He’s baaack! He is the eponymous crime solving Catholic priest in the fan-favorite Italian mystery series Don Matteo — back just in time for weekend binge-watching.
It’s been a few years since viewers in the US and Canada have been able to watch Don Matteo (save for the lucky folks who bought the no-longer-unavailable DVDs). But now the show is back — as in right now — on MHz Choice, where all 16 hour-long episodes of Season 1 are streaming!
For those who may not be familiar with Don Matteo, the long-running hit mystery series (it launched back in 2000) follows Don Matteo (Terence Hill, Watch Out, We’re Mad), a Catholic priest whose parish is in the town of Gubbio, located in the province of Perugia in the Umbria region of Italy (roughly the “thigh” part of “the boot” on a map). Here he tends to his flock’s spiritual needs, and provides help for other matters, too — such as proving a person innocent of a crime they didn’t commit while catching the actual culprit.
Don Matteo’s insights into the reasoning behind the various crimes committed by his parishioners and others stem from his deep understanding of human nature and his keen sense of intuition — Divine gifts that are appreciated and even welcomed by Marshal Nino Cecchini (Nino Frassica, Mafia Only Kills in Summer) of the Gubbio and Spoleto Carabinieri, not so much (not at all) by his superior officer, Captain Flavio Anceschi (Flavio Insinna, in Seasons 1-5), or those who succeed Anceschi.
After arriving in Gubbio, Cecchini and Don Matteo become fast and close friends, and they assist each other (under Anceschi’s nose) during the police’s official criminal investigations — Cecchini with details that support Don Matteo in his unofficial inquiries, and Don Matteo with solving the crimes without claiming credit and undermining the carabinieri.
Between delving into suspicious deaths and outright homicides, Don Matteo does his priestly duties and helps to keep the peace in Gubbio — from dramas between Anceschi and Laura Respighi (Milena Miconi), the mayor of Gubbio (and the captain’s love interest), to those within his own household between housekeeper Natalina (Nathalie Guettà) and sacristan Pippo (Francesco Scali).
Don Matteo is a terrific show (ergo 13 seasons and counting), and I hope newbies to the series will enjoy it as much as longtime fans do (yours truly included).
As noted above, Season 1 is available for streaming now. Seasons 2-8 of Don Matteo will be rolled out throughout February, and Seasons 9-12 will launch later this year in the US and Canada exclusively on MHz Choice and its digital channels, including MHz Choice on Amazon. Stay tuned for updates!
__________________
As an affiliate of Amazon and other companies, ads & affiliate links on this blog allow us to earn income from qualifying actions and purchases (at no extra cost to you).
Share this post/page.