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Narrative & characters

An adaptation of the Spanish series Merlí (TV3, 2015–2018), the Italian Un professore centers on Dante, a philosophy teacher whose personal life—as father, partner, son and educator—constitutes the central axis of the narrative around which the stories of a group of students revolve. Although structurally aimed at a mainstream audience (prime-time Rai 1), the series nevertheless integrates topics that resonate with Gen Z sensibilities—gender identity, sexual orientation, body positivity, mental wellbeing, social dysmorphia, revenge porn, second-generation immigration, and symbolic violence in school contexts. These issues are introduced primarily through adolescent characters, who, however, often remain in a supporting register: for example, Luna addresses body-image pressures imposed by social media; Rayan, of African origin, narrates his traumatic migration journey to Italy; and Simone, Dante’s son, embarks on an exploration of his sexual orientation. These elements explain why a show conceived for Rai 1’s broad audience has nonetheless been able to capture the interest of younger cohorts. In this sense, the series attempts to reconcile the reassuring pedagogical grammar of public-service broadcasting with stronger identity claims, producing a notable tension between the cultural identity of Rai and the expectations of young viewers accustomed to narrative models from international OTT platforms. The program’s formative intent remains explicit and is continually framed as part of Rai’s public-service mission.

Stereotypes & strategies of inclusion

Un professore demonstrably pays attention to diversity and inclusion (DEI), yet it is important to note that these themes are generally addressed using registers and languages calibrated to a Rai 1 audience rather than the register of RaiPlay originals. A telling example appears in the second-season episode titled David Hume: la bellezza. In a scene, the young Simone confides to his father Dante that he was involved in a brawl that erupted after an act of homophobic aggression. Although Simone’s homosexuality is not hidden in the narrative, words such as “gay” or “homosexual” are never uttered in that scene: Simone speaks of comments about “who I am” or “how I am,” and the father, understanding the implication, looks down in visible contrition.

This restrained handling is symptomatic of adaptation choices that generated controversy, especially concerning the relationship between Simone and Manuel. In the original Catalan series the two characters have a clearly articulated sexual relationship, and Manuel’s bisexuality is explicitly addressed. In the Italian version, their relationship is reduced to a single furtive kiss at the end of season one that receives no follow-up in season two.

Manuel’s orientation is never thematized, and he subsequently begins a romantic relationship with a female character, Nina.

These decisions prompted accusations in the press and among fans of censorship and bi-erasure (the erasure of bisexual identity), amplified by controversial comments attributed to screenwriter Sandro Petraglia that were perceived as biphobic. Producers attempted to reframe the plot as a portrayal of friendship between a gay and a heterosexual boy—one secretly in love with the other—adopting a “normalizing” but ultimately stereotypical discourse. As a result, the series was widely perceived as adopting a conciliatory, non-transformative model of inclusion rather than a disruptive or progressive one.

Conversations

Khadim Faye, the Afro-descendent actor who joined the cast in season two, speaks about his origins and his desire to serve as a role model for second-generation youth (SpettacoloEU, November 23, 2023).

Strategies

The Un professore case illustrates Rai’s multifaceted strategies in response to deep transformations in the national media ecosystem. Traditional generalist television, which historically catered to a broad, intergenerational and often conservative audience, now confronts a fragmented public composed of demographic and cultural segments that demand more inclusive narratives, authentic representations, and less normative registers. Rai must therefore negotiate between its institutional identity—rooted in a public service mission—and the need to remain competitive in a market increasingly defined by OTT platforms and their cultural innovations. Un professore represents an attempt to reconcile institutional identity and market competitiveness by blending broadcasting and streaming logics and by re-calibrating the teen-drama genre within a public-service framework with pedagogical ambitions. The show privileges co-viewing as both a consumption practice and an editorial strategy: lessons in philosophy are used as a dramaturgical device to frame topical issues (climate change, gender-based violence, civic and moral responsibility) with the stated aim of combining reflection and entertainment—balancing educative goals and mainstream appeal. This editorial choice is strategic because it encourages multi-generational viewing, offering content that is accessible and attractive to diverse age groups.

Communication rhetorics

Official communications about Un professore emphasize a pedagogical and intergenerational rhetoric, presenting the series as a product “for everyone” that merges quality entertainment with prompts for reflection. Press releases, launch conferences and institutional interviews foreground the fiction’s role as a vehicle of civic and social values aligned with Rai’s educational mission, and as an occasion to address current issues—ranging from gender violence to climate change and the challenges of multicultural coexistence—in an accessible register. Audience success, measured by TV ratings and social-media attention, is repeatedly cited as proof that the format speaks across generations and attracts younger viewers to Rai seriality. At the same time, official communication has often smoothed or sidestepped controversies arising from adaptation choices and accusations of bi-erasure, keeping the discourse focused on a reassuring and inclusive tone rather than on conflict. By contrast, Netflix’s promotion of the series after adding it to its catalogue followed a markedly different logic: Netflix published a video montage titled “TUTTA la STORIA dei SIMUEL in UN PROFESSORE”—a compilation of the most romantic and evocative moments between the two characters—which actively fueled fandom. This approach highlights Netflix’s awareness of fan expectations and its deployment of diversity-branding techniques aligned with platform-driven fandom cultures.

