A new game show centers on what could arguably be one of the Italy’s worst faults: nepotism.
“I Raccomandati” (Recommended People) where celebrities root for friends or family members trying to make it into show business, made a strong debut on Italian state broadcaster RAI.
The TV show premiered the same week yet another Italian scientist fled abroad citing ‘rampant nepotism.’ The resulting brain drain has become a ‘national crisis’ said President Ciampi who tried, unsuccessfully, to keep the scientist in question from transferring his expertise elsewhere.
The first episode featured politician Ignazio La Russa promoting a comedian friend, singer Tosca d’Aquino trying to get her mother into the spotlight and showgirl Adriana Volpe with a cousin who does celebrity imitations. Admittedly, even the show’s writer says he received a ‘little push’ from TV host brother-in-law Alberto Castagna to get on board.
Celebs make a case for performers, then viewers vote the winners who, in addition to the prime-time publicity, snag a vacation.

Italians, apparently, don’t mind the entertainment version of this age-old system — ratings for ‘I Raccomandati’ were good, the show came in second after a prime-time movie but beat out the Milan-Chievo soccer game — garnering over six million viewers. .?1999-2008 zoomata.com

Italians are ringing in the new year with the last calendar penned by undisputed publishing phenomenon Father Mariangelo da Cerqueto — despite the lack of pulchritude his calendar "Frate Indovino" (Brother Fortuneteller) has been a sell out since 1946. The priest died at the age of 87 in November 2002.

The homespun wisdom of Brother Fortuneteller is rooted in daily weather forecasts–the calendar first gained popularity with farmers in Father Mariangelo’s native Perugia in Umbria for the accuracy of predictions made. The secret? The capuchin priest used a manuscript from the 1600s found in monastery archives.
The calendar, which sells between six and eight million copies yearly in Italy and abroad, dispenses pearls of wisdom like: “Since onions produce tears, chop them in moments of political or emotional turmoil” as well as recipes, folklore and proverbs. Sales of the priest’s calendar, which retails for about $3 each, top those of dozens topless calendars glutting newsstands each year.
Income from the Frate Indovino publishing house, which includes books and videos, fund the order’s missionary works.
Although the 2003 edition is the last one written by Father Mariangelo, the publishing house has plans to carry on with the calendars.?1999-2004 zoomata.com

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