‘My Brilliant Friend’ arrives on La 2 this Sunday with a story of friendship and mystery
The Italian series based on Elena Ferrante’s novels will be broadcast in full on Sundays at 10pm on La 2 and RTVE Play from 23 August.
· 4 min read
‘My Brilliant Friend’, the acclaimed Italian series based on Elena Ferrante’s ‘The Neapolitan Novels’ saga, arrives on La 2 this Sunday. The series can be watched in full from 23 August, every Sunday at 10pm, both on the channel and on RTVE Play.
The production, directed by Saverio Costanzo, tells the story of Elena and Lila, two friends whose relationship goes through different stages over 60 years. The series, which was warmly received by audiences and critics in Italy, joins La 2’s schedule as part of RTVE’s commitment to European fiction.
A friendship marked by affection and rivalry
The story begins when Elena, now in adulthood, receives news of Lila’s disappearance. From that moment, she begins to recall the friendship that shaped her life and began in the 1950s, when they were both children and met while playing in a popular neighbourhood of Naples.
Elena and Lila are very different, but their first meeting gives rise to a relationship destined to last throughout their lives. The series follows the development of its protagonists and shows how their paths become intertwined over the years.
The story is marked by an unsettling mystery linked to Lila’s disappearance. This element serves as the starting point for a narrative in which the decisions, contradictions and feelings of the two protagonists determine the course of their lives.
Their bond goes through different phases, from affection and loyalty to rivalry, jealousy and betrayal. The series thus presents a complex relationship, shaped both by closeness and by the conflicts that arise between them as they grow up and face new circumstances.
A production based on Elena Ferrante’s saga
‘My Brilliant Friend’ adapts the novels by Elena Ferrante collected under the title ‘The Neapolitan Novels’. The series brings the relationship between Elena and Lila to the screen and follows their story from childhood to adulthood.
The production stands out for its aesthetic and acting quality and was broadcast in Italy by RAI and HBO, where it received a notable response from audiences and critics. It now arrives on La 2 to offer viewers the complete series.
The narrative is structured through Elena’s memories. From her perspective, viewers learn about the moments she shared with Lila, the changes in their relationship and the circumstances that have shaped their lives since that first meeting in the Neapolitan neighbourhood.
The passage of time shows the transformation of the protagonists and the development of their feelings. The friendship that begins in childhood becomes the central thread of a story in which rivalry, loyalty and the decisions that drive Elena and Lila apart or bring them together also play a prominent role.
The cast playing Elena and Lila
The main characters are played by different actresses depending on the stage of life they are going through in the series. Elisa Del Genio and Ludovica Nasti play Elena and Lila during their childhood.
During their teenage and adult years, the roles are played by Marguerita Mazzucco and Gaia Girace. In the final season, the protagonists are played by Alba Rohrwacher, as Elena, and Irene Maiorino, as Lila.
They are joined by a large cast playing the other characters in the story. Familiar faces to RTVE audiences include Dora Romano, known for her work in ‘Imma Tataranni’, and Antonio Milo, associated with the series ‘The Ladies’ Paradise’.
RTVE’s commitment to European fiction
The arrival of ‘My Brilliant Friend’ on La 2 forms part of RTVE’s commitment to successful European fiction. The broadcaster has also indicated that other productions, such as ‘A Woman’, will be shown on La 1 shortly.
With this addition, La 2 is offering a series with a notable international profile, centred on a friendship that changes over the decades. The series combines the mystery of Lila’s disappearance with Elena’s recollections and the development of both women from childhood onwards.
‘My Brilliant Friend’ will be broadcast on Sundays at 10pm on La 2 and RTVE Play from 23 August. The series will allow viewers to follow Elena and Lila’s complete story and discover how a friendship born in a Neapolitan neighbourhood comes to be marked by affection, rivalry, jealousy, loyalty and betrayal.
