Italia 1 to air second season of Sat.1 improv comedy Schiller Street

Munich, March 19, 2008. The first season of the Sat.1 improv comedy show “Schiller Street” has been such a success in Italy that Italia 1 will be airing a second season. Starting immediately, the Mediaset station will be showing double episodes every Tuesday evening at 9:10, under the title “Buona la prima!”. The second season will have 20 episodes. SevenOne International, the ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s programming sales company, is marketing the Sat.1 format worldwide.

The first season, which ran in spring 2007, drew an average of more than three million viewers per episode. At 12.5 percent, the first 20 episodes’ audience share was 1.5 percentage points above the station’s average for last year. But “Schiller Street” is more than a ratings success in Italy. In February it won one of Italy’s most famous television prizes, the 2008 Telegrolle, in the Sitcom category.

Jens Richter, Managing Director of SevenOne International said: “We’ve already sold the Sat.1 improv comedy to broadcasters in more than 20 countries. ‘Schiller Street’ is one of the most innovative TV concepts in years, and is in demand all over the world. We wish Italia 1 every success in its second season.”

Luca Tiraboschi, Managing Director of Italia 1 has said: “‘Schiller Street’ was undoubtedly one of the major show discoveries of 2007 on Italian TV. With it, we aired one of the most surprising TV formats – and both the ratings and an award proved that we did the right thing. ‘Schiller Street’ is refreshing entertainment – in the second season, too.”

SevenOne International has also sold “Schiller Street” to broadcasters in such countries as France, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Russia and Turkey. The Italian version is an RTI Spa production, made by Grundy Italia jointly with Bananas and Cattleya.

Schiller Street

“Schiller Street” is one of the most innovative, most successful comedy concepts of the past few years. Various comedians get together onstage, without a script. The director gives them individual instructions via an ear bud. The show enchants audiences with the performers’ spontaneity, playful wit, quickness and improvisational talent.