The TV Series Medici: Showcasing Brand-Italy through an International Co-Production

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring the tension between the global and local dimensions of Italian television products that circulate abroad through the analysis of a selection of production practices used in the Anglo-Italian tv series Medici (2016-2019). Grounding my work in a mixed methods approach which combines in-depth interviews conducted with key above-the-line professionals involved in the creative process of the series (producers, screenwriters, costume designers, cast directors, etc.) and an analysis of online official and grassroots discourses, this paper aims at investigating the strategies adopted by above-the-line creators in balancing the global and local dimensions of this series to appeal to both Italian and international audiences. Among these productive choices I will discuss casting strategies, the use of a crime plot to build the narrative, and the branding of Italy as the cradle of the Renaissances. My findings reveal that Medici showcases brand-Italy through a multiplicity of productive aspects from organizational practices to specific textual narrative choices, which allowed the series to have access to the global market.