Adrian (TV series) explained
Adrian (formerly known as Adrian - La serie evento and briefly as Adriano) is a 2019 Italian animated series created and written by singer Adriano Celentano.
Vincenzo Cerami oversaw the screenplay, comic artist Milo Manara developed the character design[2] and Nicola Piovani wrote the original soundtrack. Along with Celentano, students of Holden School of Alessandro Baricco took part to the series.
It has been produced by Claudia Mori for Clan Celentano and its production lasted more than 10 years:[3] announced in 2009 and initially destined for Sky, Adrian had been delayed several times due to contrasts between Clan Celentano and the production companies chosen for the realization of the cartoon, forcing Sky to reject the contract with Clan in 2012 because of the continuous delays. The project was then taken by Mediaset in 2015. The budget was about €28 million,[4] and the cartoon was completed for Canale 5 in January 2019.[5] [6] [7] Animations were made by thousands of animators in three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe) and they included more than 10,000 scenes.
26 episodes lasting about 22 minutes had been produced but then they had been edited in 9 episodes lasting about 55–70 minutes each, to be broadcast on prime time.[8] Each episode had to be preceded by Aspettando Adrian, a live show from Teatro Camploy in Verona, with the presence of Celentano himself along with some famous Italian comedians. The broadcast of the first 4 episodes with that format occurred between 21 January and 4 February 2019; the series was then paused, officially because a sickness of Celentano[9] but some critics argued also that the interruption was provoked by a severe audience flop,[10] [11] and it has continued since 7 November 2019 with a different live show.
Plot
Set in a futuristic and dystopian Milan of 2068, the story tells the adventures of Adrian, a clockmaker of Gluck Street who has a love story with Gilda and fights for the freedom against the homologation imposed by an authoritarian regime. The future Italy is nominally governed by a democracy, but it is actually ruled by a few corrupted politicians and mainly by the mafia member Dranghestein. With the help of some disciples and under various fake identities, Adrian would lead a revolt against the regime.
Characters
- Adrian: he is a smart and calm clockmaker who loves Gilda. During the series, he would assume several secret identities, like the Fox ("La Volpe") and Darian. He is voiced by Adriano Celentano.
- Gilda: she is the beautiful, sensual and brave fiancé of Adrian with a mysterious past. She is voiced by Emanuela Rossi.
- Anidride and Carbonica: two old sisters who are called "girls" by Adrian. Carbonica, the one with a purple headband, forgets everything while Anidride, the one with a yellow headband, is almost deaf. Wise but absent-minded, they console Adrian during difficult moments. They are voiced by Giuliana Nanni and Grazia Migneco.
- Orso and Carbone: two qualified police officers. They are respectively voiced by Pasquale Anselmo e Massimo Lodolo.
- Alto commissario: the chief of security whose only goal is to neutralize dissidents. He is voiced by Roberto Pedicini.
- Dranghestein: also known as "Il Dissanguatore" ("The Bleeder"), he is the ruthless owner of Mafia International. In order to achieve his purposes, he destroys the environment and imposes an authoritarian regime. He is voiced by Claudio Moneta.
- Johnny Silver: a narcissistic and whimsical rock-star. Initially envious and hostile to the clockmaker, he later becomes his loyal ally. He is voiced by Ruggero Andreozzi (speech) and Giuliano Sangiorgi (songs).
- Armand Letal: presenter of a popular talk show. He is voiced by Alessandro Maria D'Errico.
- Capo del governo ("The premier"): head of the Consiglio degli Anziani ("Council of the Elders") who is afraid only of Dranghestein. He is voiced by Marco Balzarotti.
- Marco: a 14 years old computer genius and great fan of the clockmaker, he is idealist, stubborn and rebel. He is voiced by Andrea Oldani.
- Oscar: main correspondent of the newspaper Verità Quotidiane, ("Daily Truths"), he is the only journalist who is truly critical of the leadership. He is voiced by Patrizio Prata.
- Narrator: voiced by Augusto Di Bono.
