American Style

Anthony Bourdain had no reservations about a move to CNN. Shortly after concluding an eight-season stint at the helm of his popular Travel Channel series, the equally popular Emmy-winning host came to the news network searching for "Parts Unknown." In the hourlong weekend series -- similar in premise to Travel's "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005)" -- Bourdain explores the world to, he says, "eat and drink with people without fear and prejudice ... they open up to you in ways that somebody visiting who is driven by a story may not get." Enticed by the opportunity to experience cultures rarely visited by American TV, such as in the Congo, Libya and Myanmar, the chef and best-selling author also takes viewers to Colombia, Peru, Morocco and, closer to home, Koreatown in Los Angeles.

The third installment from executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, following in the footsteps of critically-acclaimed series "The Sixties" and "The Seventies," tackles 10 years shaped by exceptionalism and excess. Like its predecessors, "The Eighties" intersperses rare archival newsreel footage, interviews, and comments by historians, journalists, politicians, celebrities and others, painting a perspective-rich picture of a vibrant decade. Episodes examine the age of Reagan, the AIDS crisis, the end of the Cold War, Wall Street corruption, the evolving TV and music scene, and everything in between.

Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History, from Glass Entertainment Group and Rearrange TV, is a six-part CNN Original Series that goes inside the Vatican to reveal the true power held by popes throughout the ages. The docuseries explores how 12 apostles became 1.2 billion Catholics today, linking recent news events surrounding the Vatican with their unexpected origins. The premiere episode, "The Rise of the Pope," examines the origins of the papacy and how Catholicism, against all odds, spread throughout Europe. Jon Hirsch, Nancy Glass, Randy Counsman, Amy Entelis and Lizzie Fox serve as executive producers.

A look at the history of movies and their impact on our culture.

CNN and Animal Planet reporters conduct an in-depth investigation into the current state of our planet, with a focus on four major issues: global warming, overpopulation, deforestation, and species extinction. Leveraging their research experience and resources, they traverse a variety of locations-from Brazil and Madagascar to Southeast Asia, Alaska, and Yellowstone National Park-documenting the impacts of population growth, rising temperatures, poaching, illegal animal trade, and other global environmental concerns. The specific areas of conflict they explore include the Niger Delta (oil extraction) and La Oroya in Peru (industrial pollution).