Inspector Salvo Montalbano is in charge of the state police station in Vigàta, a fictional town in the fictional province of Montelusa (see locations) in Sicily, Southern Italy. Montalbano investigates criminal acts which he always manages to solve by reconstruction thanks to his intelligence and the help of his team which includes his deputy, Domenico 'Mimì' Augello, Giuseppe Fazio, Galluzzo, and Agatino Catarella. Salvo has a long-distance, tempestuous relationship with Livia Burlando who lives in Genoa.
Among his external collaborators are:
his Swedish friend, Ingrid Sjöström, who lives in neighbouring Montelusa
Cesare Bocci as Inspector Domenico "Mimì" Augello, Montalbano's deputy and close friend (season 1−15)
Peppino Mazzotta as Detective Giuseppe Fazio, and Montalbano's right-hand man (season 1−15)
Angelo Russo as Agatino Catarella, police officer (season 1−15)
Davide Lo Verde as Galluzzo, police officer (seasons 1–15)
Roberto Nobile as Nicolò Zito, journalist of local TV station Rete Libera and trusted friend of Montalbano (season 1−15)
Marcello Perracchio as Dr. Marco Pasquano, forensic pathologist (seasons 1–11)
Katharina Böhm (dubbed by Claudia Catani) as Livia Burlando, Montalbano's girlfriend who lives in Genoa and sometimes visits Vigàta (seasons 1–4)
Claudia Catani provided the Italian voice of Livia Burlando, Montalbano's girlfriend who lives in Genoa for Katharina Böhm (seasons 1-4) and Lina Perned (season 9) and as Livia's voice on the telephone (seasons 5-8)
Lina Perned (dubbed by Claudia Catani) as Livia Burlando, Montalbano's girlfriend who lives in Genoa and sometimes visits Vigàta (season 9)
Sonia Bergamasco as Livia Burlando, Montalbano's girlfriend who lives in Genoa and sometimes visits Vigàta (season 10−15)
Recurring characters
Isabell Sollman as Ingrid, Montalbano's Swedish friend (seasons 2–5, 7–8, 11)
Mirella Petralia as Adelina Cirrinciò, Montalbano's housekeeper/cook (seasons 4, 7 and 9)
Ketty Governali as Adelina Cirrinciò, Montalbano's housekeeper/cook (seasons 11, 12)
Fabio Costanzo as Pasquale Cirrinciò, Adelina's son (seasons 4, 7, 9 and 12)
Carmelinda Gentile as Beatrice "Beba" Di Leo, becomes Mimì's wife (main: season 5; guest: seasons 3–4, 6–8, 12)
Giovanni Guardiano as Jacomuzzi, police forensics specialist (seasons 1–5, 8, 12–13)
Giacinto Ferro (1943–2016) as Police Chief Bonetti-Alderighi, Montalbano's superior based in the provincial capital, Montelusa (seasons 1, 4–5, 7–9, 11)
Giovanni Visentin as Judge Tommaseo, morbidly attracted to the more spicy aspects of the cases (seasons 7-9, 11)
Filippo Brazzaventre as Filippo Ragonese, political journalist at local TV station Televigàta (seasons 4–10)
Ubaldo Lo Presti as Filippo Ragonese, political journalist at local TV station Televigàta[3] (seasons 1–2)
Francesco Stella as Gallo, police officer (seasons 1–2)
Marco Cavallaro as Tortorella, police officer (seasons 4–6)
Corrado Invernizzi as Lattes, Bonetti-Alderighi's secretary (seasons 1-3, 8)
Francesco Sineri as Don Balduccio Sinagra, retired mafia boss (seasons 3–5)
^ abThis episode did not feature in BBC Four's weekly top 10.
In a recent interview, Luca Zingaretti said: “For me it was a wonderful professional and human adventure. Now it seems to me to have come to an end. The author no longer writes and my director friend, Alberto Sironi, is sadly gone too. Does it make sense to end the saga by filming the last two unpublished novels also as a sign of respect towards them? Or is it their very lack that suggests respectful silence? I lean towards the latter”.
Given the success of the Andrea Camilleri novels, published by Sellerio (Palermo), RAI with Palomar, commissioned a television series, in co-operation with Sweden's public service SVT, Sveriges Television, of most of the novels and short stories. Each closely follows the plot of the novels, in some cases joining several short stories. Alberto Sironi (it), who died suddenly in early August 2019, had directed the entire series up till then. He was taken ill during the filming of three new episodes in 2019 and Luca Zingaretti took over the direction. Camilleri was teaching at the same time that Zingaretti was studying at the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico. Luca Zingaretti had to adjust his accent to Sicilian having been born in Rome. Inspector Montalbano was initially launched on Rai 2. It moved to Rai 1 after the second series.
The BBC holds the United Kingdom transmission rights. "Excursion to Tindari" and "Montalbano's Croquettes" were shown on BBC Four in December 2008.[6][10] On 11 February 2012, "The Snack Thief" was broadcast in its 9 pm Saturday evening slot. On 25 August 2012, BBC Four began to broadcast a series of 12 episodes. From 19 October to 9 November 2013, the four series nine episodes were broadcast and referred to as Series 3. In June 2014, BBC Four began a re-run of all existing episodes and this time commencing in the correct running order. However the episodes (as detailed in dates above) for series 8 were shown in a different order than the Italian sequence. This remains the U.K. sequence for the BBC iPlayer stream.
In the United States, the series is retitled Detective Montalbano and streams on MHz Choice in Italian, subtitled in English by MHz staff.
