Times had the scoop on Bourdain’s official statement regarding the new and as-of-yet-unnamed new program set to hit CNN’s proprietary airwaves in 2013:
In a statement, Bourdain said, "I'm really looking forward to coming over to CNN. I think the world is going to get a whole lot bigger for me. I hope that old fans and new ones will be excited about what's coming down the road."
Meanwhile, CNN Worldwide Executive VP Mark Whitaker reassured No Reservations fans that Bourdain’s new show will contain a lot of the same elements – travel and food and the inimitable personality that is Anthony Bourdain, mostly – so it’s really like nothing has changed except the channel. As much as we love No Reservations, we don’t want anyone getting stuck in a programming rut so we hope there is some new angle to the new show. But as long as it stays alternately mouthwatering and thought provoking, we’ll take it.
Travel Channel also offered up some lengthy thoughts on the matter (and wants you to know that The Layover isn’t going anywhere just yet so you can keep tuning in):
According to a Travel Channel spokeswoman, "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."
It’s also good to know that The Layover is still in production, as that’s certainly one to watch as well, and we’re glad to hear that Travel Channel is still open to working with Bourdain – a lot of great work has come out of that partnership over the years. But we’re looking forward to seeing him boost CNN’s ratings for a change.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times Show Tracker]
