Il commissario Manara

My first impressions weren't too good. There was too much sentimentality and comedy and not enough crime. The programme seemed formulaic and it is. However, I stuck with it and came to like the series as what it is, a simple bit of fun.

It got to be a familiar theme. We opened with a gruesome killing which was solved in the end by Signor Manara and his principal helper whether the lovely Lara or her replacement in the second season the long legged Marta. Various players had bit parts in the clearing up of the crimes - a couple of buffoonish uniformed cops, the reception cop, the odd couple Sardi and Toscani, Aunty Caterina and (occasionally) Ada.

Throughout, Inspector Manara melted female hearts and seduced several woman and sometimes these conquests were instrumental in solving the whodunnit.

The sets and backgrounds were fabulous. It was shot in a truly unspoilt corner of Italy with old buildings and narrow streets set against the backdrop of the sea.

A third season was commissioned and written. Filming was announced to be starting on several occasions but the project was quietly dropped. It's a real shame. It will never happen now. I'd have loved to see the new episodes.

This is a nice, frothy confection that is easy to watch. I'm confined to barracks because of covid and it made an ideal way to while away some hours.