The Young Montalbano

The Young Montalbano (Italian: Il giovane Montalbano) is an Italian television spin-off produced and broadcast by Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) in 2012 and 2015. It is a prequel to the Inspector Montalbano (Italian: Il commissario Montalbano) series that are based on the detective novels of Andrea Camilleri. The setting is the fictional town of Vigàta, Sicily.

The Young Montalbano
Italian logo
Also known as	Il giovane Montalbano
Genre	Police procedural
Written by	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri
Directed by	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli
Starring	Michele Riondino
Theme music composer	Andrea Guerra (music) Davide Camarrone (lyrics)
Opening theme	Curri, curri (sung by Olivia Sellerio)
Ending theme	Vuci mia cantannu vai (sung by Olivia Sellerio)
Composer(s)	Andrea Guerra
Country of origin	Italy
Original language(s)	Italian, Sicilian
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	12
Production
Executive producer(s)	Gianfranco Barbagallo
Producer(s)	Carlo Degli Esposti Nora Barbieri Max Gusberti
Production location(s)	Ragusa Scicli
Cinematography	Lorenzo Adorisio (Season 1) Mario Pieroni (Season 2)[1]
Editor(s)	Alessandro Heffler
Running time	120 minutes
Production company(s)	Rai Fiction Palomar
Distributor	Rai Trade
Release
Original network	Rai 1
Picture format	16:9
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	23 February 2012 (2012-02-23) – 19 October 2015 (2015-10-19)
Chronology
Related shows	Inspector Montalbano
External links
Website

The first series was originally broadcast during February and March 2012 by Rai 1 in Italy.[2] It was broadcast in the United States by MHz WorldView during October and November 2012.[3] The BBC acquired the series in late 2012,[4] and the first episode was broadcast by BBC Four in the UK on 7 September 2013.[5]

In April 2012, it was reported that filming for a second series should start in late 2013.[6] It was delayed until August 2014.[7][8] The second series was broadcast in Italy during September and October 2015.[9]

Characters

• Commissario Salvo Montalbano – Michele Riondino. Newly appointed police chief of Vigata.
• Vice commissario Domenico "Mimì" Augello – Alessio Vassallo. Montalbano's deputy. A self-proclaimed womanizer, he initially does not get along well with Montalbano, even going as far as to compete for Livia's love.
• Carmine Fazio – Andrea Tidona. A veteran police officer, initially Montalbano's deputy. He aids him in his introduction to the police department.
• Agatino Catarella – Fabrizio Pizzuto. Also a newly appointed officer, he operates the phoneline for the police department. Notoriously goofy in practice but jovial in nature.
• Giuseppe Fazio – Beniamino Marcone. Son of Carmine, he joins the department as an investigator, and quickly becomes one of his most trusted assistants.
• Livia Burlando – Sarah Felberbaum. A charming Genoese girl with whom Montalbano falls in love and begins a relationship.
• Gallo – Maurilio Leto. A police officer and investigator, proud squad car driver.
• Paternò – Alessio Piazza. A police officer and investigator.
• Montalbano senior – Adriano Chiaramida. The father of Montalbano, a widower with whom Montalbano has an uneasy relationship. He owns a vineyard just outside Vigata.
• Nicolò Zito – Carmelo Galati. Journalist and anchor of the local TV news channel Rete Libera. Montalbano, aware that having the press on his side will be useful during his investigations, and through this, builds a lasting friendship with him.
• Dr. Pasquano – Giuseppe Santostefano. The forensic medical examiner of the police department, with a difficult temperament and a sarcastic tongue. He and Montalbano often engage in verbal sparring in the workplace.
• Adelina Cirrinciò – Alessandra Costanzo. Montalbano's cook and housekeeper, who spoils him with Sicilian delicacies (notably Arancini).
• Alabiso – Massimo De Rossi. Montalbano's superior officer, and "Questore" or head of the provincial police force.

