“Sirene” (“Mermaids”): the fascinating mythological creatures become the protagonists of a TV series. The fantasy drama, written by Ivan Cotroneo, comprising six episodes set in contemporary Naples, experiments with a whole new genre and succeeds, even on social media.
The new series broadcast by Rai Uno, aimed at a widespread and young audience, made its debut on Thursday and gained nearly 5 million viewers with an audience share of 20.6%.
The TV series, produced by Rai Fiction and Cross Production, and directed by Davide Marengo, features: Maria Pia Calzone, Valentina Bellè, Denise Tantucci, Rosy Franzese and Ornella Muti.
«This is the first fantasy drama produced by Rai. The idea came from wanting to observe and talk about human behaviour from the point of view of “non-human” characters», states with satisfaction Ivan Cotroneo, co-author of the screenplay with Monica Rametta. The male universe, on the other hand, is represented by Luca Argentero, who plays Salvatore Gargiulo, a talented, kind and passionate musician, and Michele Morrone, who plays Ares, the fleeing Triton.
The series follows the adventures of four mermaids, intent on ensuring the continuation of their species, as they make their way onto dry land to look for the last Mediterranean triton, who escaped the sea-world and his subordinate life.
«In order to create this series, we took inspiration from romantic films such as “Roman Holiday”, “Moonstruck” and especially “Earth Girls are Easy”, a 1988 comedy where three extra-terrestrials land on Earth and the terrestrial Geena Davies helps them take on human appearances. As has already been the case with the musical “Tutti pazzi per amore”, the share results confirm that our TV audience is now ready to appreciate more unconventional stories, stories that walk the line between different languages», Cotroneo says.