Production
Development
Celentano had had an idea of an animated series since 2005, when an animated movie dedicated to him was announced for Christmas 2006. Initially, the project had involved also Vincenzo Cerami and Paolo Conte, but the production did not begin.[12]
The Adrian project officially began in 2009, when Clan Celentano and Sky Italia signed an agreement for the airing of the series in 2011, with a cycle of 26 episodes animated with CGI.[12] As advance payment, Clan Celentano made €7 million from the pay TV for half work, while the rest would be paid later for a total budget of €13 million.[13] [14] Famous comic artist Milo Manara was hired for the character design, Nicola Piovani for the original soundtrack and Vincenzo Cerami for the screenplay supervision: the project was also co-produced with Cometa Film of Enzo D'Alò.[15] In 2010, Clan Celentano entered into a lawsuit with Cometa Film and stopped the collaboration with D'Alò: a dead-line prorogation (from 2011 to 2012) was requested to Sky, justified "for the complexity and innovation of the project", and Sky accepted. Mondo TV was hired as new producer,[16] and animation was entrusted to the North Korean SEK Studio,[17] but in 2011 a communique declared that the company «has been forced, unfortunately, to declare the resolution of the contract for the executive production of the animated TV series signed with Clan Celentano». Another lawsuit occurred in February 2012 and Mondo TV requested to Clan a compensation of €2 million. The offshoring in North Korea did not also lead to immediate results.
In 2012, after continuous claims by Sky, Clan asked a further delay (from 2012 to 2014), or a division of the series with the first 13 episodes to be aired in 2013 and the other 13 at the beginning of 2014, but the pay TV reacted removing Adrian from the schedules and asking the resolution of the contract because Clan did not fulfil its duties although it received much of the agreed capital.[12] Sky declared:Then, Clan replied:
However, in 2012 Mediaset, after organizing the two prime time shows of Rock Economy, was interested to produce the animated series.[13] Only in summer 2015, after two years of rumours and legal problems, the network CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi announced the airing of Adrian on Canale 5 in spring 2016.[18] The news of a new unpublished album of Celentano with Mina delayed the broadcast of the project to February 2017 for 13 prime times,[19] but the show was not broadcast the same.
Only after two years, the definitive broadcast of Adrian was announced in July 2018 for January 2019 on Canale 5.[20] [21]
Artistic crew
The series is created, written and directed by Adriano Celentano,[22] who directed also the show preceding the cartoon and the editing.
Milo Manara created the character design, Nicola Piovani wrote the original soundtrack with the supervision of Celentano; students of Holden School of Alessandro Baricco took part to the screenwriting, while Vincenzo Cerami oversaw the scripts until his death in 2013.
Budget
According to Italian press, the budget used by Mediaset and Clan Celentano was €20-28 millions.[23] [24]
Pre-show
From the first to the fourth episode, the brief pre-show Aspettando Adrian (Waiting Adrian) was aired live from Teatro Camploy in Verona, starring Nino Frassica, Francesco Scali, Natalino Balasso and Giovanni Storti; Celentano was also present but only with his voice and fast appearances. From the fifth episode, aired on 7 November 2019, the show was renamed in Adrian Live - Questa è la storia... (Adrian Live - This is the story...) and partially rewritten, presented directly by Celentano along with various guests.
Soundtrack
On 25 January 2019, the soundtrack was published on CD and Vinyl with a total of 23 tracks.
Broadcast
After the fourth episode, aired on 4 February 2019, the other two had to be aired on 12, 19 and 25 February and the last two on the next 4 and 5 March.
On 6 February, Mediaset and Clan Celentano announced that both Aspettando Adrian and the series would be interrupted for at least two weeks due to a "seasonal illness" of Adriano Celentano.[25] However, after the planned two weeks, the show was not broadcast and it was delayed to autumn of the same year formally due to "health needs" of the singer[26] but, according to some critics, also for the severe flop of audience.[10] [11] It was then announced that the cartoon would be aired together with an actual show of Celentano, more organized than the original Aspettando Adrian, in order to rise the audience.[27]
During the presentation of the Mediaset schedules for the 2019–2020 season, CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi confirmed the airing of the last episodes of Adrian in autumn, inside a live show with a greater participation of Celentano, and the cartoon was temporarily renamed as Adriano.[28] The beginning of the broadcast was then planned for the 7 November 2019 on Canale 5[29] with the original name, but the pre-show was renamed as Adrian Live - Questa è la storia....
