Format

This month launched a few new unscripted formats in prime time slot: on Friday, May 12 TV8 launched in prime time slot the cooking competition Celebrity Chef (Banijay Italia). Hosted by Alessandro Borghese, the show debuted with two back-to-back episodes, gathering respectively 376k viewers and 2% share, and 274k viewers and 2% share. On Sunday, May 21 TV8 broadcast GialappaShow (Banijay Italia), the new comedy show featuring the Gialappa’s Band and many other guests, which gained 907k viewers and a 5.1% share. On Tuesday, May 23 TV8 launched another new program: Victoria Cabello – Viaggi Pazzeschi (Banijay Italia), a travel show in which Victoria Cabello and her friend Paride Vitale try unique and fun experiences abroad with some Italian expats. The show reached 408k viewers and a 2.4% share. Lastly, on Friday, May 26 Rai 1 aired the first episode of Tutti i Sogni Ancora in Volo (RAI, Ballandi), a new variety show hosted by Italian singer Massimo Ranieri to honour old-school Italian variety shows of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The first episode of the show achieved 3.2mln viewers and a 21.1% share, with a second episode coming on June 2.

To mention some debuts in daytime: Real Time launched the Italian adaptation of French format Flat Hunters (M6), locally titled Casa a Prima Vista (tr: Home at First Sight – Blu Yazmine). The real estate competition reached 181k viewers and a 1% of share. On Monday, May 15 at 7:30 p.m. NOVE aired season 4 of entertainment show Cash or Trash (Blu Yazmine), which debuted with 455k viewers and a 2.8% share.

About televised international events, on Monday, May 1 Rai 3 broadcast the First of May Concert (RAI), the annual music event organised by Italian trade unions CGIL, CISL and UIL to mark International Workers' Day – the concert achieved 1.8mln viewers with a 11.3% audience share. On the second week of the month, RAI hosted renowned international music competition Eurovision Song Contest 2023 (Banijay Italia). The two semi-finals were broadcast live on Rai 2 on May 9, reaching 1.8mln viewers and a 8.6% share, and on May 11, achieving 1.7mln viewers and a 8.3 % audience share; the show’s final aired on May 13 on the flagship channel, Rai 1, where it gathered 4.9mln viewers and a 34% share. On Wednesday, May 10 Rai 1 broadcast this year’s edition of award ceremony David di Donatello (RAI), hosted by TV host Carlo Conti and actress Matilde Gioli. The event, airing live from Rome, reached 1.7mln viewers and a 10% share. On Saturday, May 20 TV8 broadcast the Italian music event Radio Italia Live – The Concert, hosted by Italian comedy duo Luca Bizzarri and Paolo Kessisoglu, along with Manola Moslehi: the live event from Piazza del Duomo in Milan achieved 541k viewers and a 3.2% share. On Tuesday, May 23 Canale 5 broadcast the special music event Al Bano 4 Volte 20 (RTI, Arcobaleno Tre) to celebrate the Italian singer’s 80th birthday, singing his greatest songs and featuring many singers who made the history of Italian music. The special concert achieved 3.1mln viewers and a 20.8% share in its timeslot. Then, on Tuesday, May 30 Rai 1 hosted the annual charity music event Con il Cuore – Nel Nome di Francesco (RAI). The event, hosted by Carlo Conti in Assisi and dedicated to the areas affected by the floodings in Emilia Romagna, gathered 2.9mln viewers and a 17.7% audience share.

As TV specials, on Wednesday, May 3 Rai 1 aired Ulisse – il piacere della scoperta: La Corona dei Windsor (RAI), a documentary special on the British royal family hosted, as usual, by Alberto Angela. The documentary, broadcast a few days before the coronation of King Charles III, achieved 1.9mln total viewers with a 10.9% share. On Saturdays, May 20 and 27 Rai 1 aired I Migliori Anni Dell’Estate (Endemol Shine Italy), a variety show special hosted by Carlo Conti which is also a journey down memory lane through the songs that accompanied Italians’ holidays throughout the decades. The first episode gathered 3.9mln viewers and a 24.4% share, while the second episode reached 2.9mln viewers and a 19.7% audience share. On Sunday, May 21 NOVE aired Don’t Forget the Lyrics – Serata Speciale (Banijay Italia). The music game show special reached 593k viewers and an audience share of 3.3%. Lastly, on Thursday, May 25 Rai 1 aired Speciale Ulisse – Piero Angela, Un Viaggio Lungo una Vita (RAI), a documentary special about the life and achievements of one of Italy’s greatest TV pioneers hosted by his son, Alberto Angela, and also featuring a message from the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. This special reached 2.4mln viewers and a 16.6% audience share.