World-renowned chef, best-selling author and Emmy winning television personality Anthony Bourdain is the host of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," CNN's new showcase for coverage of food and travel. The series is shot entirely on location. "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" premieres Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET
(CNN) -- Before I set out to travel this world, 12 years ago, I used to believe that the human race as a whole was basically a few steps above wolves.
That given the slightest change in circumstances, we would all, sooner or later, tear each other to shreds. That we were, at root, self-interested, cowardly, envious and potentially dangerous in groups. I have since come to believe -- after many meals with many different people in many, many different places -- that though there is no shortage of people who would do us harm, we are essentially good.
That the world is, in fact, filled with mostly good and decent people who are simply doing the best they can. Everybody, it turns out, is proud of their food (when they have it). They enjoy sharing it with others (if they can). They love their children. They like a good joke. Sitting at the table has allowed me a privileged perspective and access that others, looking principally for "the story," do not, I believe, always get.
People feel free, with a goofy American guy who has expressed interest only in their food and what they do for fun, to tell stories about themselves -- to let their guard down, to be and to reveal, on occasion, their truest selves.
Nick Brigden is an Emmy award-nominated editor and director. He lives in New York with his wife, Carrie, and their dog, Honey Paw.
Meet the crew
Anthony Bourdain previews new CNN show
Human-powered Ferris wheel
Anthony Bourdain in the hot seat
I am not a journalist. I am not a foreign correspondent. I am, at best, an essayist and enthusiast. An amateur. I hope to show you what people are like at the table, at home, in their businesses, at play. And when and if, later, you read about or see the places I've been on the news, you'll have a better idea of who, exactly, lives there.
"Parts Unknown" is supposed to be about food, culture and travel -- as seen through the prism of food. We will learn along with you. When we look at familiar locations, we hope to look at them from a lesser-known perspective, examine aspects unfamiliar to most.
People, wherever they live, are not statistics. They are not abstractions.
Bad things happen to good people all the time. When they do, hopefully, you'll have a better idea who, and what, on a human scale, is involved.
I'm not saying that sitting down with people and sharing a plate is the answer to world peace. Not by a long shot.
But it can't hurt.
Anthony Bourdain Hotel El Minzah, Tangier
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Erik Osterholm is a producer who has found himself on sailboats in Antarctica, helicopters above the Bering Sea and tucked deep in the jungles of Indonesia. He is passionate about telling stories from the hard-to-reach, remote corners of the world.
Jared Andrukanis, Producer/Director on "Parts Unknown," has worked with Zero Point Zero Production since 2007 and is a big fan of all sorts of street food -- which is not particularly surprising, considering the folks who he finds himself spending time with while shooting on-location.
Todd Liebler started with Zero Point Zero back in 2005. He has traveled the world with Tony Bourdain for more than eight seasons, shooting over a hundred episodes. He has been awarded two Director of Photography Emmys for non-fiction programming as well as another nomination in the same category this last year. He looks forward to shooting another hundred for "Parts Unknown." He loves his job and misses his wonderful family whenever he's on the road.
Diane Schutz is a producer who has been eating and drinking on the road with Bourdain since 2002. Adventures with Tony have included getting stuck in wartime Beirut, burning six tons of cocaine in Panama, and contracting cutaneous larva migrans in Rajasthan. She finds it ironic that her only bout of food poisoning occurred in Ireland.
Sally Freeman is a transplant from the UK and a producer/director on "Parts Unknown." She loves travelling to little-known places, eating unfamiliar foods and using obscure curse words.
Michael Steed is a producer/director at Zero Point Zero Production Inc.
Morgan Fallon is a New York-based cinematographer. He has worked in reality and documentary television for over 10 years. He has worked with Zero Point Zero Production and Anthony Bourdain since 2007. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Gillian and his son, August.
Jeremy Leach is a Director of Photography who has been working on documentary, museum, and television projects for over 12 years. He feels lucky to have had the opportunity to travel all over the world exploring, capturing, and recording people's stories. Jeremy began his career working in Boston, Massachusetts and now lives in Brooklyn with his wife.
Zach Zamboni: 10,000 hours of international camerawork. Seen enough to know there's much more to see. Part Maine, part Spain, and a shot of Brooklyn.
Josh Ferrell is a producer whose former projects include Emmy-nominated "No Reservations," "The Layover," and "The Wild Within." Josh hails from Southern California where an early love for travel and film resulted in a desire to capture the world and its untold narratives through multiple lenses. This work has taken him far and wide, from the beaches of Mozambique to the favelas of Rio.
Tom Vitale has been traveling the globe with Anthony Bourdain for the better part of a decade. Having grown with Tony through multiple shows and networks, he is excited now to be directing "Parts Unknown" for CNN. Several passports later, one thing is certainly clear: life is not boring...
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