DETROIT, MI - As it has been several other times this year, Detroit was the focus Sunday of a national TV special that got plenty of viewers talking.

Anthony Bourdain checked out the Motor City in his "Parts Unknown" special on CNN that aired 9 p.m. Sunday, and it led to plenty of reaction from residents and non-residents.

Bourdain's blunt take on Detroit that aired 18 minutes into the show (the first abandoned building was shown about 15 seconds into the program):

"Is Detroit going to turn things around? I could lie and tell you 'Yes.' But you know what? This city is screwed. The only place I've ever been that looks anything like Detroit does now is Chernobyl. I'm not being funny. That's the truth. But you have to admire the bold, proud, ferociously enterprising survivors who have decided to hang on, hang in and figure out a way to not only survive, but do something extraordinary."

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The show featured plenty of characters with Detroit ties, some insight on coney dogs and footage of blighted structures, including the old Packard Automotive Plant.

Fox 2 TV reporter Charlie LeDuff appeared to serve as Bourdain's tour guide during the show. The two made a stop at a local liquor store, mingled with some residents in a neighborhood and checked out a trendy restaurant with some unique menu items and drinks.

LeDuff and Bourdain also visited a place called Greedy Greg's, a "do-it-yourself BBQ joint" out of a home that includes straight from the grill ribs, rib tips, collards, macaroni & cheese and more.

"That's good," said Bourdain, helping himself to a plate. "That's unbelievably good. ... Will this type of entrepreneurship help Detroit out of its sinkhole? Probably not. But it's no longer about winning, is it? it's about surviving."

Bourdain mentions in the show that Detroit has more than 80,000 abandoned structures in its 140-square-mile city limits, an average of 14 acts of arson a day and nearly 5,000 acts of arson a year.

Bourdain adds that you can buy a home "as little as $500" and describes the Detroit Fire Department as "underfunded, under-equipped, often badly and incompetently led and up against what seems like a never-ending war."

On a positive note, Bourdain made it a point to show the camaraderie shared among firefighters at the dinner table before and after runs and the overall sense of hope people who live and work in the city have for the future.

"You got to start with the deeply felt and absolute belief Detroit is indeed a great city and that it is worth saving," Bourdain said. "As utterly screwed as Detroit may be, you have to be a twisted, unpatriotic freak to not believe that."