My Brilliant Friend (TV series)

My Brilliant Friend
Genre	Drama Coming-of-age
Created by	Saverio Costanzo
Based on	Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante
Written by	Elena Ferrante Francesco Piccolo Laura Paolucci Saverio Costanzo
Directed by	Saverio Costanzo Alice Rohrwacher Daniele Luchetti Laura Bispuri
Starring	Gaia Girace Margherita Mazzucco Alba Rohrwacher Irene Maiorino (See full cast list)
Narrated by	Alba Rohrwacher
Composer	Max Richter
Country of origin	Italy United States
Original languages	Neapolitan Italian
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	34
Production
Executive producers	Lorenzo Mieli Domenico Procacci Mario Gianani Guido De Laurentiis Elena Recchia Jennifer Schuur Paolo Sorrentino Saverio Costanzo
Producers	Luigi Mariniello Sara Polese Laura Paolucci Daria Hensemberger Francesco Nardella Giulio Luciani
Production locations	Metropolitan City of Naples Province of Caserta Province of Latina Province of Pisa Metropolitan City of Milan Metropolitan City of Florence
Cinematography	Fabio Cianchetti Hélène Louvart Ivan Casalgrandi Vladan Radovic
Editors	Francesca Calvelli Carlotta Cristiani Stefano Mariotti Annalisa Forgione Matteo Mossi
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	43–67 minutes
Production companies	Wildside Fandango Umedia (s. 1–2) The Apartment Pictures (s. 2–4) Mowe (s. 2, 4) Fremantle (s. 3–4)
Original release
Network	HBO (US) Rai 1 (Italy) TIMvision (Italy, s. 1)
Release	November 18, 2018 (2018-11-18) – November 11, 2024 (2024-11-11)

My Brilliant Friend (Italian: L'amica geniale) is a Neapolitan- and Italian-language coming-of-age drama television series created by Saverio Costanzo for HBO, RAI, and TIMvision. Named after the first of four novels in the Neapolitan Novels series by Elena Ferrante, the series is an adaptation of the entire literary work into four seasons. My Brilliant Friend is a co-production between Italian production companies Wildside, Fandango, The Apartment Pictures, Mowe and international film groups Umedia and Fremantle.

The first two episodes of the series were presented at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, in 2018. The first season, based on the first novel in the series, premiered on HBO on November 18, 2018, and on Rai 1 and TIMvision on November 27, 2018. A second season, based on the second novel in the series, The Story of a New Name, was confirmed in December 2018, and premiered on Rai 1 on February 10, 2020, and on HBO on March 16, 2020. The first two episodes of the second season were screened in selected Italian cinemas from January 27 to 29, 2020.

In April 2020, the series was renewed for a third season, based on the third novel in the series, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. The eight-episode third season premiered on Rai 1 on February 6, 2022, and on HBO on February 28, 2022. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, based on the final novel in the series: The Story of the Lost Child. The ten-episode fourth and final season premiered on HBO on September 9, 2024, and on Rai 1 on November 11, 2024.

