''Drive In'' is an Italian television
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a compĂ ...
, created by Antonio Ricci. The show's six seasons were broadcast by
Italia 1
Italia 1 (Italian pronunciation ) is an Italian free-to-air television channel on the Mediaset network, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It is aimed at both a young adult and adult audience.
Italia 1 was launched on 3 January 1982 and, was or ...
from 1983 to 1989. It was referred to as the most innovative and popular Italian television show of the 1980s.
[Aldo Grasso – Massimo Scaglioni, ''Enciclopedia della Televisione'', Garzanti, Milano, 1996 – 2003, p.215]
History
The show revolutionized Italian TV conventions and languages, presenting a zany, sharp and fast-paced type of humor, partly imported from the model of the ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''.
[ It also proposed a new, different image of the women, more sensual and transgressive.][ Due to its high audience ratings, it has a key role in the success of ]Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; 29 September 193612 June 2023) was an Italian Media proprietor, media tycoon and politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in three governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a mem ...
's Fininvest
Finanziaria d'investimento Fininvest S.p.A., also known as Fininvest, is an Italian holding company controlled by the Berlusconi family and managed by Silvio Berlusconi's eldest daughter Marina Berlusconi.
Structure
The Fininvest group is com ...
(now Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A. is an Italian mass media and television production and distribution company that is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country. The company is controlled by the holding company MFE – MediaForEurope (the original ...
).Ezio Greggio
Ezio Greggio (; born 7 April 1954) is an Italian comedian, actor, writer and film director.
In Italy he is mostly known for his long-lasting appearances in TV shows like '' Drive In'' and '' Striscia la notizia'', while abroad he is noted for ...
, Giorgio Faletti
Giorgio Faletti (; 25 November 1950 – 4 July 2014) was an Italian writer, musician, actor and comedian. Born in Asti, Piedmont, he lived on Elba Island. His books have been translated into 25 languages and published with great success in Europ ...
, Francesco Salvi
Francesco Salvi (born 7 February 1953) is an Italian actor, singer, screenwriter, and director.
Biography
Born in the northern town of Luino, near the Italian border with Switzerland, Salvi started his career in the mid-1980s. His performan ...
) as well as of a number of showgirls (including Tinì Cansino
Tinì Cansino, stage name of Photina Lappa (born 23 September 1959), is a Greek actress and television personality, mainly active in Italy.
Biography
Born in Volos, she studied ballet, and made her television debut in the show ''Playgirl'', h ...
and Lory Del Santo
Loredana "Lory" Del Santo (born 28 September 1958) is an Italian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder.
Life and career
Born in Povegliano Veronese, Del Santo started her career as a (presenter's assistant) in the 1975 edition of Fes ...
). It generated a series of imitation programs, several of them also created by the same Antonio Ricci.
References
Further reading
* Joseph Baroni. ''Dizionario della Televisione''. Raffaello Cortina Editore, pp. 139–142. .
External links
*
Italian television shows
Variety television series
Italian comedy television series
Italia 1 original programming
{{Italy-tv-prog-stub