The passing of Anthony Bourdain came as a shock to the world. He was an individual that impacted millions because he explored countries with excitement and intrigue. When the news broke of his apparent suicide on Friday, June 8th, Twitter was flooded with messages of love and support for those who face similar battles. He left behind a legacy full of culture and food through his show Parts Unknown. The show debuted on CNN in 2013, and was filming its 11th season at the time of Bourdain’s passing. The first 8 seasons are available on Netflix.
Upon his passing, many of his loyal fans discovered that his show was scheduled to be taken down from Netflix on June 16th. In a moment of rare internet goodness, a petition went viral to keep the show on the streaming platform. The Change.com Petition received over 6,300 digital signatures. The petition pleads on the goodness of his character and the content of his show:
If his legacy is anything, it is that the human condition afflicts us all, that life is beautiful but fragile, that there is not much better than a long story over a hot bowl of noodles, and that kindness, connection, and a little understanding can make our world just a little bit better.
Bourdain lived life like he treated so many of the dishes he consumed. By gnawing it to the bone.
So many of us could learn to live just a little more like that.
Netflix, this show isn’t just entertaining. It is heartwarming, it is honest and it benefits human kind” -Change.com Petition
Luckily, Netflix saw the petition was able to extend their contract agreement to keep the first 8 seasons of the show streaming for the foreseeable future. It was confirmed via Twitter earlier today.
Some fans have noticed that Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown was scheduled to come off Netflix US on June 16. As of today, we’ve extended our agreement that will keep Parts Unknown on the service for months to come.
— Netflix (@netflix) June 12, 2018
It’s encouraging to know that a company such as Netflix is able to understand the impact of its content. It seems as if people are constantly searching for proof of goodness in the world without a political divide. Many looked to Parts Unknown for that.
Featured image via screenshot from Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown on Netflix
