Lucrezia Ciotti Il Big Brother It represents a true revolution in the Italian television landscape, marking the beginning of a new way of telling reality through the screen. Born in the Netherlands as an innovative experiment, the format brought with it a blend of curiosity, entertainment, and human insight that quickly won over audiences. The arrival of reality TV in Italy It was no coincidence: behind its success was the foresight of those who knew how to grasp the potential of a still unknown project and adapt it to the tastes of Italian viewers.
The first edition of Big Brother and the success of the protagonists
The first edition of the Big Brother aired from September 14th to December 21st 2000, with Daria Bignardi to management and Marco Liorni as correspondent. Among the ten competitors, Cristina Plevani won the victory, while Salvo Veneziano and Pietro Taricone stood out for their popularity; the latter became a true symbol of the program until his premature death in 2010.
The show also featured iconic moments, such as the romance between Taricone and Plevani, which initially raised concerns among the network's management but contributed to the reality show's success. The contestants pursued different career paths: Roberta Beta continued working in radio and television, Francesca Piri dedicated herself to transcription, Sergio Volpini and Lorenzo Battistello to catering, Maria Antonietta Tilloca to art, Marina La Rosa to fiction and television programs, and Rocco Casalino to politics.
The impact of the program proved so long-lasting that it cemented Big Brother as a one of the most influential formats of Italian television.
Big Brother: How did it arrive in Italy?
Il format of Big Brother landed in Italy thanks to Marco Bassetti, then head of Endemol Italy, a subsidiary of the Dutch Endemol group. As recounted in the documentary Big Brother – The BeginningBassetti explained that the creativity behind the project was born in Holland, where the program was initially tested on a local television station, achieving unexpected success.
Strengthened by the data obtained also in Spain, where the reality show reached 45% share, Bassetti returned to Italy to propose it to Giorgio Gori and Pier Silvio BerlusconiDespite the initial difficulties encountered by John De Mol, the creator of the format, in finding a network willing to broadcast it, the free offer convinced the broadcasterOnce the green light was given, Bassetti devoted himself to selecting the contestants: thousands of auditions were viewed, even involving his children in the choices.
The first episode received modest success, but from the second onwards the Italian public quickly understood the new type of television they were watching, confirming the birth of an unprecedented television phenomenon.