Cast and characters

Main

• Elisa Del Genio (season 1; guest season 2), Margherita Mazzucco (seasons 1–3), Alba Rohrwacher (season 4; cameo season 3) and Elisabetta De Palo (featured season 4, guest season 1, dubbed by Alba Rohrwacher) as Elena "Lenù" Greco, a girl from a poor neighbourhood in the outskirts of 1950s Naples. Rohrwacher also narrates the events of the series from the point of view of adult Elena Greco. The character is also portrayed by Ingrid Del Genio (guest season 1) as a very young child.
• Ludovica Nasti (season 1; guest season 2), Gaia Girace (seasons 1–3; special appearance season 4) and Irene Maiorino (season 4) as Raffaella "Lila" Cerullo, Elena's best friend and, later, Stefano Carracci's wife
• Anna Rita Vitolo as Immacolata Greco, Elena's mother
• Luca Gallone as Vittorio Greco, a porter and Elena's father
• Imma Villa as Manuela Solara (seasons 1–3), Silvio Solara's wife, Michele and Marcello's mother
• Antonio Milo as Silvio Solara (season 1; recurring season 2), owner of the Bar Solara
• Valentina Acca as Nunzia Cerullo (seasons 1–2, 4), Lila's mother
• Antonio Buonanno as Fernando Cerullo (seasons 1–3; recurring season 4), a shoemaker and Lila's father
• Dora Romano as Miss Oliviero (seasons 1–2), Elena and Lila's elementary school teacher
• Alessio Gallo (seasons 1–3) and Edoardo Pesce (season 4) as Michele Solara, Silvio and Manuela's son. The character is also portrayed by Adriano Tammaro (recurring season 1) as a child.
• Nunzia Schiano as Nella Incardo (seasons 1–2), Miss Oliviero's cousin
• Giovanni Amura (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1) as Stefano Carracci, Don Achille Carracci's son and, later, Lila's husband. The character is also portrayed by Kristijan Di Giacomo (recurring season 1) as a child and by Giorgio Pinto (recurring season 4) as an adult.
• Gennaro De Stefano (season 2; recurring season 1) and Salvatore Striano (season 4) as Rino Cerullo, Lila's older brother and, later, Pinuccia's husband. The character is also portrayed by Tommaso Rusciano (recurring season 1) as a child.
• Francesco Serpico (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1) and Fabrizio Gifuni (season 4) as Nino Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's son. The character is also portrayed by Alessandro Nardi (guest season 1) as a child.
• Federica Sollazzo (season 2; recurring season 1) as Pinuccia Carracci, Don Achille's daughter and, later, Rino's wife. The character is also portrayed by Giuliana Tramontano (recurring season 1) as a child and by Giovanna Cappuccio (recurring season 4) as an adult.
• Clotilde Sabatino as Professor Galiani (seasons 2–3), Elena's high school teacher. The character is also portrayed by Anna Redi (recurring season 1) as a younger woman.
• Ulrike Migliaresi (season 2; recurring season 1) as Ada Cappuccio, Melina Cappuccio's daughter. The character is also portrayed by Lucia Manfuso (recurring season 1) as a child and by Fabiana Fazio (recurring season 4) as an adult.
• Christian Giroso (season 2; recurring season 1) as Antonio Cappuccio, Melina Cappuccio's son. The character is also portrayed by Domenico Cuomo (recurring season 1) as a child and by Massimiliano Rossi (recurring season 4) as an adult.
• Eduardo Scarpetta as Pasquale Peluso (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1, featured season 4), Alfredo and Giuseppina's son. The character is also portrayed by Francesco Catena (recurring season 1) as a child.
• Giovanni Buselli (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1) and Pio Stellaccio (season 4) as Enzo Scanno, Nicola and Assunta's son. The character is also portrayed by Vincenzo Vaccaro (recurring season 1) as a child.
• Giovanni Cannata as Armando Galiani (seasons 2–3), Professor Galiani's son
• Francesco Russo as Bruno Soccavo (seasons 2–3), Nino's friend
• Bruno Orlando (seasons 2–3) and Stefano Dionisi (season 4) as Franco Mari, Elena's first boyfriend in Pisa
• Daria Deflorian as Adele Airota (seasons 2–4), Pietro Airota's mother
• Matteo Cecchi (seasons 2–3) and Pier Giorgio Bellocchio (season 4) as Pietro Airota, Elena's second boyfriend in Pisa and, later, husband
• Giulia Mazzarino (season 3; recurring season 2) and Sonia Bergamasco (season 4) as Maria Rosa Airota, Pietro's sister
• Gabriele Vacis as Guido Airota (season 3; recurring seasons 2, 4), Pietro's father
• Maria Vittoria Dallasta (season 3) as Silvia, a student and a young mother. The character is also portrayed by Alice Piano (recurring season 4) as an adult.
• Riccardo Palmieri as Gino (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), Elena's classmate and first boyfriend. He becomes a fascist.
• Giorgia Gargano as Nadia Galiani (season 3; recurring season 2, featured season 4), Professor Galiani's daughter
• Fabrizio Cottone (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2) and Renato De Simone (season 4) as Alfonso Carracci, Don Achille's son. The character is also portrayed by Valerio Laviano Saggese (recurring season 1) as a child.
• Rosaria Langellotto (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2) as Gigliola Spagnuolo, Mr. Spagnuolo's daughter. The character is also portrayed by Alice D'Antonio (recurring season 1) as a child and by Demi Licata (recurring season 4) as an adult.
• Pina Di Gennaro as Melina Cappuccio (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2, 4), a crazy widow
• Francesca Pezzella (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2) as Carmela "Carmen" Peluso, Alfredo and Giuseppina's daughter. The character is also portrayed by Francesca Bellamoli (recurring season 1) as a child and by Lucia D'Ambra (recurring season 4) as an adult.
• Sofia Luchetti (season 3), Vittoria Cozza (season 4) and Ludovica Rita Di Meglio (season 4)as Adele "Dede" Airota, Elena and Pietro's daughter
• Salvatore Tortora (season 3) as Gennaro "Gennarino" Carracci, Lila's son. The character is also portrayed by Daniel Campagna (guest season 2), Giuseppe Cortese (recurring season 3; guest season 2) as a child and by Francesco Ferrante (recurring season 4) as a teenager and by Alessio Galati (recurring season 4) as a young adult.
• Elvis Esposito (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2) and Lino Musella (season 4) as Marcello Solara, Manuela and Silvio's son. The character is also portrayed by Pietro Vuolo (recurring season 1) as a child.
• Francesca Montuori (season 3) and Claudia Tranchese (season 4) as Elisa Greco, Elena's younger sister. The character is also portrayed by Sara Mauriello (recurring season 1), Cristina Fraticola (recurring seasons 1–2) and Gaia Buongiovanni (recurring season 3; guest season 2) as a child.
• Chiara Celotto (season 3) as Eleonora, Nino's wife. The character is also portrayed by Valeria Bello (guest season 4).
• Sophia Protino (season 3), Fatima Credendino (season 4) and Adriana Trotta (season 4) as Elsa Airota, Elena and Pietro's daughter. The character is also portrayed by Aria and Luce Milighetti (guests season 3) as a very young child and by Dominique Donnarumma (guest season 4) as a teenager.