In France, it was shown in winter 2013 on France 3 on Sundays with the title Commissaire Montalbano.
In Spain, it was on La 2 on Saturdays in spring 2013
and in Argentina it was seen on the Europa channel.
DVD release
DVD title
Discs
Production year
Episodes
DVD release
Region 1
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 1–3
3
1999–2000
"The Snack Thief", "The Voice of the Violin", "The Shape of Water"
29 June 2010
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 4–6
3
2000–2001
"The Mystery of the Terracotta Dog", "The Artist's Touch", "A Trip to Tindari"
29 June 2010
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 7–9
3
2002
"The Sense of Touch", "Montalbano's Croquettes", "The Scent of the Night"
17 August 2010
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 10–12
3
2002–2005
"The Goldfinch and the Cat", "Turning Point", "Equal Time"
17 August 2010
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 13–15
3
2006–2008
"The Spider's Patience", "Find the Lady", "Paper Moon"
14 November 2010
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 16–18
3
2008
"Track of Sand", "Wings of the Sphinx", "August Heat"
14 November 2010
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 19 & 20
2
2011
"The Potter's Field" and "The Dance of the Seagull"
4 November 2011
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 21 & 22
2
2011
"The Treasure Hunt" and "The Age of Doubt"
4 November 2011
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 23 & 24
2
2013
"Angelica's Smile" and "Mirror Effect'"
24 September 2013
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 25 & 26
2
2013
"A Voice in the Night" and "A Ray of Light"
24 September 2013
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 27 & 28
2
2016
"A Delicate Matter" and "The Mud Pyramid"
28 June 2016
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 29 & 30
2
2017
"A Nest of Vipers" and "As Per Procedure"
27 June 2017
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 31 & 32
2
2018
"Merry-go-round" and "Amore"
26 June 2018
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 33 & 34
2
2019
"The Other End of the Thread" and "A Diary from ‘43"
25 June 2019
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 35 & 36
2
2020
"Dear Livia" and "The Safety Net"
23 June 2020
MHz Networks distributes the Detective Montalbano series on TV, DVD, TVOD and SVOD.
In the UK, the earlier episodes are currently available in both a collection and series format, with the series numbering following BBC Four's. These titles are distributed by Acorn Media UK.
In the Nordic countries the first 18 films are available as Box 1 (1–6), Box 2 (7–12) and Box 3 (13–18). All were released in 2009 (labelled 1999, the start date of the series) with Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles. They were released by AtlanticFilms AB on license from RAI Trade.
In Spain, there is a confusing situation where episodes are dubbed in Spanish, as well as Italian with Spanish subtitles being available in both box sets containing six episodes each and overlapping mini box sets containing two films each. Both are labelled, Colección Montalbano in identical boxes just to add to the confusion. Distribution is by Track Media SL.
Awards
2003 Busto Arsizio Film Festival: Winner Best TV Series [28]
2009 Kineo Awards, Italy: Winner Best Television Film[28]
2011 Kineo Awards, Italy: Winner Best Television Film[28]
2014 Crime Thriller Awards, UK: Nominee Best International TV Drama[28]
2016 TV Award - TV Direction Award: Winner Best fiction[29]
^"Pippo Ragonese, notista politico di Televigàta, era dotato di due cose: una faccia a culo di gallina e una contorta fantasia che lo portava a immaginare complotti. Nemico dichiarato di Montalbano, Ragonese non fagliò l'occasione per attaccarlo ancora una volta" from Il gatto e il cardellino
^"Tocco d'artista" appears in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English) and in English as "The Artist's Touch" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016
^Combines two short stories: "Amore e fratellanza" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri and "Sequestro di persona" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English) and in English as "A Kidnapping" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016
^Combines two short stories: "Gli arancini di Montalbano" appearing in English as "Montalbano’s Rice Balls" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016 and "Stiamo parlando di miliardi" both appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English).
^Combines two short stories: "Il gatto e il cardellino" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri and in English as "The Cat and the Goldfinch" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016 and "Un gigantessa con sorriso gentile" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English).
^Combines two short stories: "Par condicio" appearing in Un mese con Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English) and in English as "Neck and Neck" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016, and "Catarella resolve un caso" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English) and in English as "Catarella solves a case" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016,.
^Combines four short stories: "Il gioco delle tre carte" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano, "Una mosca acchiappato a volo" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano, "Sostiene Pessoa" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano and in English as "Pessoa Maintains" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories and "Come fece Alice" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English) and in English as "As Alice Did" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016
^Combines two short stories: "Una faccenda delicata" appearing in Un mese con Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English) and "Povero Maria Castellino" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English).
^Combines three short stories: "Come voleva la prassi" appearing in Morte in mare aperto e altre indagini del giovane Montalbano and in English as "Usual Procedure" in Death at Sea by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2018, "La revision" in Gli arancini di Montalbano and in English as "The Judicial Review" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016 and "Come contò Aulo Gellio" in Un mese con Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English).
^Combines two short stories: "Amore" appearing in Un mese con Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English) and in English as "Amore" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories, and "La prova generale" appearing in Gli arancini di Montalbano and in English as "The Dress Rehearsal" in Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri, (S. Sartarelli, trans.), Penguin Books: New York, 2016.
^Combines two short stories: "Un diario del '43" and "Being here" both appearing in Un mese con Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri (not yet translated into English)
^"Salvo amato, Livia mia" appears in "Gli Arancini di Montalbano" by Andrea Camilleri, not yet translated into English