Rai 1 () is an Italian

free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscri ...

television channel owned and operated by state-owned

public broadcaster Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...

RAI (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...

– Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

television channel and is known for broadcasting mainstream and generalist programming, usually aimed towards families, including '' TG1'' news bulletins,

prime time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

drama, cinema and entertainment, and major

breaking news Breaking news, also called late-breaking news, a special report, special coverage, or a news flash, is a current issue that warrants the interruption of a scheduled broadcast in order to report its details. News broadcasters also use the term ...

, sports and special events. It was launched on 3 January 1954 as the first regular television service in Italy. It was the only one until 4 November 1961, when RAI launched a second channel. The channel was initially referred to as "Programma Nazionale". It received other names, such as "Rete 1" and "Raiuno" until it adopted its current name "Rai 1". It has the highest viewership in Italy and regularly competes with

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 ...

Canale 5 Canale 5 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel of Mediaset, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It was the first private television network to have national coverage in Italy in 1980. On 4 December 2012, Mediaset launched Canale 5 HD, a ...

. In the United Kingdom, it is available in free-to-air satellite broadcast from

Hot Bird 13B Hot Bird 13B, known as Hot Bird 8 prior to 2012, is a geostationary communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting services from geostationary orbit as part of Eutelsat's Hot Bird constellation a ...

History

Early years

The first television channel receivable in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

started its experimental broadcasts in 1934. After the interruption caused by the Second World War, it was reinstated in 1949 from Triennale di Milano and for its presentation, Corrado Mantoni was selected, already noted for his radio work and especially for the announcement of the end of the conflict. Its regular broadcasts started at 11am on Sunday, January 3, 1954. Initially, the channel had no official name, because it was directly identified as ''

Rai (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...

TV'', which was the name of the company. The first set of programming for Rai 1 was almost completely educational with no advertising, except for the popular ''

Carosello is an Italian television advertising show that was broadcast on RAI from 1957 to 1977. The series mainly showed short sketch comedy films using live action, various types of animation, and puppetry. It had an audience of about 20 million viewe ...

''. Early shows were meant to teach a common language to a country torn apart by

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Shows like ''Non è mai troppo tardi...'' were simply shot in a classroom setting and meant to help with reconstruction. While televisions were not widely available nor affordable, those who could spend the money on them became community leaders and often invited the neighbourhood to visit. Bars and cafés turned from places where men would meet to argue or play cards into miniature cinemas where arguments over what show to watch would break out. Women and children were also more accepted inside the bars due to the lack of men post-war and their need to enter working society. Churches also bought televisions are a means of drawing people to spend time as part of those communities.

2000s

In 2002, Fabrizio Del Noce, akin to

Forza Italia (FI; ) was a centre-right liberal-conservative political party in Italy, with Christian democratic,Chiara Moroni, , Carocci, Rome 2008 liberalOreste Massari, ''I partiti politici nelle democrazie contempoiranee'', Laterza, Rome-Bari 2004 (esp ...

, became the channel's director.

High-definition feed

The channel launched an

HDTV High-definition television (HDTV) describes a television or video system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since at least 1933; in more recent times, it ref ...

1080i In high-definition television (HDTV) and video display technology, 1080i is a video display format with 1080 lines of vertical resolution and Interlaced video, interlaced scanning method. This format was once a standard in HDTV. It was particular ...

simulcast in September 2013, available nationwide on subscription-television providers and on DTT (channel 1). Previously, HD programmes used to be aired on

Rai HD (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels and ...

Broadcast in outside Italy

In Slovenia, France (except Monaco), Greece, Austria, Lebanon, Hungary, Switzerland, Croatia, Lithuania, San Marino and Vatican City. The channel is also available to watch on satellite via Hellas Sat 4.

Logos

File:Logo Raiuno 1983.svg, 3 October 1983 to 26 September 1988 File:Rai 1 logo.svg, 18 May 2010 to 12 September 2016 File:Rai 1 - Logo 2016.svg, In use since September 2016

Directors of Rai 1

From June 2022, as part of a management reorganization of Rai, network management has been abolished in favour of gender ones.

Current programmes

Events

* ' (2003, since 2007) * ''

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David (Donatello, bronze), David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (the Academy of Italian Cin ...

