As seen on DVDs...

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Home video remains an important market for documentaries, domestic films, and international films. Also, television and cable series shows tend to go onto DVDs after the current season is broadcast for viewers keen on having their own copies of the shows they have watched on tv.

However, DVDs also bring the world to other viewers who may not have cable television services or specialty channels, so discovering travel or food shows from US cable channels can be entertaining viewing, as long as you realize that the disclaimers at the start of each show have a purpose. You may not like everything you are about to see.

Anthony Bourdain worked in New York City restaurants and other eateries outside of NYC. He wrote Kitchen Confidential, that led to much discussion about the back of the house realities in many eateries. The book floodlit the hours, the challenges the industry posed to staff personal lives, and the unglamourous aspects of working in the food hospitality sector. Mr. Bourdain has written another non-fiction book as well as columns and a novel.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations series airs on the Travel Channel and six seasons have been put onto DVDs. I have recently seen season 6 (I & II), part II of season 5, and season 4. Based on a behind the scenes feature on a disc, I probably align more with the travel fans of the show (for the scenery and plain curiousity of what activities and people will be shown) than the food fans of the show (some meals will not appeal and Anthony's stomach takes the drinks and the food).

Season 6-my personal favourite segments were Anthony's trip to Paris with chef friend, Eric Ripert and the techniques special.

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A couple of additional points to add about the No Reservationsshow:
-in some areas, I noticed vendors wearing Maggi brand yellow and red aprons (Panama City, Kingston-Jamaica, and Saint Vincent-the Grenandines).
-one of the executive producers, Chris Connell, can be heard in a behind the scenes features. I realized he is also the narrator on another DVD food series, Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie-the credits on the latter's DVD case mention his name and that of his wife, Lydia Tenagli as executive producers and part of Zero Point Zero productions.

How did I make the connection? During the Paris trip, Bourdain and Ripert visit Inaki Aizpitarte, who is a self-taught chef (mention is made of Fooding, a guide to eating well). The interior and exterior images of his restaurant are different in the Travel Channel series from the interior/exterior images from Inaki's restaurant in the Gourmet series-completely different. I happen to have season one of the Gourmet series to view again but it does not have the French restaurant segment on it.

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Castle in the Sky is an 1986 Hayao Miyazaki film that still makes an impact in the 21st century---what happens when humans and technology with power? There's a period feeling of a mountainous town that relies on mining in what appears to be the early 20th century. A special crystal connects many people together to solve the question of a floating castle-is it real?

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Collection 3-I recommend the Los Angeles (outside of Hollywood eatery focus), New York (where chefs go to eat after work hours), and the Cleveland segments to show where regular people find their meals and bonding time. The LA segment in particular is memorable for the rental car from the 80s that Bourdain drives-it brought back memories of 80s prime time dramas on US television where big cars were often used in car chase scenes.