News 2020

Boris-the series: plot, review, technical data sheet and opening theme

👩 Daniela Attanasio 📅 May 28, 2020

Here's what the tv series Boris conceived by Luca Manzi is about, with Francesco Pannofino and Caterina Guzzanti: plot, review, cast, technical data sheet and trailer.

Boris-the series

Boris is a TV series set in the backstage of a television set of the drama “Gli occhi del cuore” (The eyes of the heart). Produced for Fox International Channels Italy from 2007 to 2010, is aired on Fox and Fx, subsequently in clear on Cielo. Each episode lasts approximately 30 minutes. The three seasons, of 14 episodes each, are available in streaming on Netflix.

There are four directors who follow one another: Giacomo Ciarrapico, Mattia Torre, Luca Vendruscolo and Davide Marengo. The opening theme present at the beginning and at the end of each episode is sung by Elio e le storie tese. From the series it has been also made a movie “Boris: The movie” released in 2011 which tells the stories of the protagonists behind the scenes of the cinematographic set “The Caste”.

The cast consists of the following actors: Francesco Pannofino (René), Caterina Guzzanti (Arianna), Alessandro Tiberi (Alessandro), Antonio Catania (Diego), Ninni Bruschetta (Duccio), Paolo Calabresi (Biascica), Alberto Di Stasio (Sergio), Carlo De Ruggieri (Lorenzo), Roberta Fiorentini (Itala), Carolina Crescentini (Corinna), Pietro Sermonti (Stanis), Eugenia Costantini (Cristina), Karin Proia (Karin), Angelica Leo (Fabiana), Valerio Aprea (screenwriter 1), Massimo De Lorenzo (screenwriter 2), Andrea Sartoretti (screenwriter 3).

Boris belongs to the genre of satirical comedy, with some grotesque elements inserted here and there in the series. The issues dealt are many: it ranges from the difficulties in carrying out a television production, to the exploitation of the interns. It talks about religion, politics, relations with power and, in general, aspects of daily life, all always presented to the general public in a desecrating way. The true strength of Boris lies in the way it brings to light the stereotypes of the world of TV showing them in a tragicomic way.

Plot and review Boris the series, with Francesco Pannofino and Caterina Guzzanti

The plot of Boris tells the adventures of René, television director, struggling with the production of the drama “Gli occhi del cuore” (The eyes of the heart). René for each television production in which has participated chooses a goldfish that will keep him company on the set between a take and another. In short, a real good luck charm. The fish chosen for this drama is called, precisely, Boris.

Occhi del cuore (The eyes of the heart) has as protagonists the two doctors Giorgio and Giulia in the first season. Giorgio is played by Stanis La Rochelle, also called The Star, a presumptuous man who believes that the failure of Italian TV series and their poor quality is due to being too Italian. Corinna, instead, plays Giulia, an untalented actress, hated for this reason by René. Corinna is then replaced by Cristina, daughter of the rich man Burkstaller, but she's not at all interested in the world of TV to the point that she only goes to the set when she feels like it.

Besides Cristina there's the impetuous Karin, who has a provocative and sensual attitude with everyone, even with the unfortunate Alessandro. In the third season, there's the entry of Fabiana, daughter of René, but despite what one might think, she is so good in her job that Paolo Sorrentino wants her in his movie. Furthermore, there will also be some extras, as the one of Mariano, psychologically unstable character who claims to have had the vision of Jesus. Then there's Martellone, comedian who became famous thanks to the catchphrase “Fucking lucky”; Glauco, director of photography who in an episode improvises himself as director for a day because of the absence of René.

In this set there is a real working troupe: there's the director of photography Duccio, Sicilian who makes excessive use of cocaine. Biascica, faithful A.S. Roma supporter who takes care of the lights; and Itala, the slacker edition secretary.

And still, Sergio, the production manager who is always reluctant to pay wages to his employees, and Lopez, network delegate of President Cane. To complete these characters, there are Arianna, first assistant director and faithful set companion of René, the only one able to solve all the problems of the set, and also Alessandro, exploited intern nicknamed “Slave” and “Cuttlefish”, who falls in love with Arianna and Lorenzo, the photography intern named “the dumb intern”.

Famous quotes and rumors about a possible fourth season

The TV series Boris has become a real cult in these years and, indeed, when the platform Netflix has decided to put it in its catalog, has immediately jumped to the top of the list of the most viewed shows of the month for TvTime.

To make it unique in its genre are also the numerous quotes of the protagonists. Here are just a few:

• “Come on, come on, come on” (René)
• “Open all the light” (Duccio)
• “Jeweweler” instead of jeweler (Corinna)
• “I have the feeling that Shakespeare is a bit too Italian lately” (Stanis)
• “To fuc**ng dog” (René),
• “It seems to me that the only one between us who is making an effort to prevent me from hurting you is always me, the same person who, sooner or later, will hurt you” (Mariano)
• “I consider Kubrick an incompetent! I consider it the classic example of artistic instability, have patience! He's one who took on one genre, failed and moved on to another genre. How do we want to call him? Huh? Then years and years from one movie to another. Years and years of what, huh? Of deep embarrassment for the previous movie, have patience!” (Stanis)
• “But there is another thing I want to tell you, which I think is the real great merit of this drama: it's that there are no Tuscans, do you understand? That is no one who says “my mom”, “my dad”, “pass me the meat... the paper” huh? Because with that aspirated C and that cheap sense of humor the Tuscans have devastated Italy” (Stanis)
• “Yes, gentlemen, you got it right! The eyes of the heart 3... because the quality has fucked with us. Because another television is impossible. Hurrah for the shit” (René)
• - “If you see me distracted today, don't mind it. Because... how do you say, no? I don't want to do a shit” - “You knock an open door, Biascica” (Biascica and Duccio)

Anyway, fans, after this Netflix's move to revive a high-quality TV product, are hoping for a new season, but Francesco Pannofino in a recent interview softens the enthusiasm stating that until today a reunion is somewhat unlikely. So, all that remains is to do a nice rewatch of the series whenever you want.

Opening sequence of Boris-the series: watch video YouTUBE

Technical data sheet

Defined "The Italian off series", Boris speaks of a group of insiders who are in charge of shooting the second season of Occhi del cuore (The eyes of the heart), a very poor quality drama. Thanks to the skill of its performers, Boris has become one of the most popular TV series of the last decade, despite only having three seasons.

Title: Boris

Length: 30 minutes per episode

Genre: Satirical comedy

Cast: Francesco Pannofino, Caterina Guzzanti, Alessandro Tiberi, Antonio Catania, Ninni Bruschetta, Paolo Calabresi, Alberto Di Stasio, Carlo De Ruggieri, Roberta Fiorentini, Carolina Crescentini, Pietro Sermonti, Eugenia Costantini, Karin Proia, Angelica Leo, Valerio Aprea, Massimo De Lorenzo, Andrea Sartoretti.

Direction: Giacomo Ciarrapico, Mattia Torre, Luca Vendruscolo and Davide Marengo

Year of prod.: 2007 - 2010

© All rights reserved