# La Linea (1978)

> A minimalist Italian animated series in which a single-line man named Mr. Linea walks through obstacles that a live-action cartoonist redraws to help him.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/11673

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 90
- Episode runtime: 3 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy
- Created by: Osvaldo Cavandoli
- Network: Rai 1
- Cast: Carlo Bonomi, Osvaldo Cavandoli
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406432/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: whimsical, breezy, deadpan, playful, gentle

## Synopsis

La Linea (1978-1986) is an Italian animated comedy series created by Osvaldo Cavandoli for Rai 1. Its protagonist, Mr. Linea, is rendered as a single unbroken outline of an endlessly walking line, voiced by Carlo Bonomi, who keeps running into obstacles across his short trek. Each episode is a brief three-minute vignette, and the engine is simple and repeatable: a problem blocks the line's path, and the cartoonist, played by Osvaldo Cavandoli in live action as a hand holding a pencil, sketches a solution that lets him move on. Across two seasons and ninety short episodes, the series builds its gags from the playful friction between the drawn world and the hand that draws it. The tone is light, whimsical and breezy, with a deadpan visual wit that rewards close attention to how a single line can become a wall, a bridge or a hole. Fans of Pink Panther cartoons and Pingu will find resonance in its gentle slapstick, its minimalist design, and its short-form charm. Because the episodes are self-contained and easy to dip into, it works as a quick, cheerful watch for children and adults alike.

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