Featured

The following actors are credited in the opening titles of a single episode of the series:

• Antonio Pennarella as Don Achille Carracci (season 1), the local mobster
• Edu Rejón as Juan (season 3), a student in Milan
• Giulia Pica as a doctor (season 3), who provides contraceptives in Naples
• Claudio Lardo as Giuntini (season 3), chief editor at l'Unità
• Mirko Setaro as Lila's cardiologist (season 3)
• Vittorio Ciorcalo as Lila's neurologist (season 3)
• Giovanni Toscano as Mario's friend (season 3), a student in Florence
• Eugenio Di Fraia as Mario Gioia (season 3), an engineer in Florence
• Rebecca Fanucchi as Clelia (season 3), Adele's baby sitter in Florence
• Iacopo Ricciotti as Maria Rosa's boyfriend (season 3)

Recurring

The Grecos

• Emanuele Nocerino (season 1), Matteo Castaldo (seasons 1–2), Daniele Cacciatore (season 3; guest season 2) and Lucio Provenza (season 4) as Peppe Greco, Elena's younger brother
• Thomas Noioso (season 1), Raffaele Nocerino (seasons 1–2), Davide De Lucia (season 3; guest season 2) and Claudio Cacciaglia (season 4) as Gianni Greco, Elena's younger brother

The Carraccis

• Sarah Falanga as Maria Carracci (seasons 1–2, 4; guest season 3), Don Achille's wife
• Maria Raffaella Cortese as Maria Carracci (guest season 3), Stefano and Ada's daughter

The Pelusos

• Gennaro Canonico as Alfredo Peluso (season 1), a highly skilled carpenter
• Lia Zinno as Giuseppina Peluso (seasons 1–2), Alfredo's wife

The Sarratores

• Emanuele Valenti as Donato Sarratore (seasons 1–2; guest season 4), a train controller
• Fabrizia Sacchi as Lidia Sarratore (seasons 1–2; guest season 4), Donato's wife
• Cristina Magnotti (season 1), Miriam D'Angelo (seasons 1–2) and Emanuela Caruso (season 4) as Marisa Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's daughter
• Michele Di Costanzo (guest season 1), Catello Buonomo (season 2; guest season 1) and Renato Bisogni (guest season 4) as Pino Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's son
• Federica Guarino (guest season 1), Federica Barbuto (season 2; guest season 1) and Francesca Matrone (guest season 4) as Clelia Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's daughter
• Gioele Maddi (guest season 1), Mattia Iapigio (season 2; guest season 1) and Adriano Schisano (guest season 4) as Ciro Sarratore, Donato and Lidia's son
• Jordan Andres Ayala Robles (guest season 3) and Andrea Pollice (guest season 4) as Albertino Sarratore, Nino's son
• Matthias Strepponi (guest season 3) and Aldo Boschetto (season 4) as Mirko Sarratore, Nino's son
• Aurora Grimaldi (season 4), Tyara Cascone (guest season 4) and Gaia Cuomo (guest season 4) as Immacolata "Imma" Sarratore, Elena and Nino's daughter

The Scannos

• Ciro Pugliese as Nicola Scanno (season 1), a greengrocer
• Marina Cioppa as Assunta Scanno (season 1), Nicola's wife
• Maria Vittoria Miorin as Nunzia "Tina" Scanno (season 4), Lila and Enzo's daughter

The Spagnuolos

• Mimmo Ruggiero as Mr. Spagnuolo (season 1; guest season 2), pastry chef at Bar Solara
• Patrizia Di Martino as Rosa Spagnuolo (season 1; guest season 2), his wife

The Cerullos

• Francesco Saggiomo as Dino Cerullo (season 2), Rino and Pinuccia's son

The Galianis

• Riccardo Russo as Marco Galiani (guest season 3)

Others

• Valentina Arena as Jolanda (season 1; guest seasons 2–3), a stationer
• Vittorio Viviani as Mr. Ferraro (season 1), the librarian and an elementary school teacher
• Sergio Basile as Professor Gerace (season 1), Elena's high school teacher
• Giuseppe Brunetti as Dario (season 2)
• Paolo Tarallo as Filippo (season 3)
• Adalgisa Manfrida as Doriana, Pietro's partner (season 4)
• Bexzbec Gambini Flores as Tania (season 4)
• Luigi Credendino as Roberto, Carmen's husband (season 4)
• Dalal Suleiman as Rossella, a gynecologist (season 4)
• Marina Vitolo as Mina, Elena's neighbor (season 4)