Critical reception

Emily Jupp in The Independent on Sunday, "There are a few nods to TV detectives past. Questioning a policeman in Vigata, he turned to go, then in a perfect pastiche of Columbo, asked, 'and one more thing...' This being Italy, the question isn't about a clue, but about food, and soon his yearning for linguine alla vongole has been sated". She concluded by writing, "The niche appeal and subtitles might be a bit of a barrier, but by the end of the two-hour episode, I'd really warmed to this compelling Italian. Riondino's Montalbano could give Cumberbatch's Sherlock a run for his money".[10]

Keith Watson in the Metro, "Just as Shaun Evans makes for a physically unlikely but entirely credible young Inspector Morse, so Riondino gives the part of Montalbano an entirely convincing and individual interpretation. […] Even mundane procedural exchanges between cops in the station took on a kind of poetic lilt, weaving a hypnotic brand of Mediterranean magic. […] The feeling was the one you get when curled up with a book on holiday while the sun sets and you're on your second cocktail. Unfolding at a leisurely two hours, with no sense of urgency and no ad breaks, The Young Montalbano had plenty of time to slip local colour into the pair of murder stories that unfolded in laconic ... fashion. It was a rare thing: a crime thriller that teased and circled its prey, rarely breaking into a sweat. Fans of subtitled Euro treats, walk this way".[11]

Gabriel Tate, reviewing the first episode in the London edition of Time Out, wrote: "The Young Morse? Well, Endeavour was pretty good. The Young Lund? Crying out to be made. But The Young Montalbano? Neither especially troubled nor notably enigmatic, the Sicilian detective has never been one of television's more intriguing characters, with the appeal of his show limited to the spectacular scenery and guessing which actor would chew through it the most during the course of that week's investigation. As origin stories go, this isn't exactly Batman Begins, although we learn that he did once have a full head of hair". Overall, he found the opener "Dull, dull, dull – for two hours".[12]

As of 18 February 2016, The Young Montalbano had a rating of 8.0/10 (from 522 users) on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).[13]

Episodes

Series 1 (2012)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"La prima indagine di Montalbano" "Montalbano's First Case"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	23 February 2012 (2012-02-23)
The year is 1990, and Montalbano is deputy inspector in a remote village in the Sicilian mountains. A local thug with a history of theft is murdered and the evidence points to an elderly shepherd as the killer. In the meantime Montalbano is promoted and transferred to the seaside town of Vigàta, where he grew up. There he stumbles upon a piece of evidence that solves the case in the mountains, and also unravels the mystery of why a girl attempted to murder a judge. Several characters who will feature in Inspector Montalbano are introduced in this episode, including the bumbling desk sergeant Catarella[14] and seasoned detective Carmine Fazio, whose son Giuseppe will eventually become Montalbano's right-hand man.[15]
2	2	"Capodanno" "New Year's Day"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	1 March 2012 (2012-03-01)
The owner of the hotel in which Montalbano is living is shot dead on New Year's Eve. Was it an accident or something more sinister? Also, a dying woman's last words lead him to re-open a 40-year-old murder case, which may have resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
3	3	"Ritorno alle origini" "Back to Basics"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	8 March 2012 (2012-03-08)
Montalbano clashes with his new deputy "Mimì" Augello when they investigate two unusual cases; in the first a box of worthless beer bottle caps are stolen from the house of a compulsive hoarder, and in the second a small child is apparently kidnapped, only to be released two hours later without any ransom demand being made.
4	4	"Ferito a morte" "Mortally Wounded"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	15 March 2012 (2012-03-15)
Montalbano investigates the murder of a loan shark, for which there is initially no shortage of suspects, but the later discovery of another body nearby complicates matters. Meanwhile someone is putting up posters around Vigàta asking the inhabitants to vote in a referendum about the reputation of a politician's wife.
5	5	"Il terzo segreto" "The Third Secret"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	22 March 2012 (2012-03-22)
Montalbano receives a letter informing him of the accidental death of a worker at a construction site - posted before the man died. It turns out to be the latest in a series of similar "accidents", but he must act unofficially as the case is under the jurisdiction of the Carabinieri. Also, after someone shot at the noticeboard containing announcements of upcoming weddings, he must find out who is trying to prevent a marriage and why.
6	6	"Sette lunedì" "Seven Mondays"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	29 March 2012 (2012-03-29)
Montalbano investigates the slaying of a wealthy man whose wastrel son seems like the obvious suspect, and a ritualistic series of animal killings leads him to conclude that someone is planning a murder.