Reception
The first episode of Aspettando Adrian had almost 6 millions of viewers and the 21,9% of share, while the cartoon had about 4,5 millions of viewers and the 19,1% of share,[30] however destined to decrease in the following episodes.[27] The series was criticized for various aspects, in particular for the poor pace of the show: Giorgio Simonelli on Il Fatto Quotidiano wrote:[31]
On la Repubblica, Alessandra Vitali wrote:[32]
TV critic Aldo Grasso wrote on Corriere della Sera:[33]
Milo Manara himself, on a Facebook post, took distances from the cartoon, specifying that:[34] [35]
After first episodes, critics became more harsh: journalist Maurizio Costanzo firmly attacked the idea of Celentano stating that:[36]
After the new broadcast of the programme in November 2019, critics has continued despite the struggles of Mediaset to rise the audience. On the Italian edition of Huffington Post, Luigi Crespi wrote:[37]
On the pages of Oggi, Don Backy was heavier in his affirmations:[38]
Controversies
During its broadcast, the series had been the object of several controversies about some themes and the production in general:
- The series was criticized for the numerous erotic scenes showed in the first episode which was broadcast in prime time: the frequency of that kind of scenes was reduced in the following episodes.
- Numerous negative criticisms were provoked by the choice to include in the representation of the 2068 Naples, an enormous skyscraper identified as the headquarter of a company called "Mafia International", headed by the ruthless "Dranghestein" (a union of 'Ndrangheta and Frankenstein).[39] [40] That had been seen by various citizens as a stereotypical association of the Neapolitan city with clichés, reducing Naples to the "capital of organized crime".[41] For that comparison, the association Noi Consumatori had announced a complaint against the broadcaster and Celentano.[42] Moreover, the first episode ended about an hour before the planned end, forcing Mediaset to a rapid change of schedule.
- Other general criticisms were about a possible involving of the North Korean SEK Studio in the production of a series with a heavy libertarian nature:[43] although the studio is not mentioned in the credits, it was evidenced that one of the reported production companies (the China Beijing New Century Wit Technologies[44]) could have some links with North Korea.
- Various newspapers and journals had reported the audience outrage about the victim blaming showed in the second episode, where Adrian, dressed up as La Volpe, tells to two girls saved from a rape attempt that they should have drunk less in order to avoid an approach with disreputable guys.[45] [46] On 18 February 2019, showgirl Michelle Hunziker, in an interview on Leggo, explained why she had left the show due to a severe disorganization of the production, despite her admiration for Celentano, and she had united to the criticisms of victim blaming of the second episode.[47] [48]
Episodes
| Episode | Air date | Audience | Share |
|---|
| 1 | 21 January 2019 | 4,544,000 | 19.07%[49] |
| 2 | 22 January 2019 | 2,887,000 | 13.26%[50] |
| 3 | 28 January 2019 | 2,038,000 | 10.55%[51] |
| 4 | 4 February 2019 | 1,527,000 | 7.66%[52] |
| 5 | 7 November 2019 | 1,859,000 | 10.44%[53] |
| 6 | 14 November 2019 | 1,527,000 | 8,70%[54] |
| 7 | 21 November 2019 | 1,485,000 | 9,60%[55] |
| 8 | 28 November 2019 | 1,263,000 | 8,35%[56] |
| 9 | 5 December 2019 | 1,517,000 | 8,90%[57] | |
References
- Only for episodes of Adrian, not all the episodes has the same length
- News: Milo Manara, un post per 'precisare' il suo coinvolgimento in 'Adrian': "Girano inesattezze". 2019-01-28. la Repubblica. 2019-01-28. it.
