Endemol Shine Italy & Rai Fiction Team for The Bride 

Endemol Shine Italy and Rai Fiction are co-producing the new female-empowerment drama La Sposa (The Bride), set in the late 1960s.

The story centers on Maria, a young woman who marries Italo by proxy, a widespread practice in Italy whereby young women from the south wed landowners in the north. She adjusts to rural life as a stepmother with a husband who is still traumatized by his first wife’s disappearance, and despite the adversity, she is led by unwavering resilience and positivity.

Serena Rossi (Ammore e Malavita, Io sono Mia, Mina Settembre) stars in the series, which will air on Rai1 in 2022. The drama is directed by Giacomo Campiotti (Bianca come il latte, rossa come il sangue, Braccialetti Rossi, Chiara Lubich—L’amore vince tutto) and created by Valia Santella (Mia madre, Napoli velata, Il Traditore).

Leonardo Pasquinelli, CEO of Endemol Shine Italy, commented: “It is fantastic to work with Rai Fiction on a project which shines a light on life in the 1960s, a time of dramatic change here in Italy. Shot across Rome, Apulia and Piedmont, this high-quality drama, executive produced by Francesco Pincelli and directed by Giacomo Campiotti, has created characters that perfectly capture the complexity of the era.”

Maria Pia Ammirati, head of drama at Rai, commented: “The Bride is a brand-new period drama which follows a woman through emancipation and integration while highlighting the struggle women had in changing attitudes. After the successes of L’Allieva (The Good Apprentice), Mentre ero via (While I Was Away) and Un’altra vita (Second Chance), Rai Fiction is glad to work again with Endemol Shine Italy for a new female-led TV series that explores an important stage of our history.”

Benedetta Galbiati, head of scripted at Endemol Shine Italy, added: “After having several huge successes with Rai Fiction, we are very proud to co-produce this new series together. The Bride is a story about an extremely modern woman, in which many will recognize themselves, a courageous and strong female figure, who fights for her rights and never gives up.”