Ratings Roundup: Italian Prime Time

PREMIUM: Original Italian drama productions pulled the biggest prime-time television audiences in Italy for the week ended September 30, led by Canale 5’s L’onore e il Rispetto (Honor and Respect).

L’onore e il Rispetto took first place on Wednesday (September 26) with 6.051 million viewers and a share of 22.48 percent. The program is in its third season of six episodes (first was in 2006, second in 2009). L’onore e il Rispetto was also first on Tuesday with 5.883 million, the second biggest audience of the week, and a share of 21.28 percent. Number three of the week was the concluding episode of RAI 1’s two-part biopic Caruso—La voce dell’amore (Caruso—The Voice of Love), which took the top spot Monday with 5.697 million and a 20.76 percent share. Second on Monday was Canale 5’s police series Squadra Antimafia—Palermo oggi (Anti-Mafia Squad), in its fourth season, with 4.940 million and 18 percent share.

RAI 1 won Sunday with the start of new miniseries Il caso Enzo Tortora (The Enzo Tortora Case), pulling 4.771 million viewers and a share of 19.12 percent. On Thursday RAI 1 police series Il Commissario Nardone slipped into second place after winning the night previously (4.645 million/16.69 percent for part one and 4.252 million/17.25 percent for part two).

Second place on Friday went to Canale 5’s I Cesaroni (The Cesaronis), in its fifth season, with two episodes averaging 4.513 million and 18.91 percent. The series is based on Spanish show Los Serranos from Telecinco.

Light entertainment won the ratings on three nights. The top show was RAI 1’s Tale e Quale Show (Spitting Image), in which contestants imitate celebrities. On Friday it pulled 5.280 million viewers and a 22.43 percent share. The show is produced by Endemol in Italy from a format the company originally produced in Spain as Tu cara me suena. On Thursday, Canale 5 was first with Lo Show dei Record, live light entertainment based on the Guinness Book of…, with 4.897 million viewers and a share of 19.76 percent. On Saturday, Canale 5 topped the ratings with long-running C’è posta per te (You’ve Got Mail) drawing 4.528 million and 22.32 percent. The show launched back in 2000.

American series performed decently without threatening to win the ratings. Third in prime time on Tuesday was Criminal Minds on RAI 2 with two episodes (2.436 million/8.19 percent and 2.472 million/8.59 percent). On Monday the same channel started showing U.S. series Blue Bloods, which pulled 1.680 million and a 5.94 percent for the first episode. The debut followed an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles with 2.158 million/7.31 percent.

The top movie of the week was an Italian comedy pulling Sunday’s second biggest prime time audience. Un’estate ai Caraibi (Caribbean Summer) on Canale 5 averaged 3.311 million viewers and a share of 13.13 percent. The top U.S. picture was Ice Age 3 on Italia 1 on Wednesday, number three in prime time with 2.828 million viewers and a share of 9.98 percent.