- Web site: "Adrian", la serie-evento di Canale 5: Celentano è un eroe del futuro. 2018-12-27. 2019-07-18. it.
- Web site: Adriano Celentano abbandona lo show di Canale 5?. 2019-01-18. TVBlog. it. 2019-11-19.
- Web site: Adrian: la serie animata firmata da Adriano Celentano arriva su Canale 5. Ecco la trama. 2019-01-15. Amalfi Notizie. it. dead. 2019-01-22. 2019-02-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20190202211050/https://amalfinotizie.it/adrian-la-serie-animata-firmata-da-adriano-celentano-arriva-su-canale-5-ecco-quando-inizia/.
- Web site: Adrian La Serie Animata Evento In Onda Su Canale 5 Da Gennaio. 2018-12-26. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Ed ecco Adrian! (Anteprima al TG5). Mediaset Play. Mediaset. 2019-01-06. 2019-01-22. it.
- Web site: Adrian, la prima puntata della serie animata di Adriano Celentano: anticipazioni trama. 2019-01-21. Tv Zap. it. 2019-07-18.
- Web site: Mediaset ha sospeso Adrian: il motivo è davvero l'influenza di Celentano?. Angeletti. Giulia. 2019-02-07. TPI. it. 2019-07-18.
- Web site: Adrian sospeso e rimandato a settembre, Mediaset conferma: "Necessario per le condizioni di salute di Celentano". 2019-02-26. Il Fatto Quotidiano. it. 2019-07-18.
- Web site: Adrianeide, anatomia di un fallimento da 20 milioni. Franco. Renato. 2019-02-26. Corriere della Sera. it. 2019-07-18.
- Web site: Il riepilogo su "Adrian", nel 2016 su Mediaset?. 2015-04-06. ACFans. it. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Adrian. Iovane. Giorgia. Altrospettacolo. it. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Adriano Celentano contro Sky: annullato il mio cartoon. Festuccia. Paolo. 2012-06-30. La Stampa. it. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Adrian, cos'è la serie di Adriano Celentano e perché sta sollevando polemiche. Lancellotti. Marica. 2019-01-16. Movieplayer.it. it. 2019-11-17.
- Web site: Mondo TV s'entusiasma per "Adrian". 2011-01-22. ACFans. it. 2019-11-17.
- Web site: Mondo TV commissionata da Clan Celentano per produzione serie tv Adrian. Molinengo. Pierpaolo. 2012-01-17. TrendOnline.com. it. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Pier Silvio Berlusconi: "Riportiamo Adriano Celentano in tv, sarà lʼevento dellʼanno". 2015-07-01. Tgcom24. Mediaset. it. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Celentano su Canale 5 per 13 prime serate nel 2017 con Adrian?. Galanto. Massimo. 2016-04-05. TVBlog. it. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Adrian, i promo in onda su Canale 5 (video). Salaris. Marco. 2018-07-06. Tvblog. it. 2019-01-22.
- Web site: Palinsesti Mediaset 2018-2019 conferenza stampa: tutte le novità. 2018-07-05. TVblog. 2019-01-22.
- News: Adrian: la Serie animata di Adriano Celentano, da Stasera su Canale 5. 2019-01-21. Coming Soon. it.
- Web site: I Retroscena di Blogo: Adriano Celentano abbandona lo show di Canale 5?. 2019-01-18. TVBlogo. it. 2019-07-18.
- "Adrian": il supereroe Adriano Celentano, che non convince. 2019-01-22. Vanity Fair. it. 2019-07-18.
- Web site: Celentano influenzato, 'Adrian' sospeso. 2019-02-06. ANSA. it. 2019-02-08.
- Web site: Adrian rimandato a settembre: "Esigenze di salute di Celentano". 2019-02-25. Il Messaggero. it. 2019-02-25.
- Web site: Il flop di Celentano: show sospeso e rimandato a settembre. Franco. Renato. 2019-02-25. Corriere della Sera. it. 2019-02-25.
