Philadelphia To Be Featured on NBC’s ‘1st Look’ Travel Series

PHILADELPHIA, September 28, 2023 – Philadelphia will star on the Season 15 premiere of NBC’s “1st Look” travel show, featuring actress and television host Sibley Scoles as she teams up with some of the city’s innovative artists and entrepreneurs to showcase its boundless creativity and authenticity. Premiering nationwide on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 a.m. EST, the 30-minute episode highlights some of the people and places that are shaping the cultural fabric of Philadelphia. It showcases the city as a creative hub that inspires big thinking and a strong sense of community within its arts, culinary, music and retail scenes.

Produced by NBCUniversal Local’s LXTV Productions, “1st Look” partnered with VISIT PHILADELPHIA® to create the episode. Following its Oct. 1 debut, the episode will also be available on YouTube and will air a second time at 5 a.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 7. In all, the show is expected to reach about 1.2 million viewers.

The episode dovetails with Visit Philadelphia’s new “Come For Philadelphia. Stay for Philly.” marketing campaign, which encourages visitors to come to the city for the expected experiences but stay for the unexpected gems that are waiting to be discovered.

“This 30-minute episode of ‘1st Look’ gives us the opportunity to tell a really robust story about Philadelphia, and that’s something we don’t get to do that often in marketing,” says Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer at Visit Philadelphia. “What’s also key is that we’re telling a very unexpected Philadelphia story. People know about the Bell, the Hall, Rocky and cheesesteaks, but there’s so much they don’t know. This episode allows us to show off aspects of our city that deserve just as much attention as our icons.”

“On several occasions work has brought me to Philadelphia, where I’ve seen landmarks and what most can Google while in the city, but this trip was different,” says actress Sibley Scoles, host of NBC “1st Look.” “I got the opportunity to really visit Philly. I had the most eye-opening conversations and met some of the most incredible humans who live and breathe it on the daily. I got to know why it’s so special, why Philly has had so many successful creatives, and why they lift each other up. I saw the side I always hope to see in a place I visit and I left wanting even more. For that, I’ll definitely be back. Thank you, Philadelphia.”

The “1st Look” episode is comprised of four distinct segments, each highlighting a different aspect of life in Philly:

Pounding The Pavement: The episode opens with a segment that draws attention to Philadelphia’s famed walkability, coming on the heels of USA Today naming Philly “The Most Walkable City In The U.S.” in spring 2023. Here, trailblazing locals get Scoles up to speed on the city’s vibrant history and culture. Highlights include West Philly breakdancer Ben “BoxWon” Barnes McGee and four members of Hip Hop Fundamentals; Streets Dept founder Conrad Benner, who takes Scoles on a walking mural art tour through Fishtown, South Street and the Gayborhood; and cheesesteak haunt Ishkabibble’s, where Benner and Scoles grab lunch after their outing.

Culinary Champs: In the second segment, Scoles gets to know a few of Philly’s James Beard Award-recognized chefs and restaurants, coming after Philadelphia won more accolades in the James Beard Foundation Awards than any other city in the country this year. Over a family-style meal, Scole’s chats about Philadelphia’s booming food scene with Ellen Yin of High Street Hospitality, Chad Williams of Friday Saturday Sunday, Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon of Kalaya and Amanda Shulman of Her Place Supper Club and My Loup.

Shop ’Til You Drop: Scoles hits the streets to shop some of Philly’s retail hotspots. She models pieces made by fashion designer Prajjé Oscar, who was a contestant on Season 19 of “Project Runway,” at his studio in the Crane Arts building and Kim McGlonn, founder of Grant BLVD, at the clothing brand’s brick-and-mortar in University City. Scoles ends with a shopping spree at boutique hotel Yowie, founded by entrepreneur Shannon Maldonado.  

City of Icons: The episode concludes with Scoles joining a recording studio session at REC Philly with DJ Diamond Kuts, the first woman DJ for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Christian Crosby, NBA personality with the Philadelphia 76ers and founder of Live Life Nice. Here, Scoles gets a lesson in the history and future of Philadelphia’s diverse music scene.

“For a small business in this country, it’s affirming and important to get the attention of ‘1st Look’ because we want people to know that the food, fashion and art in Philly is indeed among the best in the country,” says Kimberly McGlonn, founder and CEO at Grant BLVD. “Each of the diverse, compelling voices featured in this episode is sitting at these emerging intersections of what it means to be a creative, a historian, a force for the common good. I’m optimistic this opportunity will grow our revenue and visibility, particularly as it comes to ethical production and sustainable fashion.”

About Visit Philadelphia:

VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy. On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website, visitphilly.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages.

Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the site an effective trip-planning tool. Visitors can also find loads of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.

Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.