Topping the chart is Il Conte di Montecristo, which exceeds 5.3 million viewers with a 28.8% share, positioning itself as the television event of the year. Its success underlines the continued effectiveness of heritage drama: classic literature, high production values, and a compact event format remain a powerful formula for reaching a broad, cross-demographic audience. A similar strategy underpins Sandokan, another event-driven project that confirms how historic IP, when reimagined through a contemporary lens, can still deliver strong mainstream appeal.
Alongside major adaptations, 2025 also highlights the exceptional resilience of Rai’s established series franchises. Titles such as Mina Settembre, Imma Tataranni, Un Passo dal Cielo, Che Dio Ci Aiuti and Blanca consistently occupy top positions, with audiences ranging between 3.7 and 4.5 million viewers and shares steadily above 20%. This is a strategically significant signal: viewers continue to reward familiar characters and long-term storytelling, while Rai 1 further strengthens one of the most robust domestic IP libraries in Europe. Within this context, Un Professore, although outside the Top 10, posts 3.4 million viewers (20.4% share), confirming its particular appeal among younger demographics.
At the same time, the growing relevance of short-form series is increasingly evident. Miniseries, limited series, and TV movies, from Leopardi – Il Poeta dell’Infinito to Champagne to Peppino di Capri, often achieve audiences above 3.5–4 million viewers, reinforcing the strategic role of concise storytelling both editorially and within scheduling strategies.
Although no crime title appears in the Top 10 this year, Italian crime drama remains one of the most resilient series ecosystems. From Il Commissario Ricciardi to Gerri, from Màkari to Rocco Schiavone (the only Rai 2 title in the overall ranking), and Blackout, the genre continues to deliver stable results beyond Rai 1. Increasingly, crime narratives evolve through hybrid forms, combining procedural elements with comedy or psychological depth, reflecting a narrative maturity now firmly established.
On the Mediaset side, Canale 5 places several titles in the rankings, with audiences generally ranging between 2 and 2.6 million viewers. Series such as Tutto Quello Che Ho (ranked #23, the highest Mediaset series title of 2025), Le Onde del Passato, Buongiorno, Mamma!, Maria Corleone, and Doppio Gioco demonstrate reasonable stability, while also confirming a structural gap compared to Rai’s prime-time fiction. At the same time, soaps and Turkish dramas, notably Tradimento and La Notte nel Cuore, continue to perform strongly in both daytime and selected prime-time slots, underlining the ongoing relevance of acquisitions within commercial scheduling strategies.
FULL RANKING – TITLE BY TITLE
On the Mediaset side, Canale 5 places several titles in the rankings, with audiences generally ranging between 2 and 2.6 million viewers. Series such as Tutto Quello Che Ho (ranked #23, the highest Mediaset series title of 2025), Le Onde del Passato, Buongiorno, Mamma!, Maria Corleone, and Doppio Gioco demonstrate reasonable stability, while also confirming a structural gap compared to Rai’s prime-time fiction. At the same time, soaps and Turkish dramas, notably Tradimento and La Notte nel Cuore, continue to perform strongly in both daytime and selected prime-time slots, underlining the ongoing relevance of acquisitions within commercial scheduling strategies.
FULL RANKING – TITLE BY TITLE
1. Il Conte di Montecristo
5,347,250 viewers – 28.8% share | Rai 1 | 4 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – Palomar | Starring: Sam Claflin
The top position is claimed by a true television event. Il Conte di Montecristo confirms that classic literature remains a strategic asset for mainstream drama, particularly when supported by high production values and a compact format. The near-29% share reflects broad, cross-demographic appeal, extending well beyond core serial audiences. The success further reinforces heritage drama as a cornerstone of Rai’s series strategy and confirms Palomar as one of Rai’s most reliable production partners.
Synopsis: Edmond Dantès, a young sailor betrayed by a conspiracy, is unjustly imprisoned. After years of captivity, he escapes, discovers a vast treasure, and reinvents himself as the Count of Monte Cristo to carry out a calculated and relentless revenge against those who wronged him.