- Web site: Palinsesti Mediaset 2019-2020 conferenza stampa: tutte le novità. 2019-07-03. TVBlog.it. it. 2019-07-28.
- Web site: Tv Free - Palinsesti 2018-2019. Publitalia. it. 2019-10-15.
- Web site: Adrian: gli ascolti della prima puntata della serie animata con Celentano. 2019-01-22. TPI. it. 2019-01-26.
- Web site: Adrian, di questo Celentano francamente me ne infischio. Simonelli. Giorgio. 2019-01-22. Il Fatto Quotidiano. it. 2019-11-18. Un racconto fantascientifico con la solita lotta tra il bene/bello e il potere brutto, sporco e cattivo. Nonostante un erotismo esplicito ben disegnato, armoniose corse in bicicletta, echi di Metropolis e di Blade Runner negli sfondi, di tutto quello che succedeva francamente me ne sono infischiato, tanto per citare lui che cita un altro..
- Web site: 'Adrian', Celentano e "le cose da cambiare". Frate Frassica decide chi respingere o chi accogliere sull'Arca della bellezza. Vitali. Alessandra. 2019-01-21. la Repubblica. it. 2019-11-18. Molto rumore per nulla, viene da dire dopo Aspettando Adrian, magari poi il pubblico si gode il cartoon (Adrian) che il suo senso ce l'avrà pure, fosse solo per quelle firme che compaiono nei titoli di testa, da Manara a Piovani a Cerami, mentre scorrono i ritratti di un giovane Celentano tutto pettorali e massa magra e di una giovane Claudia Mori con invidiabili glutei al vento..
- Web site: "Adrian" e la mitomania di Celentano che diventa buon senso. Grasso. Aldo. 2019-01-22. Corriere della Sera. it. 2019-11-18. Celentano è troppo avvoltolato su sé stesso per immaginare un futuro. Anche se in Adrian ci troviamo nel 2068, anche se un Potere corrotto governa con l’inganno e l’omologazione, anche se l’architettura è quella classica di ogni rappresentazione distopica, il racconto è circolare come un orologio, autoreferenziale: l’orologiaio che salva il mondo. [...] Quanto al prologo live, prima di salvare il mondo, bisognerebbe almeno salvare le apparenze..
- Web site: Adrian, Milo Manara contro Celentano: "Non l'ho disegnato io". 2019-01-28. Corriere della Sera. it. 2019-11-18.
- Web site: Adrian, Milo Manara chiarisce il suo coinvolgimento. 2019-01-30. Il Fatto Quotidiano. it. 2019-11-18.
- Web site: "Presuntuoso senza umiltà", il big di Mediaset incenerisce Adrian: la verità mai detta su Celentano / Guarda. Costanzo. Maurizio. 2019-02-02. Libero Quotidiano. 2019-07-18. Quando si decide di costruire un programma su un proprio lavoro, bisogna essere umili e non presuntuosi e costruirlo in maniera corretta televisivamente, come ha fatto Al Bano e come non ha fatto Celentano..
- News: Il flop di Celentano sulle tv di Berlusconi chiude un'epoca. Crespi. Luigi. 2019-11-08. Huffington Post. 2019-11-18. it. L’ansia di rinnovamento stavolta però lo ha fatto cadere in fallo. Voler cambiare a tutti i costi gli ha fatto perdere la sua identità, la sua riconoscibilità, la sua unicità. Si è inflazionato, spero per un errore e non per scelta, con un prodotto tanto strombazzato quanto bocciato ripetutamente dal pubblico. Nonostante abbia coinvolto i pesi massimi della TV di oggi, nonostante abbia ridotto il ruolo dei fumetti e provveduto ad altre modifiche del format originario che è stato un vero flop..
- http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/spettacoli/don-backy-su-adrian-flop-aspettavo-50-anni-questo-momento-1640708.html Don Backy attacca Celentano
- Web site: Tv, nella Napoli di "Adrian" di Celentano spunta il palazzo "Mafia international": polemiche in rete. Cervasio. Stella. 2019-01-22. la Repubblica. 2019-01-24.
