National Geographic announced the greenlight of TUCCI – THE HEART OF ITALY (working title). The new 10-part docuseries follows the Emmy®– and Golden Globe®-winning actor across the country as he unlocks the distinct flavors that define each region and discovers the rich versatility of Italy through those he meets along the journey. The series is produced by BBC Studios’, Specialist Factual Productions, alongside Tucci’s Salt Productions. Production will begin in January 2024.
Each region of Italy proudly proclaims individuality, but what binds the country together is the passion that all Italians have for good food. Tucci guides viewers to discover the real Italy — with all its complexities — through its cuisine. Across 10 episodes, he’ll travel to 10 regions, including Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Marche and Lazio. As Tucci travels to each corner of the country, he seeks out the essence of each region and its people through the food they eat.
In each episode, Tucci ventures off the beaten track to meet fascinating people from all walks of life who will share their stories and the extraordinary dishes that make Italian food the world’s most loved cuisine.
“National Geographic is all about adventure and exploration, and I am honored to take viewers once again to explore Italy through the lens of food,” said Tucci. “In Italy’s many distinct regions there is always something new to discover and I’m more than excited to begin the process in partnership with BBC Studios.”
In TUCCI – THE HEART OF ITALY (working title), Tucci meets professional chefs, amateur cooks, farmers and fishermen, winemakers and brewers, and fellow eaters who all share his passion for food and who inspire him. From its unique geology and changing climate to its history, politics and modern multiculturalism, Tucci not only gathers inspiration but also learns about Italy on multiple levels.
“National Geographic is the perfect home for Stanley to share his knowledge and passion for Italy’s people, food and culture,” said Tom McDonald, EVP of Global Factual and Unscripted, National Geographic. “Our programming is all about inspiring a deeper connection to the world. With Stanley as their guide, audiences will be transported to places and to flavors they’ve never experienced before.”
Alan Holland, Head of BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions, added “We are thrilled to be working with Stanley on this major new series and to be strengthening our partnership with National Geographic. Stanley is the perfect guide for this delicious journey, and we couldn’t be prouder to be partnering with him, Salt Productions and National Geographic to bring this to audiences around the world.”
Tucci gets off the tourist trail, out of season and behind closed doors with stunning visuals to reveal Italy and its culinary secrets like we’ve never seen them before.
TUCCI – THE HEART OF ITALY (working title) is produced by Salt Productions and BBC Studios. For Salt Productions, Stanley Tucci and Lottie Birmingham are executive producers. For BBC Studios, the executive producers are Alan Holland and Amanda Lyon. Ben Jessop is showrunner. For National Geographic, the commissioning editor is Simon Raikes, Charlie Parsons is senior vice president of Global Development, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.
About National Geographic Content
Award-winning and critically acclaimed National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, creates and delivers riveting stories and experiences in natural history, science, adventure and exploration. Inspiring a deeper connection to the world, the content studio reaches 300 million people worldwide in 180 countries and 33 languages across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and direct-to-consumer platforms Disney+ and Hulu. Its diverse content includes Emmy® Award-winning franchise Genius, series Life Below Zero and Secrets of the Whales, and Oscar®- and BAFTA award-winning film Free Solo. In 2022, National Geographic Content was awarded eight News and Documentary Emmys, in addition to Life Below Zero’s Emmy win for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program, its sixth Emmy overall. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or follow Nat Geo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions
BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions focus on ground-breaking history, art, music, and cultural programming. It has a mission to push boundaries and blend genres to create fresh, challenging and entertaining programming that tells brilliant stories with passion and purpose. Recent credits include the Grierson winning Inside Our Autistic Minds, Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World with Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator and Uncanny as well the upcoming Lost Gold and The Great Rhino Robbery.
About Salt Productions
Salt Productions was founded in 2023 by Stanley Tucci and Lottie Birmingham. Having worked closely together for ten years, the two formed Salt to combine their shared aesthetic and work ethos in order to generate and produce non-fiction, commercial and fictional projects for film and television. “Tucci – The Heart of Italy” is their inaugural production. www.salt-productions.co.uk
