Don Matteo
| Don Matteo | |
|---|---|
 From left, Don Matteo (Terence Hill) and Antonio Cecchini (Nino Frassica) | |
| Genre | Crime, Comedy |
| Created by | Enrico Oldoini |
| Starring |
Terence Hill Nino Frassica Flavio Insinna Simone Montedoro Cristina Serafini |
| Country of origin | Italy |
| No. of seasons | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 194 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Location(s) |
Gubbio (1−8) Spoleto (9−present) |
| Running time | 55 minutes (per episode) |
| Production company(s) | Lux Vide for Rai Fiction |
| Release | |
| Original network | RAI |
| Original release | 7 January 2000 |
Don Matteo is an Italian television series that has been airing since 2000 on the premier channel of Italian national television, Rai 1.
History
Protagonist of the series is Father Matteo (portrayed by Terence Hill), a Catholic priest in a parish of the town of Gubbio (PG), who is also known for his unrivaled talent in investigating local crime stories. Father Matteo is a wise and respected person who really manages to understand people's problems, and always appears to be willing to help. Thanks to his charm and positivity, he often helps criminals on their way to redeeming and he always convince them to confess their crimes and to accept their responsibilities.
Comedian Nino Frassica portrays Lt. Antonio Cecchini, a middle aged carabineer who also happens to be Matteo's best friend. Cecchini is one of the main co-protagonists and often provides the humor and comic relief in the series. Other notable cast members include Flavio Insinna, who portrayed Captain Flavio Anceschi from 2000 to 2006, Milena Miconi, who played Laura, the mayor of Gubbio as well as Anceschi's love interest and Simone Montedoro who has been playing the role of Captain Giulio Tommasi, successor to Anceschi, since the sixth season.
From season 8, Don Matteo is filmed in HDTV 1080i.
Syndication
The series is syndicated in the United States by MHz Networks.[1]
Synopsis
The plot primarily revolves around the titular Matteo, a Catholic priest with an impressive insight in human nature, aiding the carabinieri (police) station in solving crimes (usually murder cases). In this he usually finds support in Antonio Cecchini, a warrant officer who often shares with him important details and clues, but also hostility, in the figure of Cecchini's direct superior, Flavio Anceschi (and later Giulio Tommasi), who has little tolerance for the priest's continuous interference with the investigation.
Cast
The major actor is Terence Hill as Don Matteo, a Catholic priest who always resolves mysteries around his city, Gubbio; Nino Frassica is Marshall Antonio Cecchini, best friend of Don Matteo; Simone Montedoro plays Captain Giulio Tommasi. The minor actors are: Natalie Guettà, the house-keeper of Don Matteo; Laura Glavan, the sixteen-year-old mother Laura ; Caterina Sylos Labini is Caterina Cecchini, wife of Nino and mother of Patrizia and Assuntina; other characters are Pippo, Agostino, Severino and Ghisoni.
Episodes
Reception
The series received two awards at the 42nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival in 2002: Terence Hill won the award for Best Actor and Alessandro Jacchia won the award for Best Producer.[2]
References
- ↑ MHz Networks. "The Young Montalbano Premieres Exclusively on MHz Next Week". Retrieved Jan 31, 2013.
- ↑ "Terence Hill named best actor of the year". it.terencehill.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on Feb 2, 2013. Retrieved Feb 2, 2013.