Italian Rai has faced the pandemic with a great sense of responsibility towards independent producers, confirming the scope of its investments on production, devoting all efforts to restarting the interrupted sets safely.
Interviewed by Prensario, Maria Pia Ammirati, Head of Drama, described: ‘The season that has just begun is not affected by the difficulties, even in light of a compatible pandemic development. There are many new features, alongside the confirmation of series and characters that audiences have shown they love’.
Among the first are the event series Exterior Night shot by a great filmmaker, Marco Bellocchio, about the 1978 kidnapping and murder of President Aldo Moro played by Fabrizio Gifuni. Then two new series filmed as part of the European Alliance: the mystery drama Survivors starring Lino Guanciale, directed by Carmine Elia, and the adventurous Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne starring David Tennant.
Also, the great classics of Rai programming returns in a restored version: Inspector Montalbano, the character created by Andrea Camilleri and played by Luca Zingaretti. For young audiences, instead, the third season of coming-of-age The Sea Beyond, which has achieved extraordinary results on our proprietary platform, is on its way.
Ammirati: ‘First of all, the second seasons of highly successful series with original and highly recognizable protagonists, a mix of literary creation, serial writing, detective stories and great performances: Lolita’s investigations with Luisa Ranieri, directed by Luca Miniero, based on the novels by Gabriella Genisi, and Inspector Ricciardi with Lino Guanciale, directed by Gianpaolo Tescari, based on the novels by Maurizio de Giovanni; the social-melodrama Mina Settembre with Serena Rossi, directed by Tiziana Aristarco’.
Then the medical-melodrama Hearts starring Pilar Fogliati, Daniele Pecci and Matteo Martari directed by Riccardo Donna: 1960s glamour, transplant research and emotional entanglements. ‘These are series that have had very high ratings in the Italian market’, she underlined.
The titles debuting this season are Never Again, a new detective story based on an idea by Maurizio de Giovanni and directed by Monica Vullo, and the detection-comedy Vincenzo Malinconico – The Italian Lawyer, based on the novels by Diego De Silva and directed by Alessandro Angelini. Finally, two new titles in the As Long As It Ends Well collection: the misunderstandings of the brilliant comedy in As Different As Two Peas In A Pod, directed by Luca Lucini, and Laura’s Luck, directed by Alessandro Angelini.
Trends? Ammirati answered: ‘Our current editorial line of fiction focuses on the contemporary world declined in different formats, modernity of language and contamination of genres: such series are focused on today’s issues and conflicts, true crime stories based on the most problematic Italian news, biographies of civilian heroes who have contributed to the growth of society, the great popular tale of literary classics and major international co-productions’.
‘In general, in this complex moment we are living, there is a growing need and demand for stories that can interpret the conflicts and uncertainty of the present while making room for feelings and hope. Through television seriality, society represents itself and in audio-visual storytelling finds not only an outlet, but also a possible key to read and interpret the events around us’.
‘In recent years, the serial market has grown, as has the demand from the public, as is evidenced by the success of the big platforms. I believe, however, that we are moving toward a phase of rebalancing, including in the patterns of consumption. In any case, the global dimension offers everyone a new and exciting opportunity to participate and improve in competition. It is up to us to enhance our qualities and all that Italy means in the world – art, history, beauty, culture, landscapes, cities, a way of life – by nurturing a competitive and winning Factory of Stories’.
Regarding the European Alliance, where Rai is accompanied by France Télévisions and ZDF, have joined forces to produce series for the international market. We want to create products that can draw the attention of a continental audience. The executive added: ‘In October, Survivors, a mystery drama based on an idea by four young scriptwriters from the scriptwriting master’s program organized by Rai, debuts on Rai 1. A major Italian-led co-production, made with French and German public services, and with a large international cast led by our own Lino Guanciale. Two new thrillers will be also aired next season: The Reunion, from Guillame Musso’s best-selling novel, and The Swarm, based on Frank Shätzing’s best-selling science fiction novel, about such current issues as ecology and respect for nature and the oceans’.
About the future, Ammirati concluded: ‘There is only one way to maintain leadership: look around, keep your antennae alert to the change taking place so as to catch the signs, clues, and traces of the stories and characters that audiences will want to see in a year or two. And then investing in talent at all levels, from writing to directing to actors. And then moving swiftly on a scenario that is going beyond generalist TV’.
‘In this direction, we are further implementing development and production activity for titles destined for our proprietary platform, favoring the young-adults target with coming-of-age projects focused on themes and topics close to the world of the youngest. Among the first to be released online next fall 5 minutes before, a series that, through the mental block of 16-year-old Nina, explores the generational relationship with sexuality and, in particular, the problematic threshold of the first time’.
