There’s no TV gig I envy more than one that lets people travel around the world and eat all the most delicious meals they can find. Whether it’s Anthony Bourdain’s adventures in mild to moderate hedonism (see: Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” and CNN’s “Parts Unknown”) or Padma Lakshmi’s moving portraits of immigrant communities in the U.S. (Hulu’s “Taste the Nation”), I’m a sucker for watching smart people explore this wildly diverse planet of ours through its equally varied food.
Actor and director Eva Longoria already took a stab at this globetrotting genre with 2023’s “Searching for Mexico,” her own version of Stanley Tucci’s “Searching for Italy.” In both CNN series, Tucci and Longoria used the loose framework of delving into their personal histories to eat their way through Italy and Mexico’s vibrant food scenes. Now, Longoria’s back for seconds with “Searching for Spain,” premiering April 27 at 9 p.m. on CNN.
Over eight episodes, Longoria will travel everywhere from Seville to Barcelona to the Basque region to sample each region’s signature delicacies. As Longoria makes her way around Spain, she’ll reach even further back into her family tree than she did in “Searching for Mexico.”
“Eleven generations ago, one of my ancestors left Spain for the New World and a new life,” she says in the series’ trailer. “400 years later, I’m back!” Does this mean her ancestors were conquistadors…? Whether the show will risk harshing the “Eat, Pray, Love” vibe by answering that particularly thorny question in between paellas remains unclear. Either way, there’s no doubt Longoria’s personal relationship with the subject matter provides not just a useful anchor for the show, but a crucial connection for her audience to latch onto as well.
Choosing to tour a single country immediately sharpens the show’s focus. But in recent years, the “celebrity puts their passport to work” format should be familiar to anyone who’s even so much as glanced at their TV listings.
Before she became the new host of “Top Chef,” Kristen Kish visited “Restaurants at the End of the World” for NatGeo (now available to stream on Hulu and Disney+). Apple TV+ sent “Schitt’s Creek” actor Eugene Levy to “the world’s most beautiful and intriguing destinations” for his cheeky series “The Reluctant Traveler.” On May 8, Brookline’s Conan O’Brien will report back on more of his travels for season 2 of Max’s “Conan Must Go.”
Need more proof? Look no further than the timeslot directly following “Searching for Spain,” when CNN will premiere the new series “My Happy Place.” As you can probably guess from the title, this particular variation on the travel show theme will follow people like Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and “The Traitors” host Alan Cumming to their favorite destinations (New Orleans and the Scottish Highlands, respectively).
Obviously, I’d prefer to take all these vacations — and eat all that fabulous food — myself. In the meantime, though, I guess I’ll just keep torturing myself by watching others do it for me.
Caroline Framke is a media analyst who previously served as Variety’s Chief TV Critic. Her other work can be found at The Atlantic, Vulture, Vox, and more. A Smith College graduate, Framke is currently based in New York City.