Don Matteo is an Italian mystery comedy television series that has been airing on Rai 1 since 2000.

History

The protagonist of the series is Father Matteo (portrayed by Terence Hill), a Catholic priest in a parish of the town of Gubbio, Perugia. He is also known for his unrivaled talent in investigating local crime stories. Father Matteo is a wise and respected person who really manages to understand people's problems, and always appears to be willing to help. Thanks to his charm and positivity, he often helps criminals on their way to redemption and he always convinces them to confess their crimes and to accept their responsibilities. Comedian Nino Frassica portrays Marshal Antonio Cecchini, a middle-aged Carabiniere who also happens to be Matteo's best friend. Cecchini is one of the main co-protagonists and often provides humour and comic relief in the series. Other notable cast members include Flavio Insinna, who portrayed Captain Flavio Anceschi from 2000 to 2006, Milena Miconi, who played Laura, the mayor of Gubbio as well as Anceschi's love interest and Simone Montedoro who has been playing the role of Captain Giulio Tommasi, successor to Anceschi, since the sixth season. From season 8, Don Matteo is filmed in HDTV 1080i. The series has also a Polish version titled Ojciec Mateusz produced by TVP and a Russian version titled Otec Matvej (tr.: Отец Матвей).

Syndication

The series is syndicated in the United States by MHz Networks.

Synopsis

The plot primarily revolves around the titular Matteo, a Catholic priest with an impressive insight in human nature, aiding the Carabinieri, the national as opposed to local police force personnel in solving crimes (usually murder cases). In this he usually finds support in marshal Antonio Cecchini, a warrant officer who often shares with him important details and clues, but also hostility, in the figure of Cecchini's direct superiors, captain Flavio Anceschi and later captains Giulio Tommasi and Anna Olivieri, who have little tolerance for the priest's continuous interference with the investigations despite the deep esteem they have for him.

Cast and characters

Episodes

Reception

The series received two awards at the 42nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival in 2002: Terence Hill won the award for Best Actor and Alessandro Jacchia won the award for Best Producer.