Guests

• Antonio Maglione as Alfonso (season 1), a friend of Vittorio Greco's
• Enrico D'Errico as Pier Paolo Pasolini (season 2)
• Giustiniano Alpi as Rolando Berti (season 2)
• Alessandro Bertoncini as Carlo Fortini (season 2)
• Ilaria Zanotti as Giulia Cristaldi (season 2)
• Maria Rosaria Bozzon as Titina (season 2), Gennaro's baby sitter
• Maurizio Tabani as Professor Tarratano, a critic (seasons 2–3)
• Vincenzo Antonucci as Edo (season 3)
• Ianua Coeli Linhart as Isabella (season 3)
• Antonella Romano as Teresa (season 3)
• Giulia Weber as Marcella (season 3)
• Roberta Geremicca as Maria (season 3)
• Riccardo Fara as Luciano (season 3)
• Daniela De Luca as Silvana, Elena's maid (season 4)
• Massimo Rigo as Enrico, a publisher (season 4)
• Maria Torres as Clara, Enrico's wife (season 4)
• Chiara Mauro as Mirella (season 4)
• Francesca Solombrino as Anna, Elena's maid (season 4)
• Filippo Beltrami as Moreno

Overview

Character		Actor	Season
			1	2	3	4
Main characters
Elena "Lenù" Greco	Child	Elisa Del Genio	Main	Guest	Does not appear
	Teen	Margherita Mazzucco	Main			Does not appear
	Adult	Alba Rohrwacher	Voice only			Main
	Elder	Elisabetta De Palo	Guest	Does not appear		Featured
Raffaella "Lila" Cerullo	Child	Ludovica Nasti	Main	Guest	Does not appear
	Teen	Gaia Girace	Main			Special Guest
	Adult	Irene Maiorino	Does not appear			Main
Immacolata Greco		Anna Rita Vitolo	Main
Vittorio Greco		Luca Gallone	Main
Manuela Solara		Imma Villa	Main			Does not appear
Silvio Solara		Antonio Milo	Main	Recurring	Does not appear
Nunzia Cerullo		Valentina Acca	Main		Does not appear	Main
Fernando Cerullo		Antonio Buonanno	Main		Featured	Recurring
Miss Oliviero		Dora Romano	Main		Does not appear
Michele Solara	Teen	Alessio Gallo	Main			Does not appear
	Adult	Edoardo Pesce	Does not appear			Main
Stefano Carracci	Child	Kristijan Di Giacomo	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Giovanni Amura	Recurring	Main		Does not appear
	Adult	Giorgio Pinto	Does not appear			Recurring
Rino Cerullo	Child	Tommaso Rusciano	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Gennaro De Stefano	Recurring	Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Salvatore Striano	Does not appear			Main
Nino Sarratore	Child	Alessandro Nardi	Guest	Does not appear
	Teen	Francesco Serpico	Recurring	Main		Does not appear
	Adult	Fabrizio Gifuni	Does not appear			Main
Pinuccia Carracci	Child	Giuliana Tramontano	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Federica Sollazzo	Recurring	Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Giovanna Cappuccio	Does not appear			Recurring
Professor Galiani	Young	Anna Redi	Recurring	Does not appear
	Adult	Clotilde Sabatino	Does not appear	Main		Does not appear
Ada Cappuccio	Child	Lucia Manfuso	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Ulrike Migliaresi	Recurring	Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Fabiana Fazio	Does not appear			Recurring
Antonio Cappuccio	Child	Domenico Cuomo	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Christian Giroso	Recurring	Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Massimiliano Rossi	Does not appear			Recurring
Pasquale Peluso	Child	Francesco Catena	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Eduardo Scarpetta	Recurring	Main		Featured
Enzo Scanno	Child	Vincenzo Vaccaro	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Giovanni Buselli	Recurring	Main		Does not appear
	Adult	Pio Stellaccio	Does not appear			Main
Bruno Soccavo		Francesco Russo	Does not appear	Main		Does not appear
Franco Mari	Teen	Bruno Orlando	Does not appear	Main		Does not appear
	Adult	Stefano Dionisi	Does not appear			Main
Adele Airota		Daria Deflorian	Does not appear	Featured	Main
Pietro Airota	Teen	Matteo Cecchi	Does not appear	Featured	Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Pier Giorgio Bellocchio	Does not appear			Main
Maria Rosa Airota	Teen	Giulia Mazzarino	Does not appear	Guest	Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Sonia Bergamasco	Does not appear			Main
Guido Airota		Gabriele Vacis	Does not appear	Guest	Main	Recurring
Silvia	Teen	Maria Vittoria Dallasta	Does not appear		Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Alice Piano	Does not appear			Recurring
Gino		Riccardo Palmieri	Recurring		Main	Does not appear
Nadia Galiani		Giorgia Gargano	Does not appear	Recurring	Main	Featured
Alfonso Carracci	Child	Valerio Laviano Saggese	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Fabrizio Cottone	Recurring		Featured	Does not appear
	Adult	Renato De Simone	Does not appear			Main
Gigliola Spagnuolo	Child	Alice D'Antonio	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Rosaria Langellotto	Recurring		Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Demi Licata	Does not appear			Recurring
Melina Cappuccio		Pina Di Gennaro	Recurring		Featured	Recurring
Carmela "Carmen" Peluso	Child	Francesca Bellamoli	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Francesca Pezzella	Recurring		Featured	Does not appear
	Adult	Lucia D'Ambra	Does not appear			Recurring
Adele "Dede" Airota	Infant	Sofia Luchetti	Does not appear		Main	Does not appear
	Child	Vittoria Cozza	Does not appear			Main
	Teen	Ludovica Rita Di Meglio	Does not appear			Main
Gennaro "Gennarino" Carracci	Infant	Daniel Campagna	Does not appear	Guest	Does not appear
	Infant	Giuseppe Cortese	Does not appear	Guest	Recurring	Does not appear
	Child	Salvatore Tortora	Does not appear		Main	Does not appear
	Teen	Francesco Ferrante	Does not appear			Recurring
	Adult	Alessio Galati	Does not appear			Recurring
Marcello Solara	Child	Pietro Vuolo	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Elvis Esposito	Recurring		Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Lino Musella	Does not appear			Main
Elisa Greco	Infant	Sara Mauriello	Recurring	Does not appear
	Infant	Cristina Fraticola	Recurring		Does not appear
	Child	Gaia Buongiovanni	Does not appear	Guest	Recurring	Does not appear
	Teen	Francesca Montuori	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
	Adult	Claudia Tranchese	Does not appear			Main
Eleonora Sarratore	Teen	Chiara Celotto	Does not appear		Main	Does not appear
	Adult	Valeria Bello	Does not appear			Guest
Elsa Airota	Infant	Aria and Luce Milighetti	Does not appear		Guest	Does not appear
	Infant	Sophia Protino	Does not appear		Main	Does not appear
	Child	Fatima Credendino	Does not appear			Main
	Child	Adriana Trotta	Does not appear			Main
	Teen	Dominique Donnarumma	Does not appear			Guest
Featured characters
Don Achille Carracci		Antonio Pennarella	Featured	Does not appear
Nella Incardo		Nunzia Schiano	Featured		Does not appear
Armando Galiani		Giovanni Cannata	Does not appear	Featured		Does not appear
Juan		Edu Rejón	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
A Doctor		Giulia Pica	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
Giuntini		Claudio Lardo	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
Lila's Cardiologist		Mirko Setaro	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
Lila's Neurologist		Vittorio Ciorcalo	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
Mario's Friend		Giovanni Toscano	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
Mario Gioia		Eugenio Di Fraia	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
Clelia		Rebecca Fanucchi	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear
Maria Rosa's Boyfriend		Iacopo Ricciotti	Does not appear		Featured	Does not appear

