WINE, WOMEN AND CRIME. 'INSPECTOR MONTALBANO' RETURNS...

Back within Italy's atmospheric streets, Luca Zingaretti returns as INSPECTOR MONTALBANO. Image: RAI TELEVISION

Vigáta’s finest detective, the sharp suited and amiable Inspector Montalbano, continues his new to the UK run of sophisticated and filmily glossy adventures on the BBC 4 channel every Saturday evening, yet again a critical and audience success, and a welcome tonic to the gloom of summer nights starting to draw in to the subtlety’s of Autumn.

Continuing its adaptations based on the book series created by Andrea Camilleri, this new season has so far shown a lot more drama and a bit of action for our hero, nicely played by Luca Zingaretti, who brings vulnerability and likeable warmth to the part-and a very real human quality- alongside his skills as a top TV ‘tec. The cases remain as luxurious and occasionally complex as before, charmingly mixing light humour and drama, of which the shows incidental music atmospherically highlights its contrasting natures. The cast of characters also remains interesting and diverse (and let’s not forget the way in which, each episode, there’s always the obligatory and desirable beautiful femme fatale managing to cross paths with Montalbano (who still, amazingly, manages to stay faithful to his often frustrated partner, Livia (the equally lovely Katharina Bohm)!). An individual beauty in it’s own right is the shows picturesque settings: it’s rolling hills and countryside, alongside the stunning and lavish architecture of ancient and modern Sicily. (Oh, how our beloved Inspector Morse would have loved it there!) It’s all so sumptuous you immediately want to go online and book a holiday there!

Salvo Montalbano is once more backed up with his reliable team of policeman, including sometimes rival, and friend, the always women troubled Mimi (Cesare Bocci), and the bumbling but likable street cop Catarella (Angelo Russo) who, despite his tense, sometimes hyper, and seemingly bewildered emotional states that often provide pure comedy gold, has been proving his worth to his colleagues and superiors.

Titled Turning Point, the first new episode saw our hero as a bit of a tormented soul, ready to quit his job in disgust at the corruption of his superior officers, but soon realizing just how much he needs the job, and vice versa, when he busts an horrific Tunisian child slavery ring. Having kept a relatively low profile in Season One, the second story, Equal Time, saw the Sicilian Mafia come to the fore for a tense run-in for Montalbano, and the possibility of gang war rivalries flaring up. As this well-made and enjoyable run continues, we’re looking forward to future episodes even more…

Fun Season One clip compilation: Inspector Montalbano, the best cop drama on British TV! - YouTube

Season One of INSPECTOR MONTALBANO is available on UK DVD: Inspector Montalbano: Series One (5 Disc DVD): Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO 'INSPECTOR MONTALBANO'

A new style of crime-fighting: Luca Zingaretti is INSPECTOR MONTALBANO. Image: RAI TELEVISION.

They've conquered the world with icons like Sophia Loren, The Mafia, Pizza and Ice Cream, and now Italy goes one step further, as it's RAI television company gives us the continuing adventures of their top small-screen TV detective Inspector Salvo Montalbano, the often grumpy but lovable rogue- also an astute and adaptive cop- as played by actor Luca Zingaretti, from the imaginative and delightful book series created by Andrea Camilleri. A full ten episode run of the series, mixing drama and light comedy, has finally been purchased by the acclaimed UK BBC 4 channel, screening weekly from tonight (and critically helping to fill in the popular strand left vacant by another popular European series, BORGEN, which ended its triumphant first season run last week).

It's presence will also help viewers annoyed by the recent axing of another Italy based detective series, the successful ZEN, which previously starred Rufus Sewell, made by BBC 1. INSPECTOR MONTALBANO will surely be a welcome tonic that truly captures the flavour of Italian life and crime, mixing romance with bloodshed, humour with occasional grim revelations, against a sunny and beautifully picturesque backdrop of old and new world within the fictional city of Vagata, filmed in Sicily, as only its originators know how. The previous two feature length episodes of the series ("Excursion to Tindari" and "Montalbano's Croquettes") re-shown last year on BBC 4 had been very enjoyable with viewers, and KOOL TV looks forward to seeing what escapades befall our hero and his memorable team of detectives come casanovas, over the next few months- a warm and hopefully inventive set of ingredients to fight against the cold, dark nights of Winter.

INSPECTOR MONTALBANO is also available on Region 4 DVD release.