'' (1963-1967, 1969, 1971-1972, 1976-1977, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1988-1995, 1997-2000, 2002, 2004-2005, 2009-2015, since 2018) * ' (since 2022, first on

Real Time (TV channel) Real Time (Discovery Real Time until 31 August 2010) is an Italian television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA. The channel launched on 1 October 2005, becoming the sixth Discovery network to launch in Italy. It showed lifestyle progra ...

* ''

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

'' (1956-1965, 1971-1973, 1975-1977, 1979, 1983, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1997, dal 2016) * '' Festival di Castrocaro'' * ''

Junior Eurovision Song Contest The Junior Eurovision Song Contest, often known simply as Junior Eurovision, is an international children's Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 2003. Each part ...

'' (since 2022, first on

Rai Gulp Rai Gulp is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI. It is the company's television channel for older children and teenagers, and is known for its programming for children between the a ...

) * ' (since 2003) * ' (1992-2020, from 2024) * '' Notte della Taranta'' (since 2021, first on

Rai 2 Rai 2 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's second television channel, and is known for broadcasting '' TG2'' news bulletins, ta ...

and

Rai 5 Rai 5 ("RAI Cinque") is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It was launched on 26 November 2010 replacing Rai Extra. Its programming deals with cultur ...

) * ' (since 2019, first on

) * ' (since 2023, first on

and

Rai 3 Rai 3 (formerly Rai Tre) is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It was launched on 15 December 1979 and its programming is centred towards cultural a ...

) * ''

Prix Italia The Prix Italia is an international television, radio-broadcasting and web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with th ...

'' (since 2019, first on

) * '' Oscars - La notte in diretta'' (from 2024, first on

Sky Uno Sky Uno () is an Italian entertainment television channel, based on the defunct reality television channel ''SKY Vivo'', both owned and operated by Sky Italia. It broadcasts Italian dubs of the shows ''The X Factor'', '' Got Talent'', '' The Ap ...

) * ' (1993-1998, 2001, since 2015) * ''

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...

'' (since 1995) * ' (since 1990, first on

and

) * '' TIM Music Awards'' (since 2012, first on

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 ...

) * ' (since 2000) * ' (2024) * ' (since 2000) * ''

Zecchino d'Oro Zecchino d'Oro (; meaning "Golden Sequin") is an annual Italian competition dedicated to children's music established in 1959 by Niny Comolli. It is broadcast by Rai 1 and is open to singers aged 4 to 10. The first two contests were held i ...

'' (since 1959)

Shows in prime time

* '' Ballando con le stelle'' (since 2005) * ' (2008-2013, 2016-2017, dal 2023) * ' (dal 2012) * ' (from 2012) * ' (2016, from 2022) * ' (2019, from 2022) * '' The Voice Senior'' (from 2020) * ' (from 2023) * ''

The Voice Kids ''The Voice Kids'' is a version of '' The Voice'' TV series franchise in which children participate. Versions The first such variation was '' The Voice Kids'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants: : Franchise ...

'' (from 2023) * ' (from 2024) * ' (from 2024) * ' (from 2024, first on

)

Game shows

* ''

L'eredità ''L'eredità'' (''The inheritance'') is an Italian Rai 1 game show currently hosted by Marco Liorni. It premiered on 29 July 2002. From 29 July 2002 to 10 June 2006, it was hosted by Italian presenter Amadeus (presenter), Amadeus. He was succeed ...

'' (since 2002) * '' Affari tuoi'' (2003-2017, from 2023) * ' (since 2007)

Daytime entertainment

* ''

Domenica in ''Domenica in'' is an Italian Sunday long-running television show broadcast by Rai 1 Rai 1 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the comp ...

'' (since 1976) * ' (since 1994) * ' (since 2004) * ' (since 2004) * ' (since 2010) * '' Unomattina in famiglia'' (since 2010, first on

) * ' (since 2017) * ' (since 2019) * ' (since 2020) * ' (since 2021) * ' (since 2022) * ' (since 2022) * ' (from 2023) * ' (from 2024, first on

and

)

Disclosure and culture

* ' (1977-2002, since 2023) * ' (since 1981) * ' (since 1982) * ' (since 1994), focusing on the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

and shores * '' Overland'' (dal 1996) * ' (since 1997) * ' (2000-2001, since 2014) * ' (since 2011) * ''Milleeunlibro - Scrittori in tv'' (since 2013) * ' (since 2014) * ' (since 2015) * ' (since 2017) * ' (since 2018) * ' (since 2018) * ' (since 2018) * ' (since 2018, first on