Episodes

Season	Subtitle	Episodes		Originally aired
				First aired	Last aired
1	—	8		November 18, 2018 (2018-11-18) (HBO) November 27, 2018 (2018-11-27) (Rai 1)	December 10, 2018 (2018-12-10) (HBO) December 18, 2018 (2018-12-18) (Rai 1)
2	The Story of a New Name Storia del nuovo cognome	8		February 10, 2020 (2020-02-10) (Rai 1) March 16, 2020 (2020-03-16) (HBO)	March 2, 2020 (2020-03-02) (Rai 1) May 4, 2020 (2020-05-04) (HBO)
3	Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Storia di chi fugge e di chi resta	8		February 6, 2022 (2022-02-06) (Rai 1) February 28, 2022 (2022-02-28) (HBO)	February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27) (Rai 1) April 18, 2022 (2022-04-18) (HBO)
4	The Story of the Lost Child Storia della bambina perduta	10		September 9, 2024 (2024-09-09) (HBO) November 11, 2024 (2024-11-11) (Rai 1)	November 11, 2024 (2024-11-11) (HBO) December 9, 2024 (2024-12-09) (Rai 1)

Season 1 (2018)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S./Italy viewers (millions)
1	1	"The Dolls" "Le bambole"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	November 18, 2018 (2018-11-18) (HBO) November 27, 2018 (2018-11-27) (Rai 1)	0.242 and 7.458
2	2	"The Money" "I soldi"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	November 19, 2018 (2018-11-19) (HBO) November 27, 2018 (2018-11-27) (Rai 1)	0.128 and 6.729
3	3	"Metamorphoses" "Le metamorfosi"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	November 25, 2018 (2018-11-25) (HBO) December 4, 2018 (2018-12-04) (Rai 1)	0.244 and 7.302
4	4	"Dissolving Boundaries" "La smarginatura"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	November 26, 2018 (2018-11-26) (HBO) December 4, 2018 (2018-12-04) (Rai 1)	0.151 and 6.725
5	5	"The Shoes" "Le scarpe"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	December 2, 2018 (2018-12-02) (HBO) December 11, 2018 (2018-12-11) (Rai 1)	0.291 and 6.699
6	6	"The Island" "L'isola"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	December 3, 2018 (2018-12-03) (HBO) December 11, 2018 (2018-12-11) (Rai 1)	0.210 and 6.699
7	7	"The Fiancés" "I fidanzati"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	December 9, 2018 (2018-12-09) (HBO) December 18, 2018 (2018-12-18) (Rai 1)	0.318 and 6.974
8	8	"The Promise" "La promessa"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	December 10, 2018 (2018-12-10) (HBO) December 18, 2018 (2018-12-18) (Rai 1)	0.228 and 6.620

