My Brilliant Friend (TV series)
My Brilliant Friend is an Italian- and Neapolitan-language coming-of-age drama television series created by Saverio Costanzo for HBO, RAI and TIMvision. Named after the first of four novels in the Neapolitan Novels series by Elena Ferrante, it is set to adapt the entire literary work over four eight-episode seasons. The series is a co-production between Italian production companies Wildside, Fandango, The Apartment, Mowe and international film group Umedia.
The first season premiered on HBO on November 18, 2018 and on Rai 1 and TIMvision on November 27, 2018. A second season, based on Ferrante's second Neapolitan Novel and titled My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name, was confirmed in December 2018, and premiered on Rai 1 on February 10, 2020, and on HBO on March 16, 2020. The first two episodes of the second season were released in Italian cinemas from January 27 to 29, 2020.
On April 30, 2020, the series was renewed for a third season, to be based on the third novel in the series, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay.
Cast and characters
Main
- Elisa Del Genio and Margherita Mazzucco as Elena "Lenù" Greco, a girl from a poor neighbourhood in the outskirts of 1950s Naples. Alba Rohrwacher narrates the events of the series from the point of view of adult Elena Greco. The character is also portrayed by Elisabetta De Palo as a senior, and by Ingrid Del Genio as a very young child.
- Ludovica Nasti and Gaia Girace as Raffaella "Lila" Cerullo, Elena's best friend and, later, Stefano Carracci's wife
- Anna Rita Vitolo as Immacolata Greco, Elena's mother
- Luca Gallone as Vittorio Greco, a porter and Elena's father
- Imma Villa as Manuela Solara, Silvio Solara's wife
- Antonio Milo as Silvio Solara, owner of the Bar Solara
- Adriano Tammaro and Alessio Gallo as Michele Solara, Silvio and Manuela's son
- Valentina Acca as Nunzia Cerullo, Lila's mother
- Antonio Buonanno as Fernando Cerullo, a shoemaker and Lila's father
- Dora Romano as Miss Oliviero, Elena and Lila's elementary school teacher
- Antonio Pennarella as Don Achille Carracci, the local mobster
- Nunzia Schiano as Nella Incardo, Miss Oliviero's cousin
- Kristijan Di Giacomo and Giovanni Amura as Stefano Carracci, Don Achille Carracci's son and, later, Lila's husband
- Tommaso Rusciano and Gennaro De Stefano as Rino Cerullo, Lila's older brother and, later, Pinuccia's husband
- Alessandro Nardi and Francesco Serpico as Nino Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's son
- Giuliana Tramontano and Federica Sollazzo as Pinuccia Carracci, Don Achille's daughter and, later, Rino's wife
- Anna Redi and Clotilde Sabatino as Professor Galiani, Elena's high school teacher
- Lucia Manfuso and Ulrike Migliaresi as Ada Cappuccio, Melina Cappuccio's daughter
- Domenico Cuomo and Christian Giroso as Antonio Cappuccio, Melina Cappuccio's son
- Francesco Catena and Eduardo Scarpetta as Pasquale Peluso, Alfredo and Giuseppina's son
- Vincenzo Vaccaro and Giovanni Buselli as Enzo Scanno, Nicola and Assunta's son
- Giovanni Cannata as Armando Galiani, Professor Galiani's son
- Francesco Russo as Bruno Soccavo, Nino's friend
- Bruno Orlando as Franco Mari, Elena's first boyfriend in Pisa
- Daria Deflorian as Adele Airota, Pietro Airota's mother
- Matteo Cecchi as Pietro Airota, Elena's second boyfriend in Pisa
Recurring
- Emanuele Nocerino, Matteo Castaldo and Daniele Cacciatore as Peppe Greco, Elena's younger brother
- Thomas Noioso, Raffaele Nocerino and Davide De Lucia as Gianni Greco, Elena's younger brother
- Sara Mauriello, Cristina Fraticola and Gaia Buongiovanni as Elisa Greco, Elena's younger sister
- Sarah Falanga as Maria Carracci, Don Achille's wife
- Valerio Laviano Saggese and Fabrizio Cottone as Alfonso Carracci, Don Achille's son
- Daniel Campagna and Giuseppe Cortese as Gennaro Carracci, Lila's son
- Gennaro Canonico as Alfredo Peluso, a highly skilled carpenter
- Lia Zinno as Giuseppina Peluso, Alfredo's wife
- Francesca Bellamoli and Francesca Pezzella as Carmela Peluso, Alfredo and Giuseppina's daughter
- Pina Di Gennaro as Melina Cappuccio, a crazy widow
