“Yes, I survived.”
Fabio Fazio, who turned 59 on November 30, admits in a reserved tone his “pleasant and sincere surprise” at the events of the last few months in which he was the protagonist. From its debut on October 15 on Canale Nove to today, Che tempo che fa has achieved a series of record results in terms of share and consensus. This shows that the “Fazio brand” (a term he surely hates) is capable of crunching numbers outside of Rai. In fact, it is capable of increasing these numbers. The public has proven that they are now able to pick up the remote and choose what they want to watch. And he chose Fabio Fazio: loyal viewers followed him without batting an eyelid from a well-known station (Rai 3) to a much less well-known station (Nove).
For the first episode, the show achieved historic results: 2.1 million viewers and 10.5 percent on the nine alone, five times the network average, and 2.6 million viewers and 13 percent on the simulcast. And the trend has not stopped, confirming week after week that the move to Warner Discovery has done no harm. But it actually showed the strength of the project. For this reason, many commentators spoke of a real “performance” by the host, “which was not achieved by me, but by the audience.” An affection that we have built up over time, Sunday after Sunday, and which is based on mutual trust. This latest story shows us that people are now attached to faces and programs, we need to realize that. However, it goes without saying that we were pleasantly surprised by the results achieved in such a short time. We didn't expect that, I'll be honest.
In 1983 you made your debut on television with Raffaella Carrà and in the same year on the radio as an impersonator in the program Rai Black out. Don't you think forty years of television is enough?
“But more than enough! I actually want to stop.
No, I wanted to gain the public's trust.
“But yes, of course I know that people feel real affection for me. But the amazement at a result of this kind remains. No one could have predicted it, not even the most optimistic hypotheses. A result that, I repeat, is linked to the relationship that people today have with the Internet, which they experience more than anything else as a container. However, it is true that the public now votes independently of the carrier. We are able to navigate anywhere and look for what we want.”
“It will definitely be a coincidence, but the new Sanremo rules seem to contradict my program… It is written that the winner cannot participate in programs that are not on RAI in the three days following the conclusion of the festival. “ .. AND USUALLY THE WINNER COMES TO ME»
Do you feel comfortable in this new “home”?
“Absolutely yes. I haven't changed my habits, the team is the same, the product has remained the same as always. In reality, it's as if everything remained the same. Everything but the Internet. It is clear that it is not a pleasant feeling to realize after 40 years that the house in which you lived is no longer yours … But fortunately we have another house where they welcome us with enthusiasm “I can only thank Discovery for investing in me and the program.”
And Rai?
“Rai is the legacy of everyone and for this reason I hope that it can once again fulfill an integrative and non-divisive function.” After that, as we all know, it takes a moment to destroy…».
However, he describes it as sadness to be left behind.
“Naturally. Because I have beautiful memories and no one can ever take them away from me. Afterwards, it's clear that what happened to Rai defies logic. But I'm almost 60 years old, I know exactly how things are, how life goes. Nothing surprises me anymore. What I can say is that I hope we return to normal relationships soon.”
Do you see any glimmers?
“Well, at the moment I see a new rule in Sanremo that says that the winner is not allowed to take part in programs other than Rai in the three days after the end of the festival. Now it must surely be a coincidence that the winner usually came to me. Because it can't be true that a rule was made against my program. This can not be true. Also because we all feel better at Christmas…”.
Fazio, you're suspicious…
“In any case, my team and I are in the enthusiasm phase. We started right where we left off, knowing that we have played an important championship for many years and want to continue to do so.”
– Fabio Fazio in 1986 during the show “Jeans”, which he co-hosted with Moana Pozzi and later with Simonetta Zauli
But with this “move” something will have changed for them.
“I feel perhaps lighter because there is no control over politics here.” There is a clear sense of a company working for the best. Work in such a way that the result is the best for everyone.”
Have you changed the rules for selecting guests?
“No no. We always follow the same criteria and the same rules.”
In retrospect, would you also confirm the decision to have Beppe Grillo on the show?
“Absolutely yes. I've been after him for years. I never went looking for trouble, but I never vetoed it either. My writers and I only think about what is best for the audience. What can you really care about? What works and what doesn't. No guest and no topic is incompatible. The common thread is to make the most of the program. And perhaps it was precisely this breath of freedom that was breathed in Che tempo che fa that was not tolerated. It is incompatible with the new narrative about Rai, for example.
