Scripted

Banijay today confirms La Sposa (The Bride), a new six-part series from Endemol Shine Italy, co-produced with Rai Fiction. Set in the late 1960s, it stars Serena Rossi (Ammore e Malavita, Io sono Mia, Mina Settembre) and will air on Rai1 in 2022. The series is directed by Giacomo Campiotti (Bianca come il latte, rossa come il sangue, Braccialetti Rossi, Chiara Lubich - L'amore vince tutto) and has been created by Valia Santella (Mia madre, Napoli velata, Il Traditore).

The Bride is a touching tale of redemption and liberation, centring around Maria, a young woman who marries Italo by proxy, a widespread practice in Italy, in the late 1960’s, where young women from the South married landowners in the North. Maria adjusts to a controversial rural life as a stepmother with the disdain of a husband who is still traumatised by his first wife’s disappearance. Despite the adversity, her unwavering resilience and positivity see bonds begin to form, until the appearance of her ex-boyfriend threatens to change everything. 

These personal stories are set amidst significant social change such as a rise in worker’s demands for rights and Italy’s industrialisation throughout the 1960s. Although set in the past, the series speaks to the present and addresses very topical issues, including women’s rights, their emancipation and gender equality.

Leonardo Pasquinelli, CEO of Endemol Shine Italy comments: “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 which perfectly capture the complexity of the era.” 

Maria Pia Ammirati, Head of Drama, Rai comments: “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 adds: “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 recognise themselves, a courageous and strong female figure, who fights for her rights and never gives up.”

Banijay is home to over 50 scripted labels, led globally by Lars Blomgren, producing premium, award-winning content for the local and international market. Recent and upcoming credits include SAS: Rogue Heroes (Kudos),  Marie Antoinette (Banijay Studios France), Ripley (Endemol Shine North America),  Then They Run (Kudos/ MadeFor), Countrymen (Rubicon), Ronja (Filmlance), Call My Agent: Bollywood (Banijay Asia),  Heirs to the Land (Diagonal),  Bonnie & Clyde (Banijay Benelux) and Queens (Endemol Shine Israel).