Rai Fiction

For years now, Rai's production of TV fiction series has been one of the genres on Italian television that has gained most success among audiences and critics.
Thanks to Rai's action in the sector in conjunction with independent production companies and the best authors, directors and actors, Italian TV fiction series have been consolidated as the leading genre in the television offering: the stories, settings and landscape, the culture and current social issues that characterise Italy, can be presented to the general public in this way - unlike in other countries, where similar stories are told exclusively by foreign, usually American productions.

In this context, Rai's TV fiction series offer a very broad range of genres, formats and languages. Mini-series are a traditional strength of Rai's Italian TV fiction segment, recognised at international level due to their ability to tell the stories of famous people or periods of Italian history, or subjects of particular importance, in four television hours.

From C'era una volta la cittā dei matti on the professional and personal vicissitudes of Franco Basaglia (winner of numerous awards), to the European coproduction on Sissi, from the return of Sofia Loren in La mia casa č piena di specchi, to the legend of Girardengo and Sante Pollastri, to the story of San Filippo Neri, and others: among the 10 most successful Italian TV fiction series of last year, all Rai productions, there are no fewer than 8 mini-series. The tvmovie Mi ricordo Anna Frank represented Rai's contribution to the Giornata della Memoria (a day to remember) once again in 2010.

As regards the overall volume of the offering, serial production accounted for about 70% of Rai's fiction product. Fiction series in 2010 were characterised by the launch of new titles, like Terra Ribelle and Paura d'amare, which flank and renew the offering of the most consolidated sequels, enriching Rai's range of long-term titles and projects. Perhaps the most significant figure in terms of Rai product value, however, is the outstanding result of fiction repeats, also during prime time: 65 prime time slots on RaiUno were occupied by fiction repeats, with more than positive viewing results, making the most of the initial investment in production.

Something not to be underestimated from this point of view is the performance of the specialised channel Rai Premium, based entirely on Rai Fiction products, and the non-stop growth of viewing of fiction on the web, within the scope of the service offered by Rai.tv.
Overall, the offering of TV fiction series during prime time has passed the level of 185 evenings on the three generalinterest channels, particularly on RaiUno, to which over 200 episodes of the soap series Un Posto al sole, produced at the Rai production centre in Naples must be added. This is one of the very few cases in Europe in which a soap opera is broadcast during prime time.

In terms of international acknowledgements, Rai's TV fiction series have won 28 awards at the international festivals held during 2010. The TV fiction series production activity is joined by that of the co-production of cartoons.

These are usually products for children and the whole family. The specials produced in 2010 included Giovanni e Paolo e il mistero dei Pupi, a cartoon dedicated to the judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.