Series 2 (2015)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
7	1	"L'uomo che andava appresso ai funerali" "The Man Who Followed Funerals"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	14 September 2015 (2015-09-14)
The murder of a disabled gentleman who shows up to mourn at other people's funerals seems to be a mystery until the death of a woman linked to the unlikely mourner's former employer gives Salvo his first lead.
8	2	"La Stanza Numero Due" "Room Number Two"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)
While walking along the beach at night Salvo and Livia see an old Riviera Hotel on fire. One guest dies in the fire. There is suspicion that this fire is a Mafia warning.
9	3	"Morte In Mare Aperto" "Death on the High Seas"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	28 September 2015 (2015-09-28)
Salvo investigates the apparently accidental killing of a fisherman on a Vigata fishing boat and uncovers serious criminal activity in the process.
10	4	"La Transazione" "The Transaction", also "The Settlement"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	5 October 2015 (2015-10-05)
In this episode is a robbery (the theft of the contents of all of a new bank’s safe-deposit boxes), a circus with a fortune-teller, and three murders. Young Montalbano is faced with the complexities of the crimes, and with dilemmas in his private life.
11	5	"Il Ladro Onesto" "The Honest Thief"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	12 October 2015 (2015-10-12)
A beautiful waitress disappears, a child is kidnapped, and a spate of unusual thefts are woven into this episode. Circumstances lead Salvo to adopt unusual methods to solve the mysteries, while dealing with the disappointed reactions of his officers when they learn he has asked for a transfer to Genoa, to be closer to Livia.
12	6	"Un'albicocca" "An Apricot"	Gianluca Maria Tavarelli	Francesco Bruni Andrea Camilleri	19 October 2015 (2015-10-19)
Montalbano is preparing for his move to Genoa. Due to fly there in a few days, while driving with Livia, he sees a car has driven off the road and over a cliff. A young fashion model is found dead in the driver's seat. An apricot stone and a coral necklace provide clues. Despite red herrings thrown in his path by drug-dealers, Salvo takes the initiative and becomes thoroughly involved, even though his former Deputy, Inspector Mimi Augello, has taken over as Vigata's official Chief of Police. On 23 May 1992, having solved the case, Montalbano leaves for the airport, but en route, at a crossroads, his options are: turn right, to the autostrade (motorway) leading to the airport, or turn left, back to Vigata. He ponders and turns left. When he arrives in Vigata, it is deserted. Salvo hears on the radio news of the explosion at Capaci, resulting in the death (assassination) of Giovanni Falcone, an anti-Mafia judge, and those with him. The police escort and some civilians are also killed. In Vigata's police station, Salvo finds the officers in a state of shock and despair. Next, we see Montalbano speaking on the phone to Livia, who says, "You stay there. It's where you belong. You stay there, Salvo."[16]

References

1. "Il giovane Montalbano 2 - Cast tecnico" [The Young Montalbano 2 - Technical cast]. Rai Uno (in Italian). 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
2. "Il giovane Montalbano : Puntate" [The Young Montalbano: Episodes]. Rai Uno (in Italian). 2013. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
3. "The Young Montalbano Premieres Exclusively on MHz Next Week". MHz Networks. 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
4. "Rai: la BBC acquista "Il giovane Montalbano"" [Rai: BBC buys "The Young Montalbano"]. Adnkronos (in Italian). 30 November 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
5. "The Young Montalbano". BBC Four. 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
6. Bellu, Daniela (4 April 2012). "Tornano Il commissario Montalbano e anche Il giovane Montalbano" [Montalbano and the Young Montalbano are back]. blogapuntate.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
7. Iovane, Giorgia (9 August 2014). "Il Giovane Montalbano, la seconda stagione su Rai 1 nel 2015" [Young Montalbano, the second season on Rai 1 in 2015]. TVblog.it (in Italian). Retrieved 8 August 2015.
8. Carbonaro, Massimiliano (16 September 2014). "Il giovane Montalbano: il ciak della seconda stagione con Michele Riondino" [The Young Montalbano: the start of the second season with Michele Riondino]. TVzap (in Italian). Retrieved 8 August 2015.
9. "Il giovane Montalbano". Rai Uno (in Italian). 2015. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
10. Jupp, Emily (8 September 2013). "The Weekend's Viewing: Subtitles should stop no one warming to this compelling Italian". The Independent on Sunday. London. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
11. Watson, Keith (7 September 2013). "The prequel to Inspector Montalbano is a treat for fans of European drama". Metro. London. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
12. Tate, Gabriel (30 August 2013). "The Young Montalbano: Series one, episode one". Time Out. London. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
13. "The Young Montalbano (2012–)". IMDb. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
14. Bailey, Paul (14 October 2006). "The sage of Sicily". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
15. "Il giovane Montalbano, il prequel perfetto che cammina anche da solo" [The young Montalbano, the perfect prequel that stands alone too]. TV Zap (in Italian). 7 July 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
16. Rinaldi, Lucia (30 March 2012). Andrea Camilleri: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction. McFarland. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-7864-9148-3. Retrieved 8 February 2016.

External links

• The Young Montalbano on IMDb