Conversations

Circulation patterns

Produced by Rai Fiction and Banijay Studios Italy, Un professore aired on Rai 1 and is scheduled to release a third season in 2025. Season 1 broadcast ran from 11 November to 16 December 2021 (with a RaiPlay preview on 9 November 2021); Season 2 aired from 23 November to 21 December 2023 (preview on RaiPlay, 14 November 2023). In terms of ratings, the series achieved exceptional popular success, at times outperforming sport broadcasts airing on the same evenings. The premiere night averaged about 3.84 million viewers across two episodes with a 21.7% share. The second season closed on 21 December 2023 with 3,817,000 viewers and a 22.88% share, exceeding the season average of 3.7 million viewers and a 21.3% share. Notably, the second season registered a marked strengthening among the 15–24 age group: the share rose from 17.4% in season 1 to 23.8% in season 2, with particularly strong performance among women aged 15–24 (average 29%), making the series the most-watched fiction on Rai 1 that autumn in that demographic. Platform distribution extended access to audiences less tied to prime-time habits: Season 1 was added to Netflix Italy on 16 November 2023 and subsequently entered Netflix’s Top 10 for several weeks, remaining at #8 in the week of 25–31 December 2023—evidence of prolonged circulation and a consolidated fandom.

Reception

Mainstream critics often praised Un professore as a contemporary offering that “resembles real life,” encourages young people not to fear judgment, and enacts a “gentle revolution” of social norms while asserting a clear pedagogical vocation. This critical appreciation is reflected in several prestigious awards. In 2022 Alessandro Gassmann received a Nastro d’Argento Speciale for his intense portrayal of Dante. In 2024 the series won a Nastro d’Argento for Best Dramedy (season 2), recognizing its skill in blending comedic and dramatic elements in an inclusive, contemporary narrative. The same year, Nicolas Maupas won the Ciak d’Oro for “Best Performance for the Under-30 Public,” while Domenico Cuomo and Margherita Aresti received nominations in the same category and Gassmann was nominated for “Best Italian Actor,” consolidating the show’s reputation for authentic intergenerational representation and emotional impact. Institutionally, the series was awarded the Biagio Agnes Prize in the Fiction category for stimulating debate on the values of teaching and the school–society relationship; the Adolfo Celi Prize similarly recognized its capacity to address social and relational issues while maintaining broad public appeal and promoting equality and mutual respect. Despite these successes, some adaptation choices generated significant criticism and public indignation—especially among adolescent and youth audiences mobilized through grassroots fandom practices. Two opposing phenomena emerged across Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube and fanwriting platforms like Wattpad. On one side, a huge ship slash phenomenon developed around the couple “Simuel” (a portmanteau of Simone and Manuel): ship slash denotes fanworks that imagine a sexual or romantic relationship between two same-sex characters that the official text does not provide. On the other side, an anti-fandom formed around the character Nina—an anti-fandom being a space where fans express organized hatred, disgust or frustration toward a cultural product. The “Simuel” fandom therefore became a powerful fan-driven production that both amplified interest in the series and created an alternative, supplementary (and sometimes oppositional) narrative community vis-à-vis the official storyline.

Conversations

Italian and foreign press

Italian Press

Luca Diana, “Un professore, the Gentle Revolution on the Small Screen: Love Has No More Taboos”, Gay.it, December 22, 2023.

«The series timidly attempted to bring various divisive themes to TV—bisexuality and homosexuality, gender-based violence and interpersonal relationship difficulties—with the challenge and honor of reaching a broad slice of Italian viewers still anchored to early-2000s television stereotypes, unaccustomed to these more quotidian narrative lines. The girl with motor difficulties, the kiss between two adolescent boys, the group violence are not easy images to show—especially on a state broadcaster with censorial tendencies—yet the series’ writers understood the importance of telling these stories». 

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Federico Favale, “Un professore – The Review of the Rai Series”, davidemaggio.it, December 1, 2023.

«Probably one of the first (if not the first) TV fictions to bring back frontal classroom lessons. The pandemic created pervasive social distancing and moved much instruction online. Un Professore first and foremost restores the importance of physically attending a place and the people connected to it—to live an experience rather than merely learn something. The series’ target is evidently young viewers, discernible from the opening scenes. There are major flaws throughout the episodes and narrative arc, but there are also strengths ready to surprise and welcome the viewer. The series must be watched with a specific gaze—the gaze of someone who knows they are engaging with yet another adolescent epic».

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