) * ' (since 2021) * ' (since 2021) * ' (since 2022) * ' (since 2022) * ' (since 2022) * ' (since 2023) * ' (since 2023) * ' (since 2023) * ' (since 2023) * ' (since 2023) * ' (since 2023)

News and information

* ' (since 1960) * (since 1963) * '' TG1'' (since 1976) * ' (since 1976) * (since 1981) * ' (since 1981, also broadcast on other

networks

) * ''

Unomattina ''Unomattina'' (also spelled ''Uno Mattina'', styled ''1Mattina'') is a long-running Italian morning television show, broadcast by Rai 1 since 22 December 1986, currently hosted by Massimiliano Ossini e Daniela Ferolla. The program is broadcast fr ...

'' (since 1986) * (since 1992) * '' TG Parlamento'' (from 1993, also on

and

) * ''

Porta a porta ''Porta a Porta'' () is an Italian late night television talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Te ...

'' (since 1996) * ' (since 2000, first on

) * ' (since 2011) * ' (2011, since 2013) * ' (since 2016) * ' (since 2018, also broadcast on other networks

) * ' (since 2022) * ''Storie di sera'' (since 2023) * ' (since 2023) * ' (since 2023) *

Editing

* ' (since 2012), a programme using video clips, images, and vintage films from the RAI archive and connected to each other based on a specific. theme, thread, or character. * ' (from 2024)

Entertainment

* Il cantante mascherato * Arena Suzuki

Documentaries and culture

* '' Quark Atlante'', ''SuperQuark'' Saturday afternoon spin-off, focusing on wilderness and adventure * ''

Linea Verde ''Linea'' () is a genus of foraminifera belonging to the subfamily Rhabdammininae. It is a monotypic genus containing the sole species ''Linea simplex'' (). It was described in 1989 from samples of foraminifera collected at the Nares Abyssal P ...

'', focusing on wilderness, agriculture and rural cooking, hosted by Patrizio Roversi and Daniela Ferolla * '' Overland World Truck Expedition'', adventure and documentary expeditions * '' Rewind – Visioni private'', focusing on TV history * '' Magazzini Einstein'', focusing on arts and culture

TV series

* '' Il Commissario Montalbano'', with

Luca Zingaretti Luca Zingaretti (; born 11 November 1961) is an Italian actor and film director, known for playing Salvo Montalbano in the '' Inspector Montalbano'' mystery series based on the character and novels created by Andrea Camilleri. Zingaretti is a ...

, produced in HD since Season 9 * '' Il giovane Montalbano'' (prequel of "Il Commissario Montalbano"), with Michele Riondino and Alessio Vassallo, produced in HD * ''

Don Matteo ''Don Matteo'' () is an Italian mystery comedy television series that has been airing on Rai 1 since 2000. History The protagonist of the series is Father Matteo (portrayed by Terence Hill), a Catholic priest in a parish of the town of Gubbio ...

'', with

Terence Hill Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with hi ...

Nino Frassica Antonino "Nino" Frassica (born 11 December 1950) is an Italian actor, comedian and television personality. Biography and career Born in Messina, Sicily, Frassica is mostly known for his deadpan humour, characterized by absurd jokes he descri ...

and Natalie Guetta, produced in HD since Season 7 * ''

Un passo dal cielo ''Un passo dal cielo'' (English: ''One step from heaven'') is an Italian mystery comedy-drama television series aired on Rai 1 and Rai HD and starring Terence Hill and Enrico Ianniello. It was the first television series produced and aired in ...

'', with

, produced in HD * ''

Fuoriclasse ''Fuoriclasse'' (English: ''A League of Their Own'') is an Italian television series directed by Riccardo Donna and Tiziana Aristarco. It is loosely based on several works by Domenico Starnone (including ''Ex cattedra'', ''Fuori registro'', and ...

'', with

Luciana Littizzetto Luciana Littizzetto (born 29 October 1964) is an Italian comedy actress, shock jock and humor writer. Littizzetto is known in her home country for her irreverent gags, lampooning government ministers and church prelates alike. Nicknamed "Luc ...

, produced in HD * '' Che Dio ci aiuti'', with

Elena Sofia Ricci Elena Sofia Barucchieri (born 29 March 1962), known by the stage name Elena Sofia Ricci (), is an Italian actress. Active in film, theater and television, the actress has won major awards in their respective fields in Italy, including three Dav ...