Season 2: The Story of a New Name (2020)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S./Italy viewers (millions)
9	1	"The New Name" "Il nuovo cognome"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 10, 2020 (2020-02-10) (Rai 1) March 16, 2020 (2020-03-16) (HBO)	0.148 and 7.099
10	2	"The Body" "Il corpo"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 10, 2020 (2020-02-10) (Rai 1) March 23, 2020 (2020-03-23) (HBO)	0.147 and 6.452
11	3	"Erasure" "Scancellare"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 17, 2020 (2020-02-17) (Rai 1) March 30, 2020 (2020-03-30) (HBO)	0.120 and 6.842
12	4	"The Kiss" "Il bacio"	Alice Rohrwacher	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 17, 2020 (2020-02-17) (Rai 1) April 6, 2020 (2020-04-06) (HBO)	0.141 and 6.235
13	5	"The Betrayal" "Il tradimento"	Alice Rohrwacher	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 24, 2020 (2020-02-24) (Rai 1) April 13, 2020 (2020-04-13) (HBO)	0.196 and 6.585
14	6	"Rage" "La rabbia"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 24, 2020 (2020-02-24) (Rai 1) April 20, 2020 (2020-04-20) (HBO)	0.134 and 6.053
15	7	"Ghosts" "I fantasmi"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	March 2, 2020 (2020-03-02) (Rai 1) April 27, 2020 (2020-04-27) (HBO)	0.159 and 7.110
16	8	"The Blue Fairy" "La fata blu"	Saverio Costanzo	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	March 2, 2020 (2020-03-02) (Rai 1) May 4, 2020 (2020-05-04) (HBO)	0.130 and 6.757

Season 3: Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2022)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S./Italy viewers (millions)
17	1	"Indecencies" "Sconcezze"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 6, 2022 (2022-02-06) (Rai 1) February 28, 2022 (2022-02-28) (HBO)	0.130 and 4.837
18	2	"The Fever" "La febbre"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 6, 2022 (2022-02-06) (Rai 1) March 7, 2022 (2022-03-07) (HBO)	0.149 and 4.475
19	3	"The Treatment" "La cura"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 13, 2022 (2022-02-13) (Rai 1) March 14, 2022 (2022-03-14) (HBO)	0.124 and 4.940
20	4	"Cold War" "Guerra fredda"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 13, 2022 (2022-02-13) (Rai 1) March 21, 2022 (2022-03-21) (HBO)	0.141 and 4.753
21	5	"Terror" "Terrore"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 20, 2022 (2022-02-20) (Rai 1) March 28, 2022 (2022-03-28) (HBO)	0.077 and 4.669
22	6	"Becoming" "Diventare"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 20, 2022 (2022-02-20) (Rai 1) April 4, 2022 (2022-04-04) (HBO)	0.049 and 4.589
23	7	"Try Again" "Ancora tu"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27) (Rai 1) April 11, 2022 (2022-04-11) (HBO)	0.108 and 4.294
24	8	"Those Who Leave, Those Who Stay" "Chi fugge, chi resta"	Daniele Luchetti	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	February 27, 2022 (2022-02-27) (Rai 1) April 18, 2022 (2022-04-18) (HBO)	0.074 and 4.112

Season 4: The Story of the Lost Child (2024)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S./Italy viewers (millions)
25	1	"The Separation" "La separazione"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	September 9, 2024 (2024-09-09) (HBO) November 11, 2024 (2024-11-11) (Rai 1)	N/A and 3.968
26	2	"Dispersion" "La dispersione"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	September 16, 2024 (2024-09-16) (HBO) November 11, 2024 (2024-11-11) (Rai 1)	N/A and 3.332
27	3	"Compromises" "I compromessi"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	September 23, 2024 (2024-09-23) (HBO) November 18, 2024 (2024-11-18) (Rai 1)	N/A
28	4	"Earthquake" "Il terremoto"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	September 30, 2024 (2024-09-30) (HBO) November 18, 2024 (2024-11-18) (Rai 1)	N/A
29	5	"The Break" "La frattura"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	October 7, 2024 (2024-10-07) (HBO)	N/A
30	6	"The Cheat" "Il tradimento"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	October 14, 2024 (2024-10-14) (HBO)	N/A
31	7	"The Return" "Il ritorno"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	October 21, 2024 (2024-10-21) (HBO)	N/A
32	8	"The Investigation" "L’investigazione"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	October 28, 2024 (2024-10-28) (HBO)	TBD
33	9	"The Disappearance" "La scomparsa"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	November 4, 2024 (2024-11-04) (HBO)	TBD
34	10	"The Restitution" "La restituzione"	Laura Bispuri	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo	November 11, 2024 (2024-11-11) (HBO)	TBD

Production

Filming of the second season at Piazza dei Cavalieri, Pisa in 2019

Commissioned by Rai Fiction, HBO and TIMvision, the first season was produced by Italian production companies Wildside and Fandango and international film group Umedia. TIMvision withdrew from the project after the first season, while production companies The Apartment Pictures and Mowe joined production for the second season.

