Un professore is an Italian teen comedy-drama television series broadcast in primetime on Rai 1 from 11 November 2021.https://web.archive.org/web/20211114181658/https://notizieh24.eu/un-professore-su-rai-1-da-giovedi-11-novembre-2021/
Un professore is partly based on the format of the Catalan series Merlí. It is directed by Alessandro D'Alatri in the first season, by Alessandro Casale in the second season and by Andrea Rebuzzi in the third season, produced by Rai Fiction in collaboration with Banijay Studios Italy and stars Alessandro Gassmann.
Plot
Season one
Dante Balestra is the new philosophy teacher at the Leonardo da Vinci scientific high school in Rome, where he has returned after an eight-year absence to be with his son, Simone, now that Floriana, his ex-wife, is moving to Glasgow. Charming and unconventional, the professor takes a class at the Leonardo da Vinci High School where he applies his non-conformist teaching method and establishes a very special relationship with his pupils, including Simone himself. But his manner soon leads to confusing private life with professional life, and the return from the past of Anita, an old acquaintance of his and mother of Manuel, the 'black sheep' of the class, makes things even more complicated.
Season two
Professor Dante Balestra is now an indispensable presence in the lives of his students, among whom is his son Simone. The beating heart of the series remains the Leonardo da Vinci high school, with the class attended by Simone and Manuel (Anita's son), where Dante, with his usual non-conformist and ingenious flair, uses philosophy to help the boys solve their problems, including complicated love affairs, intrusive parents, daydreams and dashed hopes.
New class members appear in this season, such as Nina, a girl of Polish origin who hides a complicated life path, Rayan, a promising footballer who has arrived from Africa and is more interested in football than in studying, Viola, a disabled girl with an impossible character, and finally Mimmo, a former student of Dante's who ended up in juvenile prison, whom the professor has managed to get committed to the Leonardo da Vinci library in semi-freedom.
Season three It's the final year of high school for class 5°B, and as the graduation exams approach, everyone is trying to figure out their future. Professor Balestra is still there, guided by philosophy, but his life remains chaotic: forced to move in with his son Simone at nonna Virginia's house, Dante must face an angry teenager, an unresolved love story, and a past that resurfaces in the form of Leone, a former student now colleague who brings back a mystery involving Alba, a former student with a troubled past. Alongside Anita, the new English substitute teacher, the school also welcomes Irene, the new principal and mother of rebellious teenager Greta. Together with the newcomers Thomas and Zeno, she will shake up the class dynamics and join the journey toward graduation alongside Viola, Nina, Matteo, Laura, Luna, Simone, and Manuel.
Episodes + Season Episodes Italian airing 1 12 2021 2 12 2023 3 12 2025
Cast Main characters Dante Balestra (season 1-present), played by Alessandro Gassmann. He is the philosophy teacher of Class 3ª B. An unconventional, eccentric, and womanizing man, yet fundamentally kind-hearted, he is deeply committed to his students and does not shy away from addressing even the most challenging cases. He has a strained relationship with his son, Simone, due to his prolonged absence from the family. In the finale of the first season, he is compelled to reveal a long-hidden secret: Simone had a twin brother, Jacopo, who died at the age of three from meningitis. The grief resulting from the loss led to the breakdown of Dante and Floriana's marriage. Although Simone initially reacts with anger, the two eventually reconcile. During the second season, in addition to various romantic difficulties, he faces a serious health issue caused by an arteriovenous malformation. Confronted with the symptoms of the condition and the potential cognitive and motor risks associated with surgery, Dante must decide whether to undergo the operation. He also betrays Anita with Floriana, though the situation is resolved by the end of the season. In the third season, he and Anita are no longer together, having mutually agreed to separate despite still loving each other. They later reconcile after Anita discovers she is pregnant. Anita Ferro (season 1-present), played by Claudia Pandolfi. She is Manuel's mother, whom Dante had met years earlier at the hospital during the period when Jacopo was ill. She raised her son on her own and is portrayed as a gentle and somewhat melancholic woman. Owing to her experiences abroad, she has a strong command of foreign languages. She begins a relationship with Dante and, in the second season, temporarily moves to Villa Balestra with her son Manuel. Following the return of a former partner, Nicola, she enters a period of profound emotional uncertainty and has an affair with him. She later reconciles with Dante and resumes their relationship. In the third season, she serves as a substitute English teacher for the fifth-year class, becoming both Dante's colleague and Manuel's teacher. She discovers that she is pregnant with Dante's child and, in the season finale, gives birth to a daughter, Barbara. Simone Balestra (season 1-present), played by Nicolas Maupas. He is a student in Class 3ª B and Dante's son, with whom he has a strained relationship. Outwardly, he appears to be a quiet and composed boy; however, he is deeply insecure and unsettled by the discovery of new aspects of his life and identity. After realizing that he is gay, he ends his relationship with Laura and develops romantic feelings for Manuel, with whom he later establishes a