, produced in HD * ''

Der letzte Bulle ''The Last Cop'' (German: ''Der letzte Bulle'') is a German television series that was first aired in 2010. The series is about a policeman from the 1980s put into a modern police department in Essen. Plot The show is set in Essen, in the cent ...

'', with

Henning Baum Henning Baum (born 20 September 1972) is a German film and TV actor. He is best known for his performance as Michael 'Mick' Brisgau in the TV Series '' Der letzte Bulle'' (''The Last Cop''). he is represented by Warren Bacci at TTA. Selected fi ...

and , produced in HD * ''

Provaci ancora prof ''Provaci ancora prof!'' (English: ''Try again teacher!'') is an Italian television series. Plot The show follows the story of Camilla Baudino, a high school teacher that often finds herself involved in some crimes. Camilla, an amateur detective, ...

'', with Veronica Pivetti and Enzo Decaro, produced in HD since Season 5 * '' Questo nostro amore'', historical drama with

Anna Valle Anna Valle (born 19 June 1975) is an Italian actress and beauty pageant titleholder. Life and career Born in Rome, Anna Valle lived in Ladispoli up to thirteen years; after the separation of her parents she moved to Sicily, in Lentini, the c ...

and

Neri Marcorè Neri Marcorè (born 31 July 1966) is an Italian actor, voice actor, impressionist, television presenter and singer. He has appeared in 22 films and television shows since 1994. He starred in the film '' Incantato'', which was entered into the 200 ...

, produced in HD * ''

Um Himmels Willen ''Um Himmels Willen'' (English: ''For Heaven's Sake'') is a German television sitcom created by Jana Brandt and Sven Döbler, which originally aired on Das Erste since 8 January 2002. The 13th season was aired from 4 March 2014 to 3 June 2014 a ...

'', with

Fritz Wepper Fritz Wepper (17 August 1941 – 25 March 2024) was a German film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Inspector Harry Klein in the long-running crime series ''Derrick'' (1974–1998). Wepper is also remembered for his roles i ...

, produced in HD since Season 8 * ''

Un medico in famiglia ''Un medico in famiglia'' (English: ''A doctor in the family'') is an Italian television series, based on the format of the Spanish series of Telecinco '' Médico de familia'', produced by Publispei and Rai Fiction. The series aired for ten seaso ...

'', with

Lino Banfi Lino Banfi (born Pasquale Zagaria; 9 July 1936) is an Italian actor and screenwriter. Since 1960 he has appeared in more than 100 films. Biography Banfi was born in the Apulian city of Andria, and at the age of three he moved to Canosa di P ...

Giulio Scarpati Giulio Scarpati (born 20 February 1956) is an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Rome, pretty active on stage, after several small film roles Scarpati had his breakout role in 1991 as Marco, the main character in the Giuseppe Piccioni's dr ...

and Margot Sikabonyi, produced in HD since Season 6 * ''

Una pallottola nel cuore Una and UNA may refer to: People * Una (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name Arts and entertainment * ''Una'' (film), a 2016 drama * ''Una'', a 1981 novel by Momo Kapor * '' The Una'', a woman's rights ...

'', with

Gigi Proietti Luigi "Gigi" Proietti (2 November 1940 – 2 November 2020) was an Italian actor, dubber, comedian, singer and television presenter. Early life He was born in Rome to Romano Proietti, originally from Umbria, and Giovanna Ceci, a housewife. Dur ...

, produced in HD

Sports

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...

Finals (if Italy team involved only,

1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...

–

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

) *

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...

UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Conference League (UECL), usually known simply as the Conference League, is an annual association football, football competition organised since 2021 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European foot ...

UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro or Euros, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition ...

UEFA European Under-21 Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the comp ...

(5 matches: three Italy group matches, one semi-final, and one final) *

UEFA Nations League The UEFA Nations League is an international European football competition played by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The competition was devised to minimise friendlies a ...

(Italy matches only, plus a final) *

Italy national football team The Italy national football team () has represented Italy in men's international Association football, football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for fo ...

: Nations League, qualifiers, friendlies, and finals tournament

Kids

44 Cats ''44 Cats'' () is an Italian animated children's television series created by Iginio Straffi. The series is mainly produced by the Rainbow studio, which was co-owned by Viacom at the time of the show's premiere. Viacom's Nickelodeon channels bro ...