To change the subject: What did you do for Christmas?
“A move.”
Are you kidding, changing networks again?
“No, I moved to Liguria. But since our new home is not ready yet and we have to leave the old one, we are taking furniture and other items to my parents and waiting for everything to be ready.”
“THE TV FOLLOWS THE SCHOOL CALENDAR: I START IN THE FALL AND END IN JUNE. LIKE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL. And so my summer months actually coincide with the school holidays” – Fabio Fazio in the 1996 comedy “Pole Pole” by Massimo Martelli
You probably know that moving, along with grief, is one of the most traumatic events in a person's life.
“I know. But what should I do? I asked my family to leave me some of the processing alone so that I could follow everything closely. And with my rules.
Some might see a bit of control madness in all this…
“And it would be good, but I like it that way.”
So no holidays?
“Look, I have a very boring life.”
Try to give me some examples.
“For me, true peace means being able to do the same things every day.” The same gestures. The repetition calms me. Let's face it, TV saved me. Which, among other things, has a special feature.”
That is?
“It follows the school calendar: I start in the fall and finish in June. Like children at school. And so my summer months actually coincide with the school holidays. These are the months when it's easier to imagine everything because you have a lot of freedom of thought. You finally have emptiness. Just like back when there was free drawing time at school. My teacher was the wife of a painter and drawing rightly had a special meaning for her. Well, when he told us, “Now I'm free-drawing,” it was a wonderful moment where I could imagine patterns without patterns. And create. If you will, at this stage of my life I find myself with free time to draw. I feel free to imagine something without obstacles and restrictions. The freedom to do what I think is best and right. Not that I hadn’t moved like that before, but I didn’t have that feeling of absolute freedom and lightness.”
It must be beautiful. Is it even less strenuous?
“Not that one. We're talking about 26 episodes that amount to a real sporting achievement. It’s a sporting achievement every time.”
– Fazio in the show with Luciana Litizzetto (Photo Getty Images)
Does he have any superstitious rituals?
“Little things. Always take the same route in the changing rooms… Leave through the same door… No Viola… ».
Fazio, but what will he do in four years?
“I told you, I'm coming down.” On the other hand, if there's one rule I learned from Carlo Freccero, it's that one year of television is equal to seven years of a man. So if I do the math, another 28 years of working in television await me. Does that seem small to you?
No, but it seems unlikely to me that it will come down.
“And instead I acknowledge it, I go under.”
From the horse?
“No, he’s standing in front of the RAI.”
“For me, true rest means the ability to do the same things every day.” REPETITIVENESS RELAXES ME”
And what will he do?
“Lively. I rest. If I stopped worrying about the weather, I could finally get back to the things I love most. For example, I would read. Very very much. I am a book eater: I buy one every 3 days. In fact, I take some of them twice.”
Double?
“Yes, double. Because I have them available in my homes, in the city of Milan and by the sea in Liguria. I'll give you an example: I have all double Adelphi Simenons. Because I need to be able to consult them immediately whenever I want. And in the edition I prefer.
And what would you like to do as a “retiree” besides reading?
“Watch movies. Eat. I told you, live. You know, I work ten hours a day every day. I never had time to be bored. Well, if I stop, I might experience that feeling too.
Fabio Fazio, tell the truth: are you happy?
“I have a beautiful family, I do a great job… So yes, I'm very happy.”
LIFE – Fabio Fazio was born on November 30, 1964 in Savona. After graduating in literature and philosophy in Genoa, he made his radio debut in 1982 on the Rai program Black out. She made her television debut the following year alongside Raffaella Carrà in an episode of Pronto Raffaella
SUCCESS – The real success came in 1993 when he wrote and hosted the Sunday variety show “Quelli che il calcio” on Rai3. Another big success was 1997's Anima mia, a 1970s revival directed by Claudio Baglioni, one of the most watched shows in Rai2's history
SANREMO – He hosted the festival two years in a row, in 1999 and 2000. In 2003 he returned to Rai 3 with Che tempo che fa, since 2005 alongside Luciana Littizzetto
THE MOVE – On May 14, 2023, after almost 40 years at Rai, Fazio joined the Warner Bros. Discovery Italia group on a four-year contract. From October 15th, Che tempo che fa will move to Nove