Viva Rai2: the Fiorello phenomenon reminds us that traditional TV is not (yet) dead

For many the idea that Fiorello conquer the very delicate morning slot – the one that goes from 7 to 8 – with the same ease with which he defeated the prime time, pulverizing the competition thanks to his monumental varieties, it seemed impossible. For us, that we have always believed that Fiorello was the Midas King of television, a little less, since Long live Rai2, the program that was originally supposed to be broadcast on Rai1 only to then fall back on the second network due to a very forgettable battle by some Tg1 journalists to continue covering that slot, keep breaking all the records gathering a daily audience of about 12 points higher than that recorded before the arrival of Rosario at that time. The merit, ça va sans dire, is naturally his: of the only real showman we have in Italy, of one of the very few capable of building a program ignoring the hunchback and basing everything on improvisation as well as on a crowd of guests that no one could afford except him – when Fiorello calls you, after all, you can only set the alarm clock at 6 and go on the air with sleep-rubbed eyes but full of gratitude -.

The strength of Long live Rai2on the other hand, it’s always and only him: Fiorello. Natural glue for interludes, interviews and press reviews with a slightly vintage flavor – the fact that the pages of the websites are printed on paper is a little endearing – which can’t help but elicit a smile by acting as natural caffeine from all those who have need to face the day with a pinch of good humor. Fiorello performs this miracle every day as if it were the most natural thing in the world, perhaps also because of the band – the morning one – which allows him to be free because he does not suffer any kind of pressure and can basically do what he wants just as in the days of Long live RaiPlay. Fiorello, if we think about it, in all these years he has appeared on television only in Sanremo because he was afraid to go back to prime time and get on that self-destructive carousel called Auditel, that parameter taken very seriously by managers, but also by many spectators or presumed television analysts who think that half a point more or less is enough to define a program on which hundreds of professionals work on which is doomed or miraculously cured.

Naturally, Fiorello didn’t run that risk even for a second, and it’s wonderful to see him at full strength joking with his friend Ciuri – aka Amadeus – who, since it’s him, even gives him the name of one of the next co- conductors of Sanremo – Francesca Fagnani -, but also ask to Alessandro Cattelan when will he decide to tread the Ariston and demonstrate his skills. We know, we’ve been reading in the newspapers for forty years that television is dead, it’s just that, if we think about it, television continues to be with us: it’s simply changed. It’s true, ratings aren’t what they used to be because the offer is now endless and many viewers of programs and dramas get them on demand when they want, but we can’t stand up and announce with an invigorating voice that TV is now a recruit who fell in battle. Fiorello’s success tells us that Italians turn on television when there’s something worth seeing – even at 7 in the morning – and this can only reassure us with the hope of seeing an increasingly rich schedule in the future of contents that are worth the price of the license fee.

Rai, Tg1 and the absurd slap in the face of Fiorello

Would Fiorello (really) want to go back on TV?

Beppe and Rosario Fiorello in memory of their father: “The good that we wanted”

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