* Jurassic Cubs * Prezzemolo *

Tommy e Oscar Rainbow S.p.A. is an Italian studio founded by Iginio Straffi and co-owned by Viacom (later Paramount Global) from 2011 to 2023. Rainbow has collaborated with Viacom/Paramount's other company, Nickelodeon, on multiple shows, including ''Winx Club ...

Topo Gigio Topo Gigio () is a fictional anthropomorphic mouse, originally the lead character of a children's puppet show on Italian television in the early 1960s. The character, created in 1958 by artist Maria Perego, her husband Federico Caldura and fello ...

* Piccolo Pollone * Chappy

Past programmes

Events

* Safety Love (2024) * La grande Opera Italiana patrimonio dell'umanità (2024)

Documentaries

* ''La nostra Raffaella'' (2024), documentary on

Raffaella Carrà Raffaella Maria Roberta Pelloni (18 June 1943 – 5 July 2021), known professionally as Raffaella Carrà () and sometimes mononymously as Raffaella, was an Italian singer, dancer, actress, television presenter and model. She is often widely cons ...

* (2024) * ''Perché Sanremo è Sanremo?'' (2024) * ''Sanremo Dietro la Quinta'' (2024)

Films

* ''Un amore in Cornovaglia'' (2024)This film was broadcast on Rai 1 on July 24, 2024. The film title in English is "The Presence of Love" ( Hallmark Channel Original Movies) * Dirty - Dancing - Balli proibiti (2024)This film was broadcast on July 31, 2024 on Rai 1

Early programmes

Until the autumn 1976/77 season, regular broadcasting was in

monochrome A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, mon ...

(black and white), with very few exceptions (shown in bold). Regular colour broadcasting began during the winter 1976/77 season. * ''Un due tre...'' aka ''1, 2, 3'', satire/variety show starring

Raimondo Vianello Raimondo Vianello (7 May 1922 – 15 April 2010) was an Italian film actor, comedian, and television host. He was a well-known Italian television personality. Biography He was born in Rome, but spent his youth in Pula, where his father, an ...

Ugo Tognazzi Ottavio "Ugo" Tognazzi (23 March 1922 – 27 October 1990) was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the most important faces of Italian comedy together with Vittorio Gassman, Nino Manfredi, Marcello Mastr ...

. Considered one of the most influential shows in Italian television history, it was discontinued in 1959 after the duo performed an ironic sketch about then-president of the Republic,

Giovanni Gronchi Giovanni Gronchi, (; 10 September 1887 – 17 October 1978) was an Italian politician from Christian Democracy who served as President of Italy from 1955 to 1962 and was marked by a controversial and failed attempt to bring about an "opening t ...

(six seasons, from 19 January 1954 to 2 August 1959). * ''Lascia o raddoppia'', a one-hour-long game show hosted by

Mike Bongiorno Michael Nicholas Salvatore Bongiorno (; May 26, 1924 – September 8, 2009) was an American Italian television presenter. After a few experiences in the U.S., he started working on RAI in the 1950s and was considered to be the most popular host ...

(1955–59, on Thursday, at 9:00 PM, except for the first season shown on Saturday night). * '' Primo applauso'', early talent show hosted by

Enzo Tortora Enzo Tortora (30 November 1928 – 18 May 1988) was an Italian television presenter on national RAI television, who was unjustly convicted of being a member of the Camorra and drug trafficking in 1985, and sentenced to 10 years in jail. He was ...

and

Silvana Pampanini Silvana Pampanini (25 September 1925 – 6 January 2016) was an Italian film actress, director and singer. She was also the niece of the soprano of the golden era of opera, Dame Rosetta Pampanini. Silvana Pampanini caused a sensation when she t ...

. The clap-o-metre was introduced to Italian television during this programme. Magician Silvan and singer

Adriano Celentano Adriano Celentano (; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian singer-songwriter, actor, showman, and filmmaker. He is dubbed ''Il Molleggiato'' ('the springy one') because of his energetic dancing. Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both com ...

debuted in ''Primo Applauso'' (from 29 April 1956 until December of the same year, Sunday night, 9:00 PM). * ''Telematch'', variety/game show hosted by

and Silvio Noto (from 6 January 1957 to July 1958, Sunday night at 9:15 PM). * ''La macchina per vivere'', health care/educational programme about the human body (two seasons, from 31 January 1957, Thursday night at 10:45 PM). * ''

Il Musichiere Il Musichiere was an Italian game show based upon Name That Tune. It ran from 1957 to 1960 and ended with untimely death of its host Mario Riva. It ran for 90 episodes, airing on Saturday evenings during prime-time. It was directed by Antonello Fa ...

