Stanley Tucci Wants A New Network For 'Searching For Italy' Season 3
Stanley Tucci had always been the lovable supporting actor on screen, often stealing the show in hit movies like "The Devil Wears Prada" and "The Hunger Games." Early on in his career, the actor was occasionally able to marry his passion for acting with food, "the main topic of conversation in [his] household growing up," per his memoir, "Taste: My Life Through Food."
For his directorial debut and acclaimed acting role in 1996's iconic food movie, "Big Night," Tucci played an Italian restaurateur struggling to keep his business afloat, an experience he said "heightened [his] interest in all things culinary." Tucci's love of food has led him to write several cookbooks and a memoir/recipe book, as well as host his the "Searching for Italy" docuseries, which recently aired its second season on CNN (per IMDb).
The two-time Emmy-winning series follows Tucci as he cooks and eats regional specialties across Italy, where the actor has roots. Though the show became CNN's "third best original series on record" in terms of viewership — and inspired countless thirsty reviews and memes due to Tucci's charm — it hasn't yet been renewed for a third season. While promoting his role as Clive Davis in the new Whitney Huston biopic, "I Want To Dance With Somebody," Tucci sat down with Jimmy Fallon to discuss why CNN canceled "Searching for Italy" and what might be coming next.
'Searching for a Network'
After filming six episodes for the first season and another eight for the second, CNN, which broadcasts "Searching for Italy," announced in October that it would be canceling the docuseries along with other programming. CNN chairman Chris Licht alerted employees of the news via email, citing "cost-cutting efforts" as the impetus behind "the very difficult decision," which also includes canceling the late chef Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown," per The New York Times.
In a recent episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Tucci addressed his show's cancelation, saying, "'Unfortunately, CNN has canceled all of their original programming. So, hopefully, we will end up on another streamer, network, we don't know." Although he didn't elaborate, Tucci said he has plans for the third season and beyond, leaving fans of the show optimistic. Until then, Tucci and Fallon joked that "Searching for Italy" is more like the less appetizing "Searching for a Network."
The series, with its beautiful food, picturesque Italian landscape, and charismatic host, provides an escape for the show's fans, especially during the first season, filmed during the lockdown. Viewers are transported as Tucci experiences culinary discoveries and ecstasy, smelling and biting into a dish as he pulls back the curtain, introducing us to the farmers and chefs behind the meal. "Searching for Italy" has even inspired home budding cooks, including Fallon, who said he was empowered to make pizza from scratch instead of ordering delivery.