Why Anthony Bourdain's Final Episode Of Parts Unknown Will Never Air On TV - Tasting Table

"Anthony Bourdain died by suicide on June 8, 2018. He was in France filming an episode of his show "Parts Unknown" at the time with his friend and fellow chef, Eric Ripert. It was Ripert who discovered Bourdain the next morning in his hotel room. For many, Bourdain's death was a profound shock. A man who loved restaurants all across the country and appeared so raw and authentic on camera also had a hidden side that even close friends and colleagues could not have predicted. His passing, and with it, his unique passion for not only food but also art and the human experience, was a great loss."

"Although filming had already begun in Alsace, including a conversation with chef Jean-Yves Schillinger, producers opted not to use any of the footage they had filmed during their time there. An entire episode was planned, but because of Bourdain's death, they chose to never even try to assemble something from what they had filmed beforehand."

"Instead, CNN and the production company used footage from five earlier shoots with Bourdain to assemble the show's final season, excluding anything filmed in Alsace. The production team wanted to "honor the work with a final season," according to US Weekly, so they used what was completed to that point. They added an additional episode as a tribute to Bourdain that included interviews about him with friends and colleagues sharing memories and opinions."

"It's unclear who ultimately controlled the Alsace footage, CNN or the production company. Though they have chosen to keep it private, who has custody of it or what they plan to do with it, if anything, is unknown. Rather than completing and releasing the show he was working on in Alsace, audiences will take one last journey with Anthony Bourdain through New York's Lower East Side, exploring the area through his eyes."

Anthony Bourdain died by suicide on June 8, 2018, while filming an episode of Parts Unknown in France with chef Eric Ripert, who discovered him. Producers chose not to use the footage shot in Alsace and did not attempt to assemble the planned episode. CNN and the production company compiled the show's final season from footage of five earlier shoots, excluding Alsace material, and added a tribute episode featuring interviews with friends and colleagues. Ownership and custody of the Alsace footage remain unclear and private. Audiences instead receive a final episode that explores New York's Lower East Side through Bourdain's perspective.

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