'', a one-hour-long Italian version of ''

Name That Tune ''Name That Tune'' is an American television music game show. Originally created and produced by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife Roberta Semple Salter, the series features contestants competing to correctly identify songs being p ...

'', hosted by

Mario Riva Mario "Mariuccio" Bonavolontà (26 January 1913 – 1 September 1960), professionally known as Mario Riva, was an Italian television presenter and actor. He appeared in 51 films between 1941 and 1960. Life and career Born in Rome as Mario B ...

until his death (1957–60, on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM). * ''Campanile Sera'', a one-hour-long game show, hosted by

and Enza Sampò (1959–61, on Thursday at 9:00 PM). One of the various games on the show, "il gioco dei prezzi", was an early Italian incarnation of ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...

'' franchise. * '' Studio Uno'', Saturday night variety show, hosted mainly by Mina (1961–66, 9:00 PM). * ''L'amico del giaguaro'', Saturday night comedy/variety show, hosted by Corrado and starring Gino Bramieri,

Marisa Del Frate Marisa Del Frate (11 March 1931 – 5 February 2015) was an Italian singer, actress and television personality who was mainly active in the 1950s and 60s. Life and career Born in Rome, Del Frate started her career as a model and took part in se ...

and

Raffaele Pisu Raffaele Pisu (24 May 1925 – 31 July 2019) was an Italian actor and comedian. Life and career Born in Bologna as Guerrino Pisu into a family of Sardinian origin, Pisu debuted in the drama theater and in 1945 he was one of the founders of th ...

. Broadcast during 1961, 1962 and 1964 summer seasons, at 9:00 PM. * ''Giocagiò'', daytime half-hour-long Italian version of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

children's show '' Play School'' (1966–70, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 5:00 PM) * '' L'Odissea'', eight one hour episodes of a screenplay of

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

's ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

'', directed by Franco Rossi and starring

Bekim Fehmiu Bekim Fehmiu (; ; 1 June 1936 – 15 June 2010) was a Yugoslavian theater and film actor. He was the first Eastern European actor to star in Hollywood during the Cold War, and one of the internationally best-known ethnic Albanian actors. ...

Odysseus In Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus ( ; , ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; ), is a legendary Greeks, Greek king of Homeric Ithaca, Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, epic poem, the ''Odyssey''. Od ...

and

Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas (, ; born Eirini Lelekou (); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She gained international recognition through ...

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or , ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Homer's Ithaca, Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius (Spartan), Icarius and ...

. This Italian-German-French-Yugoslavian co-production was broadcast for the first time in Italy from 24 March 1968, on Sunday night, at 9:05 PM. In colour, but the programme was shown in black and white in Italy the first time it was aired. * '' Eneide'', seven one hour episodes of a screenplay of

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

's ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...

'', directed by Franco Rossi and starring

Giulio Brogi Giulio Brogi (3 May 1935 – 19 February 2019)

(

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

) and Olga Karlatos (

Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (located ...

). This Italian-German-French co-production was broadcast for the first time in Italy from 19 December 1971, on Sundays, at 9:00 PM and in Germany from 5 November 1972. In colour. * '' Le avventure di Pinocchio'', five one hour episodes of a screenplay of Collodi's children novel ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; , i.e. "The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a Puppet"), commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'', is an 1883 Children's literature, children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischi ...

'', directed by

Luigi Comencini Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the "commedia all'italiana" genre. His daughters Cristina Comencin ...

and starring

Nino Manfredi Saturnino "Nino" Manfredi (22 March 1921 – 4 June 2004) was an Italian actor, voice actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, comedian, singer, author, radio personality and television presenter. He was one of the most prominent Italian ac ...

(Geppetto),

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (4 July 1927 – 16 January 2023) was an Italian actress, model, photojournalist, and sculptor. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international ...

(

the Fairy with Turquoise Hair The Fairy with Turquoise Hair (), often simply referred to as the Blue Fairy (), is a fictional character in the 1883 Italian book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' by Carlo Collodi, repeatedly appearing at critical moments in Pinocchio's wanderings ...

