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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Chef Vivian Howard, the homegrown celebrity from Deep Run, N.C., closes out "A Chef’s" Life after five seasons with a heaping Harvest Special, premiering Monday, October 22, at 9 PM, on UNC-TV.

This special series’ finale, finds Howard hosting a harvest dinner of epic proportions. After five seasons, only a handful of dishes remain on her bucket list. And in this final chapter, Howard enthusiastically tackles them all.

See the chef and Ms. Lillie clean out the Warren Brothers’ pepper patch to make a late summer relish that some people call chow chow or “Southern kimchi.” Howard’s search for a couple of quintessential North Carolina ingredients take her to opposite ends of the state. She finds pawpaws — a tropical-tasting fruit — in a backyard orchard near Goldsboro. Sherevisits memorable clips from past seasons and shares never-before-seen footage as the show’s most beloved personalities gather for this celebration.

"A Chef’s Life" launched nationally on PBS in 2013, after which it won a Peabody Award. In 2015, Cynthia Hill, the series’ director and Markay Media founder, earned an Emmy for Best Directing in a Lifestyle/Travel/Culinary Program. The following year, Howard received a James Beard medal for Best Host or Personality. And this year, the series bested several seasoned nominees to take home a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Culinary Program.

“ 'A Chef’s Life' has been more than just a TV show for a lot of people,” said Howard. “I’m happy we have the Harvest Special as the celebratory capstone that the series deserves.”

To celebrate the series finale, produced by Durham’s Markay Media in association with the Carolinas’ two statewide public broadcasters, South Carolina ETV and UNC-TV, with support from the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, PBS Digital offers free streaming of the entire series of A Chef’s Life through Friday, November 30.

Howard and Hill are working on a new PBS series coming in 2019. The new series will feature six hourlong episodes focusing on cross-cultural dishes that have found a home in the American South.

“The new series will be an evolution of the show our fans love,” Howard added. “It’s humbling to hear how much 'A Chef’s Life' has touched people. We don’t take that support and investment in our work lightly. We’ll do our best to make sure our new show projects the same spirit as our last.”

For North Carolina fans, Howard will host a special premiere screening of "A Chef’s Life Harvest Special" to send off the series, Sunday, October 21, at 7 PM, at Kinston’s Grainger Stadium, home of the Down East Wood Ducks. Everyone is invited to attend; tickets are $10 and available for at milb.com/down-east.

About UNC Public Media North Carolina:
On air, online and in person, UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina connects North Carolinians to each other, the world and endless possibilities. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the statewide network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery, and four over-the-air channels—UNC-TV PBS & More, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS and the Explorer Channel. Additionally, it provides emergency services support for the state and free educational services and resources for teachers. Visit unctv.org and join the conversation by connecting with us at facebook.com/publicmediaNC, instagram.com/publicmediaNC and @publicmediaNC on Twitter.

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CONTACT:

Rebekah Radisch
rradisch@unctv.org
919-549-7177