Rai expands 2026 TV slate with new fiction season and 'Italiana' channel

Rai announced its 2026/27 fiction lineup, presenting a broad mix of drama, crime, biographical series, thrillers, comedies and youth programmes. Highlights include "La famiglia Panini – L’avventura delle figurine", a dramatized story of the Modenese family that built a global sticker empire, "177 Giorni – Il rapimento di Farouk" based on a 1990s kidnapping case, the Sikh‑community thriller "Estranei", and biopics such as "Livatino – Il giudice e i suoi assassini". Long‑running titles like "Doc – Nelle tue mani 4", "I casi di Teresa Battaglia – Figlia della cenere" and "Un Posto al Sole" will continue, underscoring Rai's commitment to original, literary‑adapted and historically‑inspired productions.

On 1 October 2026 the public broadcaster will also launch "Italiana", a new terrestrial channel (channel 57) dedicated to showcasing the Italian territory, culture and society. Directed by Angelo Mellone, the service will initially rebroadcast existing Rai programmes before adding fresh reports, documentary‑style pieces and live coverage of national events. With over 720 hours of daily content ranging from daytime entertainment to in‑depth cultural and educational series, "Italiana" will replace Rai Scuola and aim to engage all generations with stories about regional heritage, local enterprises, cuisine and community life.