Franco Franchi Francesco Benenato (18 September 1928 – 9 December 1992), known as Franco Franchi, was an Italian actor, comedian and singer. He was born in Palermo, Sicily and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the ...

(the Cat),

Ciccio Ingrassia Francesco "Ciccio" Ingrassia (5 October 1922 – 28 April 2003) was an Italian actor, comedian and film director. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. He star ...

(the Fox),

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

(the Judge) and child actor Andrea Balestri in the main role of Pinocchio. This very successful French-German-Italian coproduction aired for the first time in Italy on Saturday night from 8 April 1972, at 9:00 PM. The French version is about 40 minutes longer and is divided into 6 episodes. In colour. * ''Fatti e fattacci'', variety show, hosted by

and

Ornella Vanoni Ornella Vanoni (; born 22 September 1934) is an Italian singer. She is one of the longest-standing Italian artists, having started performing in 1956. She has released about 112 works between LP, EPs and greatest hits albums, and is considered ...

, directed by Antonello Falqui (four episodes, from 15 February 1975, Saturday night at 8:40 PM). In colour. * ''Dov'è Anna'', drama/''

giallo In Italian cinema, (; : ; from , ) is a genre that often contains Slasher film, slasher, thriller (genre), thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, Sexploitation film, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural, supernat ...

miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

in seven episodes, starring

Scilla Gabel Scilla Gabel (born Gianfranca Gabellini; 4 January 1938) is an Italian film, television, and stage actress. She appeared in 50 films and multiple television programs between 1954 and 1988. Career Born in Rimini as one of five children, Gabel en ...

and Mariano Rigillo, broadcast on Tuesday, from 13 January 1976, at 8:45 PM. * ''Albert e l'Uomo Nero'' (the title, roughly translated, means ''Albert and the Bogeyman''), drama/''giallo''

in three episodes, starring

Nando Gazzolo Ferdinando "Nando" Gazzolo (16 October 1928 – 16 November 2015) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Savona, the son of the actor and voice actor Lauro Gazzolo and EIAR radio announcer Aida Ottaviani Piccolo, Gazzolo debut ...

Franco Graziosi Franco Graziosi (10 July 1929 – 8 September 2021) was an Italian actor. Entering films in 1960, he made some 28 motion picture and television appearances between then and 2013. He appeared regularly in television mini-series throughout his ca ...

and then kid Claudio Cinquepalmi in the title role of Albert. Avant-garde soundtrack by

Franco Micalizzi Franco Micalizzi (born 21 December 1939 in Rome) is an Italian composer and conductor, best known for his scores in Poliziotteschi films. His first success was for the musical score of the Spaghetti Western ''They Call Me Trinity'', in 1970. He ha ...

. It was perhaps the last successful Italian black and white drama series, aired on 21 March (Sunday), 23 March (Tuesday) and 28 March (Sunday) nights at 8:45 PM.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13fa7j13124 A scene from the first episode * ''Bontà loro'', one-hour-long late night talk show hosted by

Maurizio Costanzo Maurizio Costanzo (28 August 1938 – 24 February 2023) was an Italian television host, journalist, screenwriter, and film director. Biography Costanzo began his career as a journalist, first as a contributing writer to '' Paese Sera'' and the ...

, is considered by some critics to be the first modern talk show on Italian television (two seasons, from 18 October 1976, Monday night, 10:45 PM). In colour from 1977. * ''Non Stop'', one-hour-long comedy consisting of a collage of sketches performed by young and (then) unknown comedians – among these, future theatrical actor and director

Carlo Verdone Carlo Gregorio Verdone (born 17 November 1950) is an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director. Best known for his comedic roles in Italian classics which he also wrote and directed such as ''Fun Is Beautiful'' and ''Bianco, rosso e Verdone ...

and actors

Massimo Troisi Massimo Troisi (; 19 February 1953 – 4 June 1994) was an Italian actor, cabaret performer, comedian, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his works in the films '' I'm Starting back from Three'' (1981) and '' Il Postino: The ...

and

Lello Arena Raffaele "Lello" Arena (born 1 November 1953) is an Italian actor and comics writer. He was also an occasional film director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Naples as Raffaele Arena, he was the son of two workers in a tobacco facto ...

. Broadcast for two seasons (1977-8 and 1978-9), on Thursday night, at 8:40 PM.

References

Notes

External links

Official Website
* {{Authority control Italian-language television stations Television channels and stations established in 1954 1954 establishments in Italy 1