June 7: on the 1974 FIFA World Cup's eve, the Minister of Communication Giuseppe Togni orders the dismantling of the implants broadcasting the signals of RSI and TV-Koper (which unlike RAI, broadcast the matches in color). In the same year, the Minister often takes similar sanctions against the Italian private channels, on cable or on air.[1]
July 7: the Constitutional Court authorizes the broadcast on Italy of the foreign channels and the private cable channels. The RAI monopoly over broadcasting on air is confirmed.[1]
August 7: in Monaco, Telemontecarlo begins broadcasting. Initially aimed to the Italian-speaking people in the principality, soon it is also broadcast in Italy. It becomes a new competitor for the RAI monopoly.[1]
August 10: first broadcasting by air of an Italian private channel; in Florence, Firenze libera airs a documentary about the 30th anniversary of the city's liberation. Firenze libera is immediately sanctioned by the Minister Togni. Within the same year, other pirate television channels follows Firenze libera's example. They include Telesuperba in Genoa (the first in color) and TV QUI in Modena (again active by now).[2]
September 18: Ettore Bernabei resigns as RAI general director, and is replaced by Michele Principe. Bernabei was in charge since 1961 and he was considered the enlightened despot of the estate.[1]
September 22: The first profanities in Italian TV. In Sorrento, the free diver Enzo Maiorca fails a record on live TV, because of a collision with a misguided photographer. He then resurfaces swearing; his expletives are broadcast by the RAI cameras, before the sound is interrupted.[3]
September 24: in Milan, Telemilanocavo, a cable TV for the Milano Due residents, begins broadcasting; in the future, it will be the core of the Silvio Berlusconi's media empire.[1]
Cartesius – by Roberto Rosselini, with Ugo Cardea in the title role, in two episodes; last of the didactical biographies of philosophers by Rossellini.
Accadde a Lisbona (It happened in Lisbon) by Daniele D’Anza, with Paolo Stoppa as Alves dos Reis, in three episodes; the incredible but true story of one of the greatest swindles ever performed.
Quaranta giorni di libertà (Forty days of freedom) – by Leandro Castellani, script by Luciano Codignola, in 3 episodes; celebratory miniseries for the thirty anniversary of the Free Ossola State, the most famous of the Italian partisan republics.[9]
Literature
Anna Karenina – by Sandro Bolchi, with Lea Massari in the title role and Sergio Fantoni as Konstantin Levin, from the Lev Tolstoy's novel (published just a century before), in eight episodes. Last of the great RAI “dramatized novels”; it gets a huge public success, in spite of its theatrical and outdated style, thanks moreover to the Massari's interpretation.[10]
Il dipinto (The painting) – by Domenico Campana, in 2 episodes.
Ho incontrato un’ombra (I met a shadow) – by Daniele D’Anza, with Giancarlo Zanetti and Beba Loncar, in 4 episodes.
Humor
Sì, vendetta... (Yes, vengeance) – by Mario Ferrero, script and interpreted by Franca Valeri, in four episodes. Through the history of an upper class widow and of her hippy daughter, the author-actress makes irony about the changes in progress of the Italian society.[14]
Variety
Alle sette della sera (At seven in the evening) – musical show, hosted by Christian De Sica.
Il mangianote (The notes-eater) – musical show, hosted by Quartetto Cetra.
Milleluci (A thousand lights) – by Antonello Falqui, with Mina and Raffaella Carrà. It's a review of the various form of entertainment, from the radio to the musical comedy, and is remembered as the only show where the two greatest female stars of Italian TV had worked together.[15] The show is the most seen TV program of the year, with 23.600.000 viewers.[16]
Sabato sera dalle nove alle dieci (Saturday evening, from nine to ten) – by Giancarlo Nicotra and Ugo Gregoretti. The images of a variety with Gigi Proietti are alternated with the stories of four people (a thief, Dr. Jekyll, a playboy and a tramp, all played by the same Proietti) looking at the show in television.[17]
Tante scuse (Many apologies) – by Romolo Siena, with Raimondo Vianello and Sandra Mondaini, and Ricchi e Poveri as constant guests; the show parodies the traditional RAI variety, pretending to display its own backstage, marked by continuous troubles and quarrels. The formula will be repeated in many other spectacles of the couple.[18]
Canzonissima 1974 – by Eros Macchi, hosted by Raffaella Carrà, with Topo Gigio, Cochi e Renato and the debuting Massimo Boldi as constant guests; won by the duo Wess and Dori Ghezzi, with Un corpo e un anima. Last edition of the show, whose formula, In spite of some renewal attempts (as the contest reserved to the folk music and won by Tony Santagata), appears by then worm out to the public.
Le fiabe dell’albero (The fables of the tree) – by Lino Procacci; fairy-tales told by renowned stage actors.[21]