(sigh)Television being what it is -- a cesspool of crotches, profanity and illegal uses of a variety of substances and metal objects with triggers -- has pretty much turned me off. While there are a handful of interesting and literate shows, the majority of offerings are "not ready for prime time." They're amateurish, vulgar, senseless, embarrassing and overall unwatchable.
That said, the Travel Channel has a terrific show in Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. This isn't a travelogue per se; it's an adventure seen through the eyes of a fiftyish writer and chef. Bourdain isn't your usual host -- he's cut from a totally different mold. He's a little irreverent, a little bit bad boy, but always kind and accepting and appreciative of the unusual cultures, habits and foods of the places he visits. His treks don't follow the usual tourist maps -- he's almost always searching the underbellies of cities for the way the natives actually live day-to-day. His trip to Egypt totally ignored the Pyramids as he was disgusted at the tourist traps they have become.
Bourdain himself is an accomplished chef and writer. His first book, Kitchen Confidential, was an expose of sorts of the restaurant business in New York, a topic not many would find an interesting read but was actually a page-turner. The success of that book opened up opportunities for his current show, which has been going strong for quite a while. The show's success lies in the places he visits -- Indonesia, Laos, Uzbekistan, for example -- NOT places like Hawaii, the Bahamas or Paris. It's all fascinating.
Check it out.
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