Immerse yourself in Italian culture with these iconic MHz Choice mysteries, crime dramas, and more!
The Italian series on MHz Choice go beyond gripping storylines; they offer a rich tapestry of language, scenery, cuisine, and everyday life that bring the soul of Italy directly to your screen.
Watching these series isn’t just entertaining—it’s educational. You’ll find yourself picking up Italian expressions, craving espresso, and understanding the nuances of regional identities from Sicily to Lazio. Whether you’re drawn to mystery, crime, or heartfelt drama, MHz Choice’s Italian collection invites you to explore Italy not as a tourist, but as a local.
Benvenuti in Italia!
Detective Montalbano
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-14
Of course we have to begin the Best of Italy list with, in our opinion, one of the best mystery series of all time!
Detective Montalbano, based on the international best-selling mystery novels by Andrea Camilleri and starring Luca Zingaretti, is an essential MHz Choice series. Murder, betrayal, office politics, temptation… it’s all in a day’s work for Detective Salvo Montalbano. Stream all 37 episodes!
SET IN: The ancient, sun-washed Sicilian city of Ragusa Ibla.
Carlo & Malik
DRAMA – CRIME | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-14
A more recent addition to the MHz Choice catalogue, but no less worthy of this list, Carlo and Malik follows veteran police officer Carlo Guerrieri and young, bright rookie cop Malik Soprani as they learn to overcome their differences and work together. Featuring a large cast of loveable characters, Carlo & Malik is sure to be an essential series!
SET IN: Rome, in all of its bustling glory!
Imma Tataranni
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-PG
Don your leopard print and pour a glass of sangria for this one! Everyone’s favorite deputy prosecutor Imma Tataranni cracks cases with attitude to spare in this entertaining crime series.
SET IN: Matera, a city seemingly carved from stone in the gloriously sunny south of Italy.
The Bastards of Pizzofalcone
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-14
A ragtag team of misfit detectives in this famous police procedural based on the novels by Maurizio de Giovanni. The Bastards of Pizzofalcone features many faces who will be very familiar to fans of Italian series on MHz Choice!
SET IN: Naples, and showcases many historical areas and buildings throughout the city.
Murders at Barlume
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-14
If you loved Detective Montalbano, good news! After the (untimely) end of that series, the producers went on to create this quirky and comic mystery. The series follows the owner of Barlume, Massimo, who frequently finds himself moonlighting as an amateur detective.
Bars play a key role in Italian culture, particularly for retired people, and Murders at Barlume captures this with a mix of humor and mystery!
Don Matteo
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-PG
We can’t possibly have a Best of Italy list without good ol’ Don Matteo! With 15 seasons and counting, Don Matteo is one of the longest-running Italian mystery series and entirely beloved by MHz Choice fans.
In the vein of the English literary series Father Brown, Terence Hill stars as Don Matteo, a thoroughly ordinary Catholic priest with an extraordinary ability to read people and solve crimes. Later seasons feature Raoul Bova as Don Massimo, who takes up Matteo’s church and crime-solving duties.
SET IN: Much of the series is set in a provincial town in Perugia, located in central Italy.
Makari: Sicilian Mysteries
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-PG
Saverio Lamanna returns to his native Sicily to write a book, sniff out criminals and solve tricky mysteries. Based on the novels by Gaetano Savatteri.
SET IN: Sicily, as the title demonstrates. Grab your sunglasses for this one!
Fosca Innocenti
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-14
Deputy police chief Fosca Innocenti (Vanessa Incontrada, Captain Maria) is a horse-riding career woman has a literal nose for things, whether it’s the blooming flowers on her estate or the scent of a guilty party. In addition to leading her all-female detective team, she’s also coming to terms with complicated feelings for Cosimo, her smoldering, wine-bar owning best friend from childhood.
SET IN: The charming Tuscan city of Arezzo.
Un Professore
DRAMA | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-14
Get philosophical with this charming drama series!
Alessandro Gassmann (The Bastards of Pizzofalcone) stars as Dante Balestra, a nonconformist high school philosophy teacher who establishes a special bond with his students in the enlightening comedy-drama.
SET IN: Where else but Rome to study the great minds of philosophy?
Vincenzo Malinconico – The Italian Lawyer
MYSTERY | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-14
Semi-unemployed lawyer Vincenzo Malinconico (Massimiliano Gallo, Imma Tataranni, The Bastards of Pizzofalcone) is drawn into a murder case and ends up defending the mob in this light-hearted series based on the novels by Diego De Silva.
SET IN: Salerno, along the gorgeous Amalfi Coast.
Petra
DRAMA | CRIME | ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TV-MA
Character-driven procedural crime drama Petra brings to life the iconic detective from Alicia Gimenéz-Bartlett’s bestselling novels.
The ingenious and unconventional Petra Delicato is working a tiresome desk job when she is suddenly thrust onto the front line, tasked with solving violent crimes alongside old-school policeman, from whom she couldn’t be more different. Soon, their shared determination to uncover the truth leads to a surprisingly successful partnership.
SET IN: The port city of Genoa in northern Italy.
