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Boston Globe

Eva Longoria follows up ‘Searching for Mexico' with a trip to Spain

Over eight episodes, Longoria will travel everywhere from Seville to Barcelona to the Basque region to sample each region's signature delicacies. As Longoria makes her way around Spain, she'll reach even further back into her family tree than she did in 'Searching for Mexico.' 'Eleven generations ago, one of my ancestors left Spain for the New World and a new life,' she says in the series' trailer. '400 years later, I'm back!' Does this mean her ancestors were conquistadors…? Whether the show will risk harshing the 'Eat, Pray, Love' vibe by answering that particularly thorny question in between paellas remains unclear. Either way, there's no doubt Longoria's personal relationship with the subject matter provides not just a useful anchor for the show, but a crucial connection for her audience to latch onto as well. Advertisement Choosing to tour a single country immediately sharpens the show's focus. But in recent years, the 'celebrity puts their passport to work' format should be familiar to anyone who's even so much as glanced at their TV listings. Before she became the new host of 'Top Chef,' Need more proof? Look no further than the timeslot directly following 'Searching for Spain,' when CNN will premiere the new series 'My Happy Place.' As you can probably guess from the title, this particular variation on the travel show theme will follow people like Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and 'The Traitors' host Alan Cumming to their favorite destinations (New Orleans and the Scottish Highlands, respectively). Obviously, I'd prefer to take all these vacations — and eat all that fabulous food — myself. In the meantime, though, I guess I'll just keep torturing myself by watching others do it for me. Caroline Framke is a media analyst who previously served as Variety's Chief TV Critic. Her other work can be found at The Atlantic, Vulture, Vox, and more. A Smith College graduate, Framke is currently based in New York City. Advertisement