2. Sandokan
4,644,250 viewers – 28.4% share | Rai 1 | 4 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Can Yaman | Based on the novels by Emilio Salgari
2. Sandokan
4,644,250 viewers – 28.4% share | Rai 1 | 4 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Can Yaman | Based on the novels by Emilio Salgari
Ranked second, Sandokan represents another event-driven title built on a deeply rooted cultural IP. The series confirms the effectiveness of Rai’s strategy of reviving iconic properties through contemporary production and storytelling approaches. Its share, close to that of the top-ranked title, highlights a strong audience appetite for epic, adventure-driven narratives supported by large-scale visual storytelling.
Synopsis: Set in 19th-century Southeast Asia, Sandokan, a Malay prince turned pirate, leads the fight against British colonial forces. Amid battles, alliances, and betrayals, he experiences an impossible love story and an ongoing struggle for freedom and identity.
3. Mina Settembre – Season 3
4,469,250 viewers – 24.98% share | Rai 1 | 12 episodes / 6 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – I.I.F. | Starring: Serena Rossi, Giuseppe Zeno | Based on the novels by Maurizio de Giovanni
3. Mina Settembre – Season 3
4,469,250 viewers – 24.98% share | Rai 1 | 12 episodes / 6 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – I.I.F. | Starring: Serena Rossi, Giuseppe Zeno | Based on the novels by Maurizio de Giovanni
Mina Settembre continues to rank among Rai’s strongest contemporary franchises. Season three not only retains its audience but shows notable growth in total viewers. Its success lies in blending drama, social issues, and emotional storytelling around a strong, relatable female lead—an example of long-running seriality that shows no signs of fatigue.
Synopsis: A social worker in Naples, Mina balances complex cases, human vulnerability, and a constantly evolving personal life. Each episode explores family dynamics, social hardship, and paths toward renewal.
4. Imma Tataranni – Season 4
4,252,000 viewers – 24.04% share | Rai 1 | 4 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – IBC Movie | Starring: Vanessa Scalera | Based on the novels by Mariolina Venezia
Season four confirms the strength of this author-driven detective drama. Vanessa Scalera’s Imma Tataranni remains one of the most distinctive characters in Italian television, combining investigation, irony, and introspection. Stable audience figures point to a long-established bond with viewers.
4. Imma Tataranni – Season 4
4,252,000 viewers – 24.04% share | Rai 1 | 4 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – IBC Movie | Starring: Vanessa Scalera | Based on the novels by Mariolina Venezia
Season four confirms the strength of this author-driven detective drama. Vanessa Scalera’s Imma Tataranni remains one of the most distinctive characters in Italian television, combining investigation, irony, and introspection. Stable audience figures point to a long-established bond with viewers.
Synopsis: Public prosecutor Imma Tataranni tackles complex legal cases in Matera while navigating profound changes in her private life, confronting emotional crises and personal dilemmas.
5. Champagne – Peppino di Capri
4,240,000 viewers – 25.1% share | Rai 1 | TV movie Production: Rai Fiction – O’Groove | Starring: Francesco Del Gaudio
Midway through the ranking sits the only TV movie in the Top 10. The biopic confirms the general audience’s strong interest in music-driven life stories, delivering a highly competitive result.
5. Champagne – Peppino di Capri
4,240,000 viewers – 25.1% share | Rai 1 | TV movie Production: Rai Fiction – O’Groove | Starring: Francesco Del Gaudio
Midway through the ranking sits the only TV movie in the Top 10. The biopic confirms the general audience’s strong interest in music-driven life stories, delivering a highly competitive result.
Synopsis: Champagne – Peppino di Capri traces the life and career of Peppino di Capri, from his childhood in wartime Capri to his rise as a pioneer of modern Italian pop music, culminating in his landmark victory at the Sanremo Festival.
6. Un Passo dal Cielo – Season 8
4,119,700 viewers – 22.68% share | Rai 1 | 12 episodes / 6 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Giusy Buscemi
Now in its eighth season, Un Passo dal Cielo remains a cornerstone of Rai’s schedule. Its sustained performance demonstrates how long-running series can retain strong appeal through a balanced mix of crime, landscape, and human drama, maintaining a clear family-oriented positioning.
6. Un Passo dal Cielo – Season 8
4,119,700 viewers – 22.68% share | Rai 1 | 12 episodes / 6 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Giusy Buscemi
Now in its eighth season, Un Passo dal Cielo remains a cornerstone of Rai’s schedule. Its sustained performance demonstrates how long-running series can retain strong appeal through a balanced mix of crime, landscape, and human drama, maintaining a clear family-oriented positioning.