- Emanuele Valenti as Donato Sarratore, a train controller
- Fabrizia Sacchi as Lidia Sarratore, Donato's wife
- Cristina Magnotti and Miriam D'Angelo as Marisa Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's daughter
- Michele Di Costanzo and Catello Buonomo as Pino Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's son
- Federica Guarino and Federica Barbuto as Clelia Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's daughter
- Gioele Maddi and Mattia Iapigio as Ciro Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's son
- Ciro Pugliese as Nicola Scanno, a greengrocer
- Marina Cioppa as Assunta Scanno, Nicola's wife
- Pietro Vuolo and Elvis Esposito as Marcello Solara, Manuela and Silvio's son
- Mimmo Ruggiero as Mr. Spagnuolo, pastry chef at Bar Solara
- Patrizia Di Martino as Rosa Spagnuolo, his wife
- Alice D'Antonio and Rosaria Langellotto as Gigliola Spagnuolo, their daughter
- Valentina Arena as Jolanda, a stationer
- Vittorio Viviani as Mr. Ferraro, the librarian and an elementary school teacher
- Riccardo Palmieri as Gino, Elena's classmate and first boyfriend
- Sergio Basile as Professor Gerace, Elena's high school teacher
- Giorgia Gargano as Nadia Galiani, Professor Galiani's daughter
Guests
- Antonio Maglione as Alfonso, a friend of Vittorio Greco's
- Enrico D'Errico as Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Giustiniano Alpi as Rolando Berti
- Alessandro Bertoncini as Carlo Fortini
- Francesco Saggiomo as Dino Cerullo, Rino and Pinuccia's son
- Ilaria Zanotti as Giulia Cristaldi
- Maria Rosaria Bozzon as Titina, Gennaro's baby sitter
- Giulia Mazzarino as Maria Rosa Airota, Pietro's sister
- Maurizio Tabani as Professor Tarratano, a critic
- Gabriele Vacis as Guido Airota, Pietro's father
Episodes
Season 1 (2018)
; NotesSeason 2: ''The Story of a New Name'' (2020)
Production
Commissioned by Rai Fiction, HBO and TIMvision, the first season was produced by Italian production companies Wildside and Fandango and international film group Umedia. TIMvision withdrew from the project after the first season, while production companies The Apartment and Mowe joined production for the second season.On 18 February 2020, Gaia Girace announced that she will leave the series after playing Lila in three episodes of the third season, as a new and older actress will be cast for the following episodes.
Music
The score of the series has been composed by Max Richter.Season 1
The soundtrack album for the first season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on December 7, 2018 for digital download. It was preceded by the release of the single "Elena & Lila" on November 30, 2018.;Track listing
;Additional music
The first season features additional material from Richter's solo discography.
Season 2
The soundtrack album for the second season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on May 1, 2020 for digital download. The soundtrack features material from Richter's solo discography.;Track listing
Reception
The series has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 93% "certified fresh" rating with an average score of 8.41 out of 10 based on 55 reviews. The site's critical consensus is, "My Brilliant Friend is an expansive epic that gleans rapturous beauty from the most desolate of circumstances, but it is the intimacy between the central duo – and the remarkable performances that bring them to life – that audiences will remember most vividly". On Metacritic, it has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 20 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett of The Guardian stated "How revolutionary it still feels to see female friendship explored onscreen in this way. It goes without saying that it takes the Bechdel test and turns it into ragù."On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a 100% "certified fresh" rating with an average score of 9 out of 10 based on 11 reviews. The site's critical consensus is, "Gorgeously shot and full of incredible performances, My Brilliant Friends second season expands its small world with rich results." On Metacritic, it has a score of 91 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".