1990 in Italian television

This is a list of Italian television related events from 1990.

Events

 * 21 March - Italy wins the 35th Eurovision Song Contest in Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia. The winning song is "Insieme: 1992", performed by Toto Cutugno.

Serials

 * Pronto soccorso (Emergency department) – medical drama, with Ferruccio and Claudio Amendola, directed by Francesco Massaro; 2 seasons.

Variety

 * Stasera mi butto (Tonight I have a go) – talent show of impressionists (later extended to other categories), directed by Pier Francesco Pingitore ; 4 seasons (the first is hosted by Gigi Sabani, the most famous Italian impressionist of the time). The show reveals comic actors as Giorgio Panariello, Neri Marcorè and Max Giusti.

Variety

 * Mai dire gol (Never say goal) – by Gialappa’s band; 11 seasons. The show reuses the footage of other sport programs, with the trio’s voiceover mocking pitilessly football players, coaches and journalists; later, it becomes a real variety, with the sketches of comic actors as Teo Teocoli and Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo and the presence of showgirls as Elen Hidding and Simona Ventura.

International

 * 25 September - 🇯🇵/🇳🇱 Alfred J. Kwak (Italia 1) (1989-1990)
 * 🇫🇷/🇨🇦 Babar (Rai 2) (1989-1991)

Drama

 * I ragazzi di via Panisperna (Via Panisperna boys) – by Gianni Amelio, with Andrea Prodan (Ettore Majorana), Ennio Fantstichini (Enrico Fermi) and Laura Morante; in 2 parts; distributed also in a theatrical version.

Miniseries

 * I promessi sposi (The betrothed) – parody of the Manzoni’s novel, with the trio Marchesini-Solenghi-Lopez (also directors); the three actors play all the characters, save some cameos by TV stars; in 5 episodes. The classic novel is the pretext for a crazy satire of any conceivable TV and film genre. The show gets more public and critic success than the serious version, broadcast few months before.
 * A violent life – by Giacomo Battiato, from the Benvenuto Cellini’s autobiography, with Wadeck Stanczak (Cellini), Max von Sydow (Pope Clemens VII) and Ben Kingsley; 3 episodes. Distributed also in a theatrical version.
 * A season of giants – by Jerry London, biopic about the youth of Michelangelo Buonarroti (played by Mark Frankel), with F. Murray Abraham (Pope Julius II) and Ornella Muti; 3 episodes.
 * La piovra 5 – Il cuore del problema (The hearth of the matter) – by Luigi Perelli, with Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Patricia Millardet and Remo Girone; 5 episodes. After the killing of the superintendent Cattani, a female judge and a retired policeman carry on his fight against the Sicilian mafia.

Serials

 * Il giudice istruttore (The examining magistrate) – by Florestano Vancini, with Erland Josephson, Vittorio Gassman and Luca Zingaretti; inspired by the life of Ferdinando Imposimato.

Variety

 * Il caso Sanremo (The Sanremo case) – history of the Sanremo festival in form of a parodic trial, with Renzo Arbore, Lino Banfi and several singers as guest stars.

News and educational

 * La mia guerra (My war) – by Paolo Cazzara, with Enza Sampò and Leo Benvenuti; reportage in 7 episodes about the Second World War in Italy as lived by the civilians, with several eyewitness accounts.
 * La macchina meravigliosa (The wondeful machine) – documentary series by Piero Angela about the human body; the journalist moves among the various organs, reconstructed by computer with cutting-edge techniques.

For children

 * L’albero azzurro (The blue tree) – show of educative entertainment for the littlest ones, with the puppet-bird Dodò as protagonist, realized with the contribution of renowned authors and educationalists (Bianca Pitzorno, Bruno Munari, Nico Orengo); again on air.

Serials

 * Cri Cri – sequel of Arriva Cristina, with Cristina D’Avena; 2 seasons.