Yesterday, news broke that Stanley Tucci has found a new home for his food travel series and will be returning to TV with a new National Geographic show with the working title Tucci—The Heart of Italy. The announcement came one year after word that CNN had canceled his Searching For Italy—which won two Emmy awards for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special—after two seasons.
Production on the new NatGeo series will begin next month, with plans for a 10-episode season featuring trips to 10 different regions of Italy, including Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Marche, and Lazio.
According to a release from National Geographic, “In each episode, Tucci ventures off the beaten track to meet fascinating people from all walks of life who will share their stories and the extraordinary dishes that make Italian food the world’s most loved cuisine.”
Tucci as well as executives from the Disney-owned network cite the National Geographic brand’s focus on exploration as making the new Italian adventures an ideal fit.
As on his CNN series, expect Tucci to meet Italian food and drink figures, from chefs to farmers to olive oil producers, as he travels from region to region.
Tucci—The Heart of Italy (working title) is produced by BBC Studios and Salt Productions, which Tucci and fellow executive producer Lottie Birmingham launch with this project.