close, brotherly friendship. Upon learning that he had a twin brother, Jacopo, who died in early childhood, he attempts suicide but is rescued by Manuel and Anita. In the second season, he forms a deep bond with Mimmo, a former student of Dante, eventually falling in love with him and beginning an intense relationship. The two are forced to separate when Mimmo enters a witness protection program. When Dante must undergo surgery, he struggles with the fear of losing him, at one point getting drunk; however, following the successful operation, father and son reconcile. In the third season, although still in love with Mimmo, he begins a complicated relationship with Thomas, which ultimately ends. He also develops a significant friendship with Greta. In the season finale, he becomes Barbara's older brother and leaves to study in London, followed by Manuel. Manuel Ferro (season 1-present), played by Damiano Gavino. He is a repeating student in Class 3ª B and Anita's son. Regarded as the “hopeless case” of the class, he presents himself as strong and self-assured, while in reality concealing a fundamentally kind nature. At the beginning of the series, he is in a relationship with Chicca, whom he cheats on with Alice, an architect and a friend of his mother. Following initial tensions, he develops a brotherly bond with Simone. He becomes involved in dangerous criminal activities orchestrated by Sbarra, a local criminal, but ultimately manages to extricate himself with Dante's help. In the second season, he falls in love with and begins a relationship with Nina, and moves with his mother to Villa Balestra. He learns the truth about his father and discovers that he has a sister, Viola, with whom he subsequently builds a sibling relationship. Together with Nina, he attempts to flee to Paris with Lilli, Nina's daughter, in order to prevent her adoptive parents from finding her, but the plan fails. In the third season, he asks Nina to marry him to prevent her from losing custody of her daughter; however, they later separate after she has an affair with Goran, Lilli's father. Disappointed, he decides to leave Rome and travel for several weeks, also spending time with his father in Japan. Upon his return, he shows interest in Greta, though no romantic relationship develops at her request. In the season finale, he becomes Barbara's older brother and decides to follow Simone to London. Domenico "Mimmo" Bruni (recurring season 1, season 2), played by Domenico Cuomo. He is a young inmate at the juvenile detention centre in Nisida and a former student of Dante, to whom he is deeply attached. Outgoing and full of vitality, he retains his kindness toward others despite his troubled past. In the second season, he is transferred to Rome, where he is granted semi-liberty and, with Dante's support, begins working as a library assistant at the high school. There, he meets Simone, and the two develop a very close bond that eventually evolves into an intense romantic relationship. In exchange for protection, the criminal Molosso coerces him into working on his behalf. Encouraged by Simone and frightened by the boss's threats, he ultimately decides to cooperate with the authorities, reporting Molosso and his associates. As a result of his testimony, which leads to the arrest of several criminals, he is placed in a witness protection program and required to change his identity and relocate, leading to a painful farewell with Simone. Floriana (season 1–2), played by Christiane Filangieri. She is a university researcher, the mother of Simone, and the former wife of Dante. At the beginning of the first season, she moves to Glasgow, where Simone joins her for a brief period and comes out to her. In the second season, feeling the absence of Simone and following a romantic breakup, she returns to Villa Balestra for a short time. During her stay, she learns of Dante's health condition and attempts to persuade him to undergo surgery. They later share a night of intimacy but ultimately recognize it as a mistake and agree not to resume their relationship. Virginia Villa (season 1-present), played by Pia Engleberth. She is a former stage actress, as well as Dante's mother and Simone's grandmother. She directs a theatre workshop at Leonardo da Vinci High School, alongside Professor Lombardi, with whom she develops a romantic relationship. Energetic, exuberant, occasionally comedic, and capable of great warmth, she was not an ideal mother to Dante in her youth but has since become his most devoted and affectionate confidante. In the season three finale, she moves in with Professor Lombardi. Laura (season 1-present), played by Elisa Cocco. She is a student in Class 3ª B. Sweet, cultured, and intelligent, she is recognized as the top-performing student in her class. She is Luna's best friend and, at the beginning of the first season, Simone's girlfriend. After Simone ends their relationship, she pretends to be pregnant but is later exposed. Despite this, they remain close friends. Subsequently, she begins exchanging emails with a boy known as The Pen. By the end of the first season, she discovers that The Pen is her classmate Pin, and the two share a kiss. Although they are separated due to attending different schools, they continue to communicate via social media in the second season, though their relationship eventually ends off-screen. In the second season, she learns that Luna is involved in an online relationship and, recognizing the potential danger, accompanies her to the meeting to supervise her, also notifying Dante, who, together with Simone and Manuel, rescues Luna. At the end of the season, she shares a kiss with Matteo. In the third season, she enters a polyamorous relationship with Luna and Matteo, facilitating a closer connection between the two at her own expense.