On February 18, 2020, Gaia Girace announced that she would leave the series after playing Lila in three episodes of the third season, as a new and older actress would be cast for the following episodes. However, the director of the third season, Daniele Luchetti, later opted to retain Girace and Mazzucco for the duration of the season.

Music

The score of the series was composed by Max Richter.

Season 1

My Brilliant Friend (TV Series Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Max Richter
Released	December 7, 2018 (2018-12-07)
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	36:15
Label	Deutsche Grammophon
Max Richter chronology
Mary Queen of Scots (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2018) My Brilliant Friend (TV Series Soundtrack) (2018) Ad Astra (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2019)
Singles from My Brilliant Friend (TV Series Soundtrack)
"Elena & Lila" Released: November 30, 2018

The soundtrack album for the first season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on December 7, 2018, for digital download. It was preceded by the release of the single "Elena & Lila" on November 30, 2018.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Elena & Lila"	4:53
2.	"Whispers"	3:41
3.	"Your Reflection"	3:35
4.	"The Days Go By"	2:43
5.	"Interior Dialogues"	1:37
6.	"In the Dark"	2:30
7.	"In Spite of All"	2:10
8.	"Brilliant Clouds"	1:11
9.	"In Remembrance of You"	4:57
10.	"Shimmering Clouds"	1:15
11.	"She Was Running"	2:08
12.	"Our Reflection"	5:35
Total length:		36:15

Additional music

The first season features additional material from Richter's solo discography.

All music is composed by Max Richter

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Spring 1" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	Max Richter, Antonio Vivaldi	2:31
2.	"Summer 2" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	Richter, Vivaldi	3:59
3.	"Cypher" (from the single Cypher, 2018)		7:43
4.	"Aria 2 – Pt. 1" (from the album Sleep, 2015)		1:19
5.	"Infra 5" (from the album Infra, 2010)		5:16
6.	"Infra 8" (from the album Infra, 2010)		3:21
7.	"Love Song (Cascade)" (from the album Perfect Sense, 2011)		1:02
8.	"Organum" (from the album The Blue Notebooks, 2004)		3:13
9.	"Dream 13 (Minus Even)" (from the album From Sleep, 2015)		8:52
10.	"Vladimir's Blues" (from the album The Blue Notebooks, 2004)		1:18
11.	"Iconography" (from the album The Blue Notebooks, 2004)		3:38
12.	"Chorale/Glow – Pt. 1" (from the album Sleep, 2015)		2:00
13.	"Circles from The Rue Simon – Crubellier" (from the album 24 Postcards in Full Colour, 2008)		1:04
14.	"Dream 19 (Pulse) – Pt. 6" (from the album Sleep, 2015)		3:17
15.	"Interior Dreams an Idea" (from the album Henry May Long, 2009)		2:18
16.	"Kierling/Doubt" (from the album 24 Postcards in Full Colour, 2008)		0:50
17.	"Space 11 (Invisible Pages Over)" (from the album From Sleep, 2015)		5:15
18.	"Space 17 (Chains) – Pt. 7" (from the album Sleep, 2015)		1:08
19.	"Space 21 (Petrichor)" (from the album From Sleep, 2015)		4:47
20.	"Sublunar – Pt. 1" (from the album Sleep, 2015)		1:29

Season 2

My Brilliant Friend, Season 2 (TV Series Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Max Richter
Released	May 1, 2020 (2020-05-01)
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	54:51
Label	Deutsche Grammophon
Max Richter chronology
Ad Astra (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2019) My Brilliant Friend, Season 2 (TV Series Soundtrack) (2020) Voices (2020)

The soundtrack album for the second season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on May 1, 2020, for digital download. The soundtrack features material from Richter's solo discography.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Elena and Lila (Titles Season 2)"	1:13
2.	"Sub Piano (MBF Version)" (from the album Infra, 2010)	0:49
3.	"Protest March (Pt. 1)"	1:09
4.	"Protest March (Pt. 2)"	2:32
5.	"Organum (MBF Version)" (from the album The Blue Notebooks, 2004)	3:15
6.	"Leo (MBF Version)" (from the reissue of the album Songs from Before, 2014)	2:11
7.	"She Won't Answer"	2:35
8.	"The Young Mariner (MBF Version)" (from the album Henry May Long, 2009)	4:06
9.	"Harmonium (MBF Version)" (from the album Songs from Before, 2006)	4:25
10.	"Cinema Music"	6:28
11.	"Don't Put Sad Ideas In My Head / All By Themselves"	3:21
12.	"Winter 2 (MBF Version)" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	2:53
13.	"Return 16 (time capsule) [Edit]" (from the album Sleep, 2015)	9:14
14.	"moth-like stars (Edit)" (from the album Sleep, 2015)	10:40
Total length:		54:51

