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CNN is giving fans a new reason to revisit the work of Anthony Bourdain. As part of its upgraded All Access streaming tier, the network will finally offer never-before-streamed episodes and exclusive footage, including the long-sought companion series Prime Cuts. For longtime viewers or those just discovering Bourdain, this marks a meaningful moment.
A deeper look into Bourdain’s journey
At the heart of this new streaming release is Prime Cuts, a series that offers a more introspective view of Bourdain, blending edited highlights from Parts Unknown with personal interviews. It’s not just a “best of” collection. These episodes include behind-the-scenes reflections from Bourdain himself, filmed during the original run of his show for CNN.
In these segments, Bourdain opens up about the challenges of constant travel, the cultural connections that surprised him, and how the show evolved beyond expectations. According to CNN, they reveal a “deeply honest” side of the chef and storyteller. Watching him talk about his experiences with a mix of warmth, curiosity, and fatigue hits particularly hard today.
Originally aired as promos ahead of new Parts Unknown seasons, Prime Cuts episodes were broadcast only once, never re-aired or archived for streaming. Until now, they’ve been largely forgotten, almost like hidden notes from Bourdain to his viewers. To read Pluribus finale shocks fans as season 2 faces long wait
For fans like me, that’s huge. These moments—often off-the-cuff, modest, full of dry humor—remind us why Bourdain remains so missed. He didn’t just narrate a show; he lived it, and he often questioned it in real time.
The complete Bourdain archive in one place
Alongside Prime Cuts, CNN’s new offering includes every episode of Parts Unknown and the powerful documentary Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021). Combined, this collection forms the most complete archive of Bourdain’s work on the network.
This move isn’t just a nostalgia play. It acknowledges Bourdain’s influence on CNN itself. When he joined the network in 2012, CNN was only beginning to experiment with non-traditional programming. Parts Unknown wasn’t just a food show—it was a travelogue, a political reflection, sometimes even a war diary. His voice gave CNN a new tone, often more humane than its news coverage.
At a 2013 premiere party, Bourdain admitted how CNN’s reach opened new doors. Thanks to its global resources, he could film in places most U.S. shows wouldn’t consider. That expanded the show’s scope and added depth to its already ambitious concept.
A legacy built over decades
Bourdain’s fame didn’t start with CNN. It began with Kitchen Confidential, his 2000 memoir that sparked a new way of talking about restaurant culture—raw, unsentimental, laced with brutal honesty and gallows humor. From that book came a series of shows: To read Taylor Swift opens up in final Eras Tour docuseries episode
- A Cook’s Tour (Food Network)
- No Reservations (Travel Channel)
- The Layover
- Parts Unknown (CNN)
Each show took viewers further—from the kitchen to the bustling streets of Tokyo, the markets of Africa, or dinner tables in Iran. But it was on CNN that Bourdain found perhaps his greatest range. He could focus on food, sure, but also on human rights, memory, grief, resilience.
And with Prime Cuts now available, we’ll hear from Bourdain in a more unguarded way, something that makes this release feel both intimate and necessary.
A timely decision from CNN
This curated rollout also serves as a smart strategic play for CNN. After the short-lived CNN+ experiment and growing pressure to establish a meaningful presence in streaming, bundling Bourdain’s catalog into the All Access tier is more than symbolic. It’s a clear bet on legacy content, the kind that still moves people.
For me, it’s personal. Bourdain was one of the first TV figures who made it okay to be curious, impatient, empathetic—and to explore without spectacle. His shows didn’t just make you hungry; they made you think.
By unlocking material that’s sat on servers for years, CNN is giving us the chance not just to remember Bourdain, but to hear from him again—as thoughtful, flawed, and human as ever.
