Boris

Boris is an Italian television series created by Luca Manzi and Carlo Mazzotta, initially produced from 2007 to 2010, with a revival season premiered in 2022. The show brings to the stage the behind the scenes of a television set where a troupe is shooting Gli occhi del cuore 2 (The eyes of the heart 2), a satirical portrait of the many fictions airing on the Italian TV networks.

Boris (2007-present) is an Italian television satire series created by Luca Manzi and Carlo Mazzotta, a sharp backstage comedy about a television production. Francesco Pannofino plays René Ferretti, the harried director of a soap-style melodrama called Gli occhi del cuore 2, and he is surrounded by a volatile crew including Alessandro Tiberi as the young assistant Alessandro, Pietro Sermonti as the temperamental Stanis La Rochelle, and Caterina Guzzanti as the ambitious Arianna Dell'Arti. The engine of the show is simple and relentless: Ferretti wants to deliver a respectable product while network executives, egos, budget shortfalls and personal rivalries conspire to sabotage every shoot. Episodes unfold as sequences of on-set disasters, improvised fixes and petty power struggles, so the comedy lands through cringe and deadpan timing rather than plot twists. The series spans four seasons across fourteen-episode runs with a later eight-episode return, giving it a continuing storyline with recurring office politics. Its register is sardonic, irreverent and sharply observational, with a warm undertow of affection for its flawed characters. Fans of The Larry Sanders Show, Episodes and Extras will find resonance in its satire of television vanity and industry hypocrisy.

Audiences broadly acclaim Boris as a sharp, cynical satire of the Italian television industry, with its behind-the-scenes chaos and ensemble performances widely celebrated.

• The Larry Sanders Showshared behind the scenes workplace comedy about a production set and its chaotic crew
• Episodesshared satirical mockery of the television industry and its vanities
• Extrasshared backstage satire of show business egos and industry hypocrisy

Created by

Luca Manzi, Carlo Mazzotta

Release Date

2007-04-16

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.5 / 10 (255)

What is Boris about?

A hapless Italian television crew struggles to finish a melodramatic series while their own egos and blunders threaten the production.

What is Boris like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Boris as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Boris violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Boris.

What did critics think of Boris?

Audiences broadly acclaim Boris as a sharp, cynical satire of the Italian television industry, with its behind-the-scenes chaos and ensemble performances widely celebrated.

Which shows are like Boris?

Shows with a similar feel include The Larry Sanders Show, Episodes, and Extras.

How long is Boris?

Boris: 4 seasons, 50 episodes.

Is Boris still running?

No, Boris has ended.

Where can I watch Boris?

In United States, Boris streams on Hulu.