Season 3

My Brilliant Friend, Season 3 (Original Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Max Richter
Released	March 4, 2022 (2022-03-04)
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	29:47
Label	Deutsche Grammophon
Max Richter chronology
Invasion (Music from the Original TV Series: Season 1) (2021) My Brilliant Friend, Season 3 (Original Soundtrack) (2022) The New Four Seasons – Vivaldi Recomposed (2022)

The soundtrack album for the third season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on March 4, 2022, for digital download. The soundtrack features material from Richter's solo discography.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Romance I"	1:57
2.	"Leo (MBF Version)" (from the reissue of the album Songs from Before, 2014)	2:11
3.	"Spring 1 (MBF Version)" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	2:32
4.	"Romance II"	1:40
5.	"This Picture Of Us. P." (from the album 24 Postcards in Full Colour, 2008)	1:38
6.	"Sub Piano (MBF Version)" (from the album Infra, 2010)	0:49
7.	"Fragment" (from the album Songs from Before, 2006)	1:44
8.	"Romance III"	1:55
9.	"Vladimir's Blues" (from the album The Blue Notebooks, 2004)	1:21
10.	"Romance IV"	1:39
11.	"Romance V"	1:41
12.	"moth-like stars (Edit)" (from the album Sleep, 2015)	10:40
Total length:		29:47

Season 4

My Brilliant Friend, Season 4 (Original Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Max Richter
Released	September 27, 2024 (2024-09-27)
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	39:07
Label	Deutsche Grammophon
Max Richter chronology
In a Landscape (2024) My Brilliant Friend, Season 4 (Original Soundtrack) (2024)

The soundtrack album for the fourth and final season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on September 27, 2024, for digital download. The soundtrack features material from Richter's solo discography.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Spring 1 (MBF Version)" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	2:31
2.	"Sub Piano" (from the album Infra, 2010)	0:49
3.	"An Earthquake"	5:12
4.	"In Remembrance of You" (from My Brilliant Friend (TV Series Soundtrack))	4:57
5.	"A Comic Grotesque"	3:58
6.	"Shadow 5" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	2:59
7.	"Summer 2" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	3:59
8.	"Organum" (from the album The Blue Notebooks, 2004)	3:13
9.	"Interior Dreams an Idea" (from the album Henry May Long, 2009)	2:17
10.	"Summer 1" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	4:11
11.	"A Folly"	3:12
12.	"Autumn 3" (from the album Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012)	1:44
Total length:		39:07

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 93% rating with an average score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 57 reviews. The site's critical consensus is, "My Brilliant Friend is an expansive epic that gleans rapturous beauty from the most desolate of circumstances, but it is the intimacy between the central duo – and the remarkable performances that bring them to life – that audiences will remember most vividly". On Metacritic, it has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 20 reviews. Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett of The Guardian stated "How revolutionary it still feels to see female friendship explored onscreen in this way. It goes without saying that it takes the Bechdel test and turns it into ragù."

On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a 100% rating with an average score of 9.5 out of 10 based on 15 reviews. The site's critical consensus is, "Gorgeously shot and full of incredible performances, My Brilliant Friend's second season expands its small world with rich results." On Metacritic, it has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 8 reviews.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has a 100% rating with an average score of 9.2 out of 10 based on 13 reviews. On Metacritic, it has a score of 96 out of 100 based on 6 reviews.

Awards and nominations

Association	Year	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
Ciak d'oro	2019	Serial Movie	My Brilliant Friend	Won
Critics' Choice Awards	2019	Best Drama Series	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
	2023	Best Foreign Language Series	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
Diversity Media Awards	2019	Best Italian Series	My Brilliant Friend	Won
Dorian Awards	2022	Best Non-English Language TV Show	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
Globo d'oro	2019	Best TV Series	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
		Best Breakthrough Actress	Ludovica Nasti	Won
	2020	Best TV Series	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
Gotham Awards	2019	Breakthrough Series – Long Form	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
Monte-Carlo Television Festival	2019	Best Drama TV Series	My Brilliant Friend	Won
Nastro d'Argento	2022	Best TV Series	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Eduardo Scarpetta	Won
Peabody Awards	2019	Entertainment	HBO Entertainment in association with Rai Fiction, TIMvision and Wildside, Fandango, and Umedia	Nominated
Premi Flaiano	2019	Presidency Award	Elisa Del Genio, Ludovica Nasti	Won
	2022	Best Director	Daniele Luchetti	Won
Premio Biagio Agnes	2020	Fiction	My Brilliant Friend	Won
RdC Awards	2018	Navicella TV Award	My Brilliant Friend	Won
Shanghai Television Festival	2019	Best Foreign Television Miniseries	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
Sichuan Television Festival	2023	Best Television Series	My Brilliant Friend	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Leading Role for a Television Series	Margherita Mazzucco	Won
		Best Actress in a Supporting Role for a Television Series	Anna Rita Vitolo	Nominated
		Best Screenplay for a Television Series	Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci, Saverio Costanzo	Won

Home media

On April 2, 2019, HBO Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD and Digital in region 1.

External links

• Official website
• My Brilliant Friend at IMDb