- Web site: "Napoli diventerà capitale della mafia", l'insulto di Celentano ferisce il web. Barbuto. Paolo. 2019-01-23. Il Mattino. it. 2019-01-24.
- Web site: Adrian, De Magistris sulla scritta 'Mafia International': "Deluso, ma non è idea di Celentano"'. Rabbai. Alessia. 2019-01-23. Fanpage. it. 2019-01-24.
- Web site: Bufera contro "Adrian". Celentano da supereroe a querelato. Oricchio. Giada. 2019-01-23. Il Tempo. it. 2019-01-25.
- Web site: Adrian, la serie contro le dittature, è stata prodotta in Corea del Nord. Duello. Gennaro Marco. 2019-01-22. Fanpage. it. 25 January 2019.
- Web site: Adrian non rappresenta l'industria animata italiana. Animation Italy. Dot Animation Magazine. it. 2019-11-17.
- Web site: Adrian e le accuse di sessismo: battuta su alcol e stupro indigna il web. Lancellotti. Marica. 2019-01-23. Movieplayer.it. it. 2019-11-18.
- Web site: "Se aveste bevuto meno, non vi avrebbero importunato". Bufera social contro la frase pronunciata ad Adrian. 2019-01-23. L'HuffPost. it. 2019-11-18.
- Web site: Michelle Hunziker stronca Celentano: "Ecco perché sono fuggita da Adrian". Costa. Emiliana. 2019-02-20. Leggo. it. 2019-11-18.
- Web site: Michelle Hunziker stronca Adrian: "Impossibile lavorare in quelle condizioni in cui nessuno sapeva cosa fare". Candela. Giuseppe. 2019-02-20. Il Fatto Quotidiano. it. 2019-11-17.
- Web site: Ascolti TV Lunedì 21 gennaio 2019. Parte moscio Adrian (21.9%-19.1%) battuto da La Compagnia del Cigno (21.4%). 2019-01-22. www.davidemaggio.it. it. 2019-01-23.
- Web site: Ascolti TV Martedì 22 gennaio 2019. Crolla Celentano: Aspettando Adrian 15%, Adrian 13.3%. 2019-01-23. www.davidemaggio.it. it. 2019-01-23.
- Web site: Ascolti TV Lunedì 28 gennaio 2019. La Compagnia del Cigno 23.3%, ancora peggio Adrian (11.9%-10.6%). C'è Grillo 4.3%. 2019-01-29. www.davidemaggio.it. it. 29 January 2019.
- Web site: Ascolti TV Lunedì 4 febbraio 2019. Adrian sprofonda (8.9%-7.7%). La Compagnia del Cigno chiude con il 23.8%. La Vita in Diretta da Sanremo 11.8%-12.9%, D'Urso 18.3%-18.2%. 2019-02-05. www.davidemaggio.it. it. 2019-02-08.
- Web site: Ascolti TV Giovedì 7 novembre 2019. Adrian Live non va oltre il 15.41%, Adrian 10.44%. Un Passo dal Cielo 19.95%. Carrà cala al 4.65%. 2019-11-08. www.davidemaggio.it. it. 2019-11-08.
- Web site: Ascolti TV | Giovedì 14 novembre 2019. Solo il 13.7%-8.7% per Adrian. Un Passo dal Cielo chiude con il 22.3%, A Raccontare Comincia Tu con l'8.2% .
- Web site: Ascolti TV | Giovedì 21 novembre 2019. Miracoli dal Cielo 17.6%, Adrian 14.1%-9.6%. Stati Generali parte dal 6.9% .
- Web site: Ascolti TV | Giovedì 28 novembre 2019. Flop Celentano (11.1%-8.3%), vince il film su Rai1 (14.5%). Dritto e Rovescio 8.1%, X Factor solo il 2.9% .
- Web site: Ascolti TV | Giovedì 5 dicembre 2019. Storia di Nilde 16.2%, Adrian 11.8%-8.9%. La Confessione con Fedez 2.3%, Il Regalo più Bello su La5 al 3.2% .
External links
