Rai 1

Rai 1 is the primary television station of RAI, the national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in Italy. It was born as Rai Tv from 1954 to 1961, called Programma Nazionale from 1961 to 1979, after called Rete 1 from 1979 to 1982, then called Rai Uno from 1982 to 2010, and finally called Rai 1 since May 18, 2010. Since its inception the channel was under the predominant political influence of the Christian Democracy Catholic political party. It is a generalist channel, mainly focused on shows, movies and public service; its direct competitor is Mediaset's Canale 5. It is regarded by some in Italy as the Italian Equivalent of the BBC One channel in the United Kingdom. However, the BBC, unlike Rai, isn't subject to Government or Political interference. Rai 1 also carries advertising while BBC One does not. Furthermore BBC One news programming represents and covers all Political opinions and priorities while, in practice, the news programmes presented by channels Rai 1, 2 and 3 represent respectively the views and priorities of the Political right, centre and left.

Whereas the British Government and the BBC are separate by law, and the British Government is forbidden from interfering in BBC output, the Italian Government is by law allowed to, and does, make^[3] Political appointments to Rai's board of directors. It has a^[4][5] history of interference in programming and programme content. In most Western Democracies outside Italy this is regarded as anti-democratic and is known as^[6] censorship. Rai (and therefore Rai 1) is State run (under the control of the State), while the BBC although paid for by tax payers / license fee is entirely free from State and Political interference and can more accurately be described as a public service.

Early history

The first set of programming for Rai 1 was almost completely educational with no advertising, except for the popular Carosello. Early shows were meant to teach a common language to a country torn apart by World War II. Shows like Non è mai troppo tardi... were simply shot in a classroom set and meant to help with reconstruction. While televisions were not widely available nor affordable, those who could spend the money on them became community leaders and often invited the neighborhood to visit. Bars and cafés turned from places where men would meet to argue or play cards into miniature cinemas where arguments over what show to watch would break out. Women and children were also more accepted inside the bars, as a result of the lack of men post-war and their need to enter working society. Churches also bought televisions are a means of drawing people to spend time as part of those communities.

Directors of Rai 1

Programmes

News and information

• TG1, the Rai 1 main news service, which is directed by Augusto Minzolini
• TV7 (weekly news magazine)
• Unomattina (morning magazine program), hosted by Eleonora Daniele and Michele Cucuzza
• Linea Verde (nature and agriculture), hosted by Massimiliano Ossini and the cook Gianfranco Vissani
• Porta a Porta (late night talk show; purports to be profound about actuality, lifestyle and politics), hosted by Bruno Vespa
• Super Quark (science and documentaries), hosted by Piero Angela
• Appuntamento al Cinema (movie previews)
• Occhio alla Spesa (food)
• TG1 Economia (TG1's economic news)
• Speciale TG1 (special documentaries)
• TG Parlamento (politics news)
• Meteo Uno (Rai Uno's weather forecast service)
• Settegiorni
• Lineablu (sea, fishing)
• Passaggio a Nord Ovest (documentaries)
• A Sua Immagine (religion)
• TG Sport (sports news)

Shows

Daytime shows

• La Prova del Cuoco (Italian version of Ready Steady Cook) - shown Monday to Saturday from 12.00 to 13.30; hosted by Antonella Clerici, (previously, during Clerici's pregnancy, by Elisa Isoardi), with the collaboration of Anna Moroni and previously Beppe Bigazzi
• Verdetto Finale (justice non-institutional morning game) - shown Monday to Friday from 10.00 to 10.50; presented by Veronica Maya
• Festa Italiana - shown Monday to Friday from 14.10 to 16.10; presented by Caterina Balivo
• La Vita in Diretta (actuality and lifestyle afternoon program) - shown Monday to Friday from 16.15 to 18.45; presented by Lamberto Sposini

Weekend shows

• Domenica In (Sunday afternoon show) - shown every Sunday from 14.00 to 20.00; currently presented by Pippo Baudo, Lorena Bianchetti, Massimo Giletti, Rosanna Lambertucci, Monica Setta, Pippo Caruso, Emanuela Aureli and Luisa Corna. On air since 1976, was one of the first programs with a regular broadcast in color. Created and hosted in the early editions by Corrado.
• Easy Driver - shown every Saturday afternoon, from 14.00 to 14.30; presented by Ilaria Moscato and Marcello Mariucci
• Volami Nel Cuore (Saturday night show) - shown every Saturday night at 21.30; presented by Enzo Ghinazzi (the former singer Pupo) with the collaboration of Ernestino Schinella
• Cinematografo (late night author cinema talk) - shown every Saturday night at 23.50 / 23.55 after the Saturday night edition of TG1; hosted by Gigi Marzullo
• Sanremo Music Festival
• Ballando con le stelle (Italian version of Strictly Come Dancing, presented by Milly Carlucci and Paolo Belli)
• Notti sul ghiaccio (Italian version of Skating with Celebrities, presented by Milly Carlucci and Stefano Masciarelli) no longer shown
• Amore (solidarity show presented by Raffaella Carrà) no longer on
• Carràmba Che Fortuna! (National Italian Lottery weekly prime time show, hosted by Raffaella Carrà with collaboration of Gianni Boncompagni and Alessandro Greco
• Il treno dei desideri (September - January Saturday night show, hosted by Antonella Clerici) no longer shown

Game shows

• Affari Tuoi (Italian version of Deal or No Deal, currently presented by Max Giusti) (everyday)
• L'Eredità (presented by Carlo Conti) (everyday)
• Tutto per tutto (presented by the former singer Pupo) (no longer shown)
• Chi Fermerà La Musica? (presented by Pupo) (musical game show) (weekly)
• Soliti Ignoti - Identità Nascoste (presented by Fabrizio Frizzi (shown until 1 March 2008, restarted on Summer 2008)

