My Happy Place on CNN on Sunday evenings at 10 pm ET/PT beginning 4/27/25
CNN
CNN will premiere a new, original six-part travel series, My Happy Place, on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 10 pm ET/PT on CNN. The shows will also air on CNN International.
Have you ever wondered:
If offered the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world, where would YOU choose to go?
That was the question CNN producers posed to the six celebrity guest hosts of My Happy Place. Each subsequent week, one of them introduces travelers to a destination they know well because it holds personal significance for them.
The Six Episodes Of My Happy Place
As the series unfolds, viewers will travel to:
- The Scottish Highliands with Alan Cumming (airing April 27)
- Bali, Indonesia, with Taraji P. Henson (airing May 4)
- Austin, Texas, with Questlove (airing May 11)
- Mykonos, Greece, with Billy Porte (airing May 18)
- New Orleans, Louisiana, with Octavia Spencer (airing June 1), and
- Bangkok, Thailand, with Simu Liu (airing June 8).
Pairing person with place, the series not only showcases the unique appeals of each location but also offers an intimate look at why each guest considers their featured destination to be their cherished haven and “happy place.”
Join Alan Cumming On A Trip To The Scottish Highlands
Alan Cumming in the Scottish Highlands on My Happy Place.
Denise Patierno/CNN
Alan Cumming kicks off the series on April 27th visiting the Scottish Highlands, a mountainous region in northern Scotland covering nearly 10,000 square miles. The area is best known for its stunning landscapes and for being home to the legendary Loch Ness monster.
Cumming, a beloved star of stage, film and televsion, chose the destination bcause of its significance in his childhood. He explains that he once lived there with his grandmother, finding refuge from a dominant father.
“The places where we filmed weren’t far from where I felt safest as a little boy,” he says.
Given his connection to the land, Cumming travel to the Scottish Highlands digs deeper than the obvious lures of golf and whisky alone.
He maps out an insider’s cultural itinerary that showcases the local music, foods, crafts and traditions of the Scottish Highlands. His innate curiosity and effortless ability to connect with strangers make him a natural tour guide.
Knowing tthe legendary Highland Games, a biannual event that celebrates Scottish and Celtic traditions, would be taking place across the region, Cumming goes there with his dog, Lala, and a designer friend from Inverness, one of the smallest cities in Scotland, who makes the dog a bespoke tartan. He continues to a traditional music show and visits a mixologist at a local pub who names a cocktail after him.
He meets young people living on abandoned islands along the coast, who are hoping to revitalize the small, picturesque fishing town of Ullapool by opening a nightclub that draws crowds. He also meets an old friend and visits an ecovillage.
Cumming explains how he never felt like he belonged when he was here but that returning to his roots has given him new insights into himself and his roots. “Oddly, I felt a sense of safety visiting with the film crew,” he explains.
Who Should Visit The Scottish Highlands?
Alan Cumming and his dog, Lala, in the Scottish Highlands
Denise Patierno/CNN
As travelers begin to embrace “slow travel” away from over-touristed destinations, many are heading to more remote areas, such as the Scottish Highlands.
“I recommend the destination to someone with an open heart,” says Cummiing. “It’s for real people seeking a more authentic adventure.”
“I tell my friends that the beauty of the Highlands isn’t about staying at SheShe accommodations or dining at swanky restaurants. I recommend they stay at the old, family-run hotels with tartan carpets to experience the true sense of place.”
Discovering The Essence Of One’s Happy Place
Octavia Spencer in New Orleans (airing June 1)
Denise Patierno/CNN
Finding a “happy place” can recharge the soul. In each of the series’ six episodes, the hosts experienced a feeling of comfort and belonging that beckoned them to return.
“When it feels like the world has gone to pieces, we can find solace in our happy place,” says veteran photojournalist Melanie Stetson Freeman, writing for The Christian Science Monitor.
But ironically, she suggests that the essence of these happy places may be that they draw people to places where they can’t dwell indefinitely.
Executive Producers for My Happy Place are Andrew Frid, Janie Granet Bederman and Jane Yusim for Boardwalk Pictures, along with Amy Entelis, Lyle Gamm and Katie Hinman for CNN Original Series. Showrunner Alexandra Lowry is an Executive Producer.
