Inspector Montalbano 

Detective Montalbano solves crimes in Sicily.

Stars:

Luca Zingaretti, Peppino Mazzotta, Angelo Russo

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Luca Zingaretti	...	Commissario Salvo Montalbano 34 episodes, 1999-2019
Peppino Mazzotta	...	Ispettore Giuseppe Fazio / ... 34 episodes, 1999-2019
Angelo Russo	...	Agente Catarella / ... 34 episodes, 1999-2019
Cesare Bocci	...	Mimì Augello / ... 33 episodes, 1999-2019
Davide Lo Verde	...	Agente Galluzzo 28 episodes, 1999-2018
Roberto Nobile	...	Nicolò Zito / ... 28 episodes, 1999-2018
Marcello Perracchio	...	Dottor Pasquano 28 episodes, 1999-2017
Giovanni Guardiano	...	Jacomuzzi 14 episodes, 1999-2019
Luigi Caruso	...	Caruso 14 episodes, 2005-2018

Storyline

Murder, betrayal, office politics, temptation... it's all in a day's work for Detective Salvo Montalbano. Filmed in the ancient, sun-washed Sicilian city of Ragusa Ibla, the series is based on the international best-selling mystery novels by Andrea Camilleri and stars Luca Zingaretti.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Official Sites:

MHz Networks [United States]

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

6 May 1999 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Detective Montalbano

Filming Locations:

Punta Secca, Santa Croce Camerina, Ragusa, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palomar, Rai Fiction

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although he is a fan of the show, Montalbano creator Andrea Camilleri has openly stated that Luca Zingaretti's characterization differs somewhat from how he had originally envisioned the character. Camilleri poked fun at this in one of the books, where it's acknowledged that the TV series exists in the Montalbano universe. Specifically, Montalbano himself states that, unlike Zingaretti (who's also 11 years younger), he has a full head of hair.

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Connections

Referenced in Making Montalbano: Behind the Scenes with Sicily's Favorite Detective (2013)

User Reviews

Good Plots, Beautifully Shot

I really like this series of DVDs. I have read all of the novels by Andrea Camilerri and I think they have done a good job of capturing the "spirit" of Montalbano: he appreciates good food, beautiful women and chasing bad guys...not necessarily in that order as his long suffering girlfriend Livia finds out when he investigates a case while telling her they are on holiday.

Not speaking Italian, I have to read the subtitles, and they have done a very good job since I don't read particularly fast and I still don't have to resort to the pause button on the DVD player all that much.

The thing that I appreciate the most is the scenery of Sicily. Camilerri's books can't give you a true sense of how beautiful it "seems". I say "seems" because I find the portrayal of daily Sicilian life a little strange: there are hardly ANY people milling about in the background of most of the exterior shots. There isn't any real car traffic either. I don't know anything about Italian cinema so I can't say how common this might be. Perhaps there are union rules which make actor "extras" too expensive. I suspect it might be an artistic choice though. It certainly makes you want to visit this imaginary Sicily though: beautiful beaches and historic ruins completely devoid of tourists in T shirts and flip flops. Also, while Camilerri's books do indicate that Montalbano's house overlooks the beach...you don't really get a sense of how unrealistic that might be until you see it on the DVD: they must pay police detectives 20 times what they pay them in real life for him to afford his "house". After you see the house, you expect his car to be a Ferrari, but, strangely, it seems pretty ordinary.

To sum up, even if you aren't a huge fan of mystery or police procedurals, you can enjoy these DVDs simply for the stunning scenery: it might be better than actually going there and coming up against the realities of modern life.