F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E
Season 2 of Acclaimed PBS Series Premieres 1/20/20
NO PASSPORT REQUIRED WITH MARCUS SAMUELSSON RETURNS TO UNC-TV
New Episodes Explore the Food & Culture of America’s Thriving Immigrant Communities
Research Triangle Park, NC, Monday, January 13, 2020 — UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina welcomes the return of celebrated food and culture exploration No Passport Required. Hosted by renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson, who also serves as the series executive producer, No Passport Required makes its second season debut Monday, January 20, at 9 PM, on the UNC-TV PBS & More channel.
This season, Marcus and team will sample six more tantalizing territories to explore, visiting with professional chefs and home cooks for an in-depth look at the rich diversity of immigrant traditions and cuisines woven into our American food and culture.
To celebrate the new season of No Passport Required, UNC-TV is hosting Dishoom: A Global Dance Party! This special food and culture opportunity takes place Sunday, January 26, starting at 2 PM, at Motorco in downtown Durham. The family-friendly event features Indian dance lessons, a live DJ and tasty treats—along with clips from the new season of No Passport Required. Not only is no passport required for this all-ages event, it’s free! For more information, please visit UNC-TV’s official Dishoom: A Global Dance Party Eventbrite page.
No Passport Required kicks off its second season Monday, January 20, at 9 PM, in Los Angeles, where the world’s second-largest Armenian community resides. The following week, it’s off to Houston, home to one of the highest numbers of West African expatriates in the country.
In subsequent episodes, Samuelsson goes up to the Pacific Northwest and finds the Filipino-American community in Seattle, who are part of the city’s longstanding Asian Pacific American heritage. From West Coast to East, Samuelsson lands in Boston, where he explores Portuguese-speaking cultures and cuisines from three different locales: Brazil, Cape Verde and Portugal.
Other episodes focus on the Chinese-American community in Las Vegas, which has grown tremendously over the last 20 years, and Philadelphia, where Italian Americans have thrived for generations. In each city, Samuelsson visits local restaurants, markets and family homes, learning about each community’s cuisine and heritage.
“I’m so happy to be working on a second season of No Passport Required,” said Samuelsson. “We have only begun to scratch the surface of the amazing range of immigrant cultures and cuisines found in the U.S. It’s exciting to go on this journey once again and bring attention to these diverse communities that contribute so much to our nation.”
“No Passport Required was one of our freshest and most popular new shows last year,” said Pamela A. Aguilar, senior director, PBS Programming. “We’re delighted to present a new season of this inclusive series that is part of the PBS commitment to provide programming that is reflective of all Americans."
“Season 1 of No Passport Required was Eater’s first foray into television, and we’re proud to be working with PBS on a second season to celebrate America’s diverse cultural mosaic with these six new locations and communities," said Sonia Chopra, Eater’s director of editorial strategy and a co-executive producer on the show. “Offering a platform for immigrant communities to share their stories is what truly makes this docu-series so special.”
About Marcus Samuelsson
An immigrant himself—born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden and now a celebrated chef, restaurateur, author and resident of Harlem—Samuelsson is passionate about sharing and celebrating the food of America’s vibrant communities. Each episode shows how important food is in bringing Americans—old and new—together around the table.
About Eater/Vox Entertainment
Lifestyle network Eater, featuring the only team of dedicated journalists in 24 markets across North America and the UK, has been at the forefront of breaking news and goes deeper into the cities, restaurants, bars, chefs, ingredients, experiences and stories that are shaping culture today with award-winning features, a flagship maps program and more. In July 2018, Eater’s first foray into television, No Passport Required, premiered on PBS. Produced with Vox Entertainment, part of Vox Media, the six-part series, hosted by Chef Marcus Samuelsson, takes a culinary and anthropological excursion into the cities, communities, and cuisines of today’s multicultural America. With a wide variety of original video series, the two-time New York Emmy-award winning video team continues to evolve giving viewers new hosts, formats and access to experiences and destinations that redefine how food is covered in the media.
About PBS Food
PBS is the original home of cooking and still offers the very best in food and cooking. From A Chef’s Life to The Great British Baking Show to Martha Bakes, PBS programs and chefs have received more Peabody Awards, Daytime Emmy® Awards and James Beard Foundation Awards than any other network. Viewers can explore more deeply on the award-winning PBS Food site (pbs.org/food), which brings together the best food and cooking content from across public television with award-winning digital videos, recipes, articles and more.
About UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina
On air, online and in person, UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina connects North Carolinians to each other, the world and endless possibilities. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the statewide network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery, and four over-the-air channels—UNC-TV PBS & More, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS and the Explorer Channel. Additionally, it provides emergency services support for the state and free educational services and resources for teachers. Visit unctv.org and join the conversation at facebook.com/publicmediaNC, instagram.com/publicmediaNC and @publicmediaNC on Twitter.
@publicmediaNC @marcuscooks @pbs @eater #NoPassRequiredPBS
For images and additional up-to-date information about this and other PBS programs,pbs.org/pressroom. For more information about UNC-TV news and information, please visit unctv.org/pressroom.
Contacts: Rebekah Radisch, UNC-TV: 919-549-7177 rradisch@unctv.org
Cara White/Mary Lugo, CaraMar, Inc.: cara.white@mac.com; lugo@negia.net
Michaé Godwin, PBS: mmgodwin@pbs.org
Nicole Bamber, Vox Media/Eater: nicole.bamber@voxmedia.com
