Anthony Bourdain And 'Parts Unknown' Win Six Emmys, Including An Elusive One

Author and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who died in June at age 61, was very much a presence at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards held Saturday and Sunday. His CNN travel and food show, "Parts Unknown," claimed six awards in total, with two for Bourdain himself. One of those honors, the outstanding writing award, had long eluded the chef, and he had "always coveted" it, said producer Lydia Tenaglia, who accepted on his behalf.

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"His writing was always fiercely intelligent, very real," Tenaglia said. "He's really off on a journey to parts unknown. We wish we were there to shoot it with him and he really would have written the hell out of that episode."

In addition to the outstanding writing for a nonfiction program award, Bourdain himself was honored for outstanding informational series or special. "Parts Unknown" also won Emmys for editing, sound editing, sound mixing and its online series, "Explore Parts Unknown."

"Parts Unknown" will return for one final season on September 23, but the episodes will be quite different from the past 11 seasons. Only one, the premiere, will feature Bourdain's signature narration. In that episode, Bourdain and fellow CNN host W. Kamau Bell, of "United Shades of America," visit Kenya.

Four other episodes will be assembled from footage Bourdain had shot before his death in Spain, Indonesia, Texas and New York's Lower East Side. Two episodes will be assembled as specials to honor Bourdain, with one focusing on how he changed the food world, and another on his relationship with his crew.

Once the episodes begin airing on September 23, a new show will be seen every Sunday through November 11. No show will air on November 4 due to CNN's pre-election coverage.

 

In addition to the final season, CNN Films is producing a documentary about Bourdain's life and work, to be made in cooperation with the Bourdain estate and with Zero Point Zero, the company that produced all of Bourdain's television work.

 

Parts Unknown also won a Peabody Award in 2013 and has five previous Emmys. It's just further proof of how Bourdain forever changed the food world.