Synopsis: Set in the Dolomites, criminal investigations intertwine with family stories, buried secrets, and inner conflicts, with the mountain landscape serving as both narrative space and symbolic backdrop.
7. Blanca – Season 3
3,923,000 viewers – 24% share | Rai 1 | 12 episodes / 6 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Maria Chiara Giannetta, Giuseppe Zeno | Based on the novels by Patrizia Rinaldi
Blanca further consolidates its position as a contemporary, inclusive crime series. The strong share relative to total viewers indicates solid competitiveness in its time slot. The series stands out as one of the most successful recent renewals of the Italian procedural format.
7. Blanca – Season 3
3,923,000 viewers – 24% share | Rai 1 | 12 episodes / 6 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Maria Chiara Giannetta, Giuseppe Zeno | Based on the novels by Patrizia Rinaldi
Blanca further consolidates its position as a contemporary, inclusive crime series. The strong share relative to total viewers indicates solid competitiveness in its time slot. The series stands out as one of the most successful recent renewals of the Italian procedural format.
Synopsis: Blanca, a blind police consultant, solves complex cases using her exceptional sensory abilities, while facing new emotional and relational challenges that test her independence.
8. Leopardi – Il Poeta dell’Infinito
3,881,500 viewers – 22.32% share | Rai 1 | 2 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – IBC Movie | Starring: Leonardo Maltese
This cultural biopic miniseries confirms the relevance of literary storytelling within Rai’s series strategy. The result is particularly notable for a highly authored, literary project, proving that mainstream audiences remain open to more demanding narratives when supported by strong editorial positioning.
8. Leopardi – Il Poeta dell’Infinito
3,881,500 viewers – 22.32% share | Rai 1 | 2 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – IBC Movie | Starring: Leonardo Maltese
This cultural biopic miniseries confirms the relevance of literary storytelling within Rai’s series strategy. The result is particularly notable for a highly authored, literary project, proving that mainstream audiences remain open to more demanding narratives when supported by strong editorial positioning.
Synopsis: The miniseries portrays the life of Giacomo Leopardi, from his childhood in Recanati to intellectual maturity, exploring family relationships, illness, love, and the emergence of one of Europe’s most profound poetic voices.
9. Costanza
3,827,500 viewers – 22.25% share | Rai 1 | 4 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – Banijay Studios Italy | Starring: Miriam Dalmazio
Costanza emerges as one of the most interesting surprises in the Top 10. Its compact structure and focused narrative attract an adult audience seeking relationship-driven drama and production quality, further strengthening Banijay Studios Italy’s presence within Rai’s prime-time fiction.
9. Costanza
3,827,500 viewers – 22.25% share | Rai 1 | 4 episodes Production: Rai Fiction – Banijay Studios Italy | Starring: Miriam Dalmazio
Costanza emerges as one of the most interesting surprises in the Top 10. Its compact structure and focused narrative attract an adult audience seeking relationship-driven drama and production quality, further strengthening Banijay Studios Italy’s presence within Rai’s prime-time fiction.
Synopsis: Costanza is forced to confront unresolved choices from her past when an old love reappears, reopening personal and family conflicts and pushing her to redefine her identity.
10. Che Dio Ci Aiuti – Season 8
3,739,500 viewers – 21.63% share | Rai 1 | 20 episodes / 10 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Francesca Chillemi
Closing the Top 10 is season eight of Che Dio Ci Aiuti, one of the longest-running and most resilient titles in Italian fiction. Despite a natural, gradual decline compared to earlier seasons, the series maintains high viewing levels and an exceptionally loyal fan base, continuing to play a key role in Rai 1’s long-term scheduling strategy.
10. Che Dio Ci Aiuti – Season 8
3,739,500 viewers – 21.63% share | Rai 1 | 20 episodes / 10 prime-time slots Production: Rai Fiction – Lux Vide | Starring: Francesca Chillemi
Closing the Top 10 is season eight of Che Dio Ci Aiuti, one of the longest-running and most resilient titles in Italian fiction. Despite a natural, gradual decline compared to earlier seasons, the series maintains high viewing levels and an exceptionally loyal fan base, continuing to play a key role in Rai 1’s long-term scheduling strategy.
Synopsis: Set within a family home, Sister Azzurra and the other protagonists face new stories of inclusion, personal hardship, and renewal, weaving together faith, solidarity, and everyday life.
