Il giovane Montalbano

The spin-off of the Montalbano series is even better than the original! Absolutely recommended.

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 main thing I liked very much about this new series,-and I hope it is continued because it really is very well imagined-.is that Montalbano's character development is very subtly installed into the Montelbano palette. These nuances and shading, whether it be his egocentricity, his considered insights and his ability to gain respect, are there to be shared without shouting the fact. The development of his relationship with his father ,for example,is particularly touching. The other characterizations,do leave one wondering about changes in physical attributes to come in the M. senior series, but on the whole ,it's extremely well done. Cannot wait for more! let's say another five series would be fine

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.

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...