Since its inception in the mid-1950s, the television drama has emerged as the dominant medium of contemporary storytelling in Italian society, with a steadily increasing supply of locally produced domestic dramas offering up competing versions of Italian identity. Informed by the nation's rich historical and cultural heritage--as well as a string of notable foreign imports--the narratives discussed here offer much insight into Italian society and highlight the wide array of television programming available outside of Britain and the United States.About the Author: Milly Buonanno is professor of television studies at the University of Rome "La Sapienza," and author, with Intellect, of The Age of Television: Experiences and Theories.