Der junge Montalbano

Being a fan of UK and Scandinavian police/crime series in the main, I try to widen my horizons and see what other countries tend to offer in the similar area. So I was somewhat referred to this series - and it captivated me from the beginning. Another so-called locality-based series, where the crime or its solution itself are not of the main importance, but the charisma of the characters-performers and local touch influence the viewers most. I did not have a joy of recognition as I have never visited Sicily, but the pleasant environment and landscape were a nice supporting cast. Later, when watching Il commissario Montalbano, the events and past depicted here provided a solid background understanding.

As this Series and particularly the leading character and performance were so pleasant, it took me some time later to get accustomed to Luca Zingaretti´s Montalbano. And I still find several characters more interesting here (e.g. Mimi or Catarella).

And now, well, I would really like to visit Sicily...

Excellent from start to finish. Hungover on the sofa one night and no remote in easy reach I found myself watching a subtitled Italian programme. Not usually a fan of such things but I was hooked straight away. I loved every second of it, the characters are compelling and the scenery is magical. The stories unfold like satin sheets and being a foodie I adore the culinary thread that is woven into the plot. (I have now made 'Aubergine Parmigiano' for the first time as a result.) I'd never heard of 'The young Montalbano' before or the original series 'Inspector Montalbano'. I've now bought the original series too and an Italian language course to help me understand and enjoy it to the fullest.

Love 'Inspector Montalbano' and feel that it does a great job bringing freshness to a well-worn genre (not intended as a bad thing, love crime/mystery drama but there's a lot out there with familiar tropes to each other).

Was not sure how its prequel series 'The Young Montalbano' would fare when hearing of it. It sounded interesting to see the great 'Inspector Montalbano' characters in their youth, but also questioned the necessity. With that being said, had mixed expectations before watching 'Endeavour', the prequel series to one of my favourites 'Inspector Morse' and it ended up nearly as great. The same goes for 'The Young Montalbano', it must have been no easy feat to live up to such a good show and have a younger actor for the title character filling in very big shoes but 'The Young Montalbano' manages it splendidly.

Some may question the physical resemblances of the younger cast to 'Inspector Montalbano's' cast for continuity's sake, Mimi is a notable example. To me though, my only complaint is the bland and annoying character of Mery which is a minor thing actually because she's only in a couple of episodes so not enough to bring down the show as an overall whole.

Very like 'Inspector Montalbano', 'The Young Montalbano' is beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning, making those who've never been to Italy want to book a holiday there as soon as possible and is a treat for anybody who loves all things Italian. The scenery as always is atmospheric and the use of it very clever, the locale as always is suitably colourful. The music is never over-bearing or low-key with a nice atmosphere and flavour, a lot of it is very cleverly used. The sound effects are remarkably authentic.

Oh, and something that was neglected to be mentioned by me in my reviews for the show and its individual episodes is how the food is enough to make one salivate over, it looks so delicious and almost too good to eat.

'The Young Montalbano' manages to stay true to what was so good about 'Inspector Montalbano' and is every bit as successful at creating a history that is both incredibly interesting and plausible. The humour is fun, the conflict is tense in a nail-biting way and the drama charms and affects. The characters as their younger selves, for what they lack in physical resemblance, more than make up for that in maintaining the same personalities we know and love the characters for and being just as interesting in development. Even the supporting characters are given a lot of attention.

A great job is done with the storytelling. They are just as well-paced, absorbing, intelligently written and brain-teasing as those of 'Inspector Montalbano', while keeping logic intact and not confusing or alienating the viewer. Generally the denouements feel cooked all the way through and very little is improbable. Also love the humanity that 'The Young Montalbano' has, how things that could easily been mundane actually came over as somewhat poetic and liked how the relationship between Montalbano and Livia was written, very charming and sweet.

The acting is very good, Michele Riondino had a Herculean task filling the shoes of the incomparable Luca Zingaretti but is more than up to the task and does it more than admirably, balancing comedy, drama and intensity with ease. The characters of Mimi and Catatella (the latter having some hilarious moments) are also very well filled.

In conclusion, wonderful, affectionate prequel series that does 'Inspector Montalbano' justice and does more than enough to stand on its own. Should have lasted longer and would have no complaints whatsoever if it was renewed. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This series unfolds how Montalbano starts as an inspector.

The settings are sumptuous, the acting is great and the plot lines do not leave you scratching your head at the end. But each story builds real tension. What is most appealing is the humanity of the show. Placing the action in Sicily creates many dramatic possibilities and provides a wonderful backdrop to the stories, full of craggy fishermen, giant butchers, mafiosi, corrupt politicians and amusing colleagues.

I am amazed this only gets a 6 point something score on IMDb - which shows the limitations of that sort of scoring. In terms of pure entertainment value it is, for me, one of the best TV shows currently available. One of the sub plots is the relationship Montalbano has with Livia, his beautiful architect girlfriend. How the relationship starts is presented in an entirely believable way.

Great TV series not to be missed if you do not mind subtitles and meditations on excellent Italian cooking!

The basic plot line of this version naturally follows the original. If you liked the original you will like this as well if not better. Riondino does a great job in that you can appreciate him both as a detective but also as a person. One can feel is ups and downs yet appreciate his ability to do his job well. He's really believable. Like the original the comic relief grows on you as the characters become more familiar and it seems there are more humorous situations/discussions with those being interviewed. Yet, for me, it did not interfere with the policing aspect of the show. The criminal plot of this show seems a bit more sophisticated in that the crimes have a bit more depth and are cleverly done. This Livia is also very good. She's attractive, lovable, very patient, but you can watch her character evolve in a way that makes the other Livia from the original more understandable. If you like detective series in general, this has a good mix of serious/light. If you're Italian, even better. You almost feel as though you have known these people at some point. It is really regrettable that Mhz doesn't bring ALL the seasons of their shows on board and it's not just the Italian stuff. They really need to do better.