You've probably been there: it’s 8:00 PM on a Tuesday, you have a glass of Chianti in hand, and you just want to watch Stanley Tucci eat a plate of pasta that looks better than anything you’ve ever made. But then you open your streaming app and—nothing. The show is gone. Or maybe it moved.
Tracking down Stanley Tucci Italy streaming options has become a bit of a scavenger hunt lately. Between the sudden cancellation of his original CNN hit and his brand-new 2025 launch with National Geographic, the digital rights to Tucci’s culinary travels are scattered across half a dozen different platforms.
Honestly, it’s a mess. One minute you're in Naples on Max, the next you're hunting for a VPN to catch a specific episode in Puglia.
Let's clear the air. If you are looking for the "Tucci fix," here is the actual, current state of where he is living on your television screen right now in early 2026.
The Big Shift: Why You Can’t Find "Searching for Italy" in One Place
Most people are still looking for Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. That was the big CNN series that won the Emmys and made everyone want to buy a white linen shirt.
But CNN basically nuked their original programming budget back in late 2022. It was a tragedy for food TV lovers. Because of that corporate shuffle, the "old" show and the "new" show are now owned by different giants.
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Where to stream "Searching for Italy" (The CNN Years)
If you want the original two seasons—the ones with the famous zucchini pasta in Nerano or the offal in Rome—you generally have to look toward Max (formerly HBO Max). Since CNN is under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, Max remains the primary home for the first 14 episodes.
- Max: Usually carries both Season 1 and Season 2.
- Discovery+: Still has it in many regions because of the Discovery/Warner merger.
- A la carte: You can still buy individual seasons on Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video if you don't want to deal with a monthly subscription that you might cancel in three weeks anyway.
It's worth noting that licensing deals are weird. In Australia, for example, SBS On Demand has been a lifesaver for fans, often streaming the show for free (with ads). In the UK, it has bounced between BBC iPlayer and paid platforms.
The New Era: "Tucci in Italy" on Disney+ and Nat Geo
Here is the part most people are missing. In 2025, Stanley Tucci officially "rebounded" with a new series. It isn't called Searching for Italy because CNN still owns that name. Instead, the new show is titled Tucci in Italy.
This is a National Geographic production, which means the streaming rules have completely changed.
If you are looking for his latest adventures in Tuscany, Lombardy, or the wild mountains of Abruzzo, you won't find them on Max. You need to head over to Disney+ or Hulu.
The 2026 Streaming Breakdown for the New Series
- Disney+: This is the global hub. Almost every region that has Disney+ now carries Tucci in Italy as part of their National Geographic tile.
- Hulu: For those in the United States, the show is cross-streamed here.
- National Geographic App: If you still have a cable login (do people still have those?), you can stream it directly through the Nat Geo site or app.
The tone of the new show is a bit different—maybe a little more cinematic, a little more "National Geographic-y"—but it’s still the same Stanley. He still looks like he's having the best time of his life while you're sitting on your couch eating microwave popcorn.
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Why Does the Streaming Location Keep Changing?
It basically comes down to a "divorce" between the talent and the network.
When CNN stopped making the show, Tucci’s production company, SALT Productions, had to find a new partner. BBC Studios stepped in to help produce, and Disney (which owns Nat Geo) backed the truck up with the cash.
So, while the old episodes are stuck in the Warner Bros. basement (Max), the new episodes are part of the Disney empire. It’s why you need two different apps to see his entire journey from 2021 to 2026.
International Workarounds: If You Are Outside the US
Streaming rights are the bane of modern existence. If you are in a country where neither Max nor Disney+ has the rights, you basically have two choices.
You can use a VPN to set your location to the US or UK, which usually opens up the libraries. Just be careful with that, as some services are getting really good at blocking VPN IP addresses.
Alternatively, check local broadcasters.
- Australia: SBS On Demand is your best friend.
- Canada: Usually Crave handles the Max content, while Disney+ handles the Nat Geo stuff.
- UK: BBC has historically aired the show, but check Disney+ first for the 2025/2026 episodes.
What to Watch if You’ve Binge-Watched Everything
If you’ve finished both seasons of Searching for Italy and the first season of Tucci in Italy, you might be feeling a bit of a void.
There are rumors that Season 2 of the Nat Geo series has already been greenlit for late 2026, focusing on the islands and perhaps some of the "heel" of the boot that he didn't quite finish exploring.
In the meantime, you can find Tucci’s appearance on The Bear (it’s a brief but great cameo feel) or go back to the source: his memoir Taste. It's basically the show in book form, and the audiobook is narrated by him, so it feels like a private 10-hour episode.
How to Get the Best Viewing Experience
If you're going to dive into Stanley Tucci Italy streaming, don't just watch it on your phone. These shows are shot in 4K with incredible color grading.
- Check your settings: Make sure you're streaming in "Best" quality on Disney+; the shots of the Dolomites in the Trentino-Alto Adige episode are worth the extra bandwidth.
- Subtitles: Sometimes the Italian dialects are thick. Even if you speak a little Italian, the Venetian or Sicilian slang can be a hurdle. Turn on the CC (Closed Captions) so you don't miss the name of that one specific pasta shape you'll never be able to find in a grocery store.
Your Tucci Streaming Checklist
- Seasons 1-2 (The Originals): Check Max first.
- New 2025/2026 Episodes: Go to Disney+ or Hulu.
- Can't find it? Search "Tucci in Italy" specifically, as the old "Searching for" title won't bring up the new show.
The landscape of Stanley Tucci Italy streaming is likely to stay split for the foreseeable future. Unless Disney decides to buy the back catalog from Warner Bros. (unlikely given the current economy), you'll just have to keep both apps installed.
Grab your remote, find the Disney+ icon, and start with the "Tuscany" episode of the new series. It’s a great way to see how the show has evolved without losing that "searching" soul.
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Next Steps for the Ultimate Fan
To make the most of your viewing, you should verify which specific regions Tucci covers in the new series versus the old ones. The 2025 season on Disney+ features Tuscany, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Abruzzo, and Lazio. If you’re looking for his trip to Sicily or Bologna, you must go back to the original series on Max.
Check your current subscriptions to ensure you have the National Geographic add-on or the "Disney Bundle" to avoid paying for a standalone service you might only use for one show.