Italian TV series

• Don Matteo (season 8 aired from September 15 to December 8 2011)
• Il Commissario Montalbano (selected episodes aired)
• Un medico in famiglia (season 7 aired during 2011 spring)

Not longer aired

• Incantesimo (last two season, previously aired on Rai 2, from season one to season eight)
• Capri
• Orgoglio
• Provaci Ancora Prof (2005-2008)
• Gente di mare (2005-2007)
• Un Caso di Coscienza (2005-2010, season one aired on Rai 2 during 2003-2004 season)

Foreign series

• McLeod's Daughters (summer time)
• Commander in Chief (summer time)
• Kommissar Rex (reruns)

Children programmes

• Zecchino d'Oro
• Blue's Clues

Sports

Traditionally, Rai 1 broadcasts only two sports, but they are the first and second most followed sports in Italy: football and Formula 1. Rai Uno usually broadcasts all the Italian national football team's matches, as well as the matches from important football competitions such as the World Cup and the European Championship. Starting from 2006, it has bought the rights to UEFA Champions League.

Rai 1 has always broadcast Formula 1 races (excluding the first half of the 90s, when the rights were bought by the Mediaset group) with high shares. Its current rights expire in 2012.

Early programmes

Until the autumn 1976/77 season, regular broadcasting was in monochrome (black and white), with very few exceptions (shown in bold). Regular colour broadcasting began during the winter 1976/77 season).

• Un due tre... aka 1, 2, 3, satire/variety show starring Raimondo Vianello e Ugo Tognazzi. Considered one of the most influential shows in Italian television history, it was discontinued in 1959 after the duo performed an ironic sketch about then-president of the Republic, Giovanni Gronchi^[7] (six seasons, from 19 January 1954 to 2 August 1959).
• Lascia o raddoppia, one hour long game show hosted by Mike Bongiorno (1955–59, on Thursday, at 9:00 PM, except for the first season shown on Saturday night).
• Primo applauso, early talent show hosted by Enzo Tortora and Silvana Pampanini. The clap-o-meter was introduced to Italian television during this programme. Magician Silvan  and singer Adriano Celentano debuted in Primo Applauso (from 29 April 1956 until December of the same year, Sunday night, 9:00 PM).
• Telematch, variety/game show hosted by Enzo Tortora and Silvio Noto (from 6 January 1957 to July 1958, Sunday night at 9:15 PM).
• La macchina per vivere, health care/educational program about the human body (two seasons, from 31 January 1957, Thursday night at 10:45 PM).
• Il Musichiere, one hour long Italian version of Name That Tune, hosted by Mario Riva until his death (1957–60, on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM).
• Campanile Sera, one hour long game show, hosted by Enzo Tortora, Mike Bongiorno and Enza Sampò (1959–61, on Thursday at 9:00 PM). One of the various games on the show, "il gioco dei prezzi", was an early Italian incarnation of The Price Is Right franchise.
• Studio Uno, Saturday night variety show, hosted mainly by Mina (1961–66, 9:00 PM).
• L'amico del giaguaro, Saturday night comedy/variety show, hosted by Corrado and starring Gino Bramieri, Marisa del Frate and Raffaele Pisu. Broadcast during 1961, 1962 and 1964 summer seasons, at 9:00 PM.
• Giocagiò, daytime half-hour long Italian version of the BBC children show Play School (1966–70, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 5:00 PM)
• L'Odissea, eight one hour episodes of a screenplay of Homer's Odyssey, directed by Franco Rossi and starring Bekim Fehmiu as Odysseus and Irene Papas as Penelope. This Italian-German-French-Yugoslavian co-production was broadcast for the first time in Italy from 24 March 1968, on Sunday night, at 9:05 PM. In colour, but the program was shown in black and white in Italy the very first time it was aired.
• Eneide, seven one hour episodes of a screenplay of Virgil's Aeneid, directed by Franco Rossi and starring Giulio Brogi (Aeneas) and Olga Karlatos (Dido). This Italian-German-French co-production was broadcast for the first time in Italy from 19 December 1971, on Sundays, at 9:00 PM and in Germany from 5 November 1972. In colour.
• Dov'è Anna, drama/giallo miniseries in seven episodes, starring Scilla Gabel and Mariano Rigillo, broadcast on Tuesday, from 13 January 1976, at 8:45 PM.^[8]
• Albert e l'Uomo Nero (the title, roughly translated, means Albert and the Bogeyman), drama/giallo miniseries in three episodes, starring Nando Gazzolo, Franco Graziosi and then kid Claudio Cinquepalmi in the title role of Albert. Avant-garde soundtrack by Franco Micalizzi. It was perhaps the last successful Italian black and white drama series, aired on March 21 (Sunday), March 23 (Tuesday) and March 28 (Sunday) nights at 8:45 PM.^[9]
• Bontà loro, one hour long late night talk show hosted by Maurizio Costanzo, considered by some critics to be the first modern talk show in Italian television (two seasons, from 18 October 1976, Monday night, 10:45 PM).
• Non Stop, one hour long comedy consisting of a collage of sketches performed by young and (then) unknown comedians - among these future theatrical actor and director Carlo Verdone and actors Massimo Troisi and Lello Arena. Broadcast for two seasons (1977-8 and 1978-9), on Thursday night, at 8:40 PM.

Logos

References

External links

• Official Website (Italian)