Una pallottola nel cuore

If you are look for a tight crime drama, look elsewhere. The dénouement of each episode consists of the villain, no matter how crafty or hardened, confessing under the mildest of pressure. You will soon learn to dread this part of the show.

With that out of the way, these stories are wonderful. The acting of the ensemble is first-rate, led by the protagonist, Gigi Proietti (in the role of Bruno Palmieri). The interplay of the main characters is graceful, the storylines very funny and human. Yes, there's a bit of predictability to the gags, but to see light comedy played so deftly is a treat. It's like watching the cast of the old Rumpole series (though without Mortimer's darker undertones. There are no agonizingly painful marriages of the Horace/Hilda type here.)

This is comfort food, but beautifully created well served up. You want to spend your time with these people and feel the better for having done so. Proietti is insanely talented. He makes light comedy seem effortless, which is far from the case.