Arts·Commotion

Why aren't more people talking about the My Brilliant Friend TV show?

TV critic Rafaela Bassili reviews what makes the TV adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s lauded novels so successful.

TV critic Rafaela Bassili reviews what makes the TV adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s lauded novels so successful

Two women walk outside in a cobblestone street while looking at each other and smiling.
A still from Season 4 of HBO's My Brilliant Friend. (HBO/Bell Media)

Italian author Elena Ferrante's lauded novel My Brilliant Friend was first published in 2011. Since then, it's been followed by three more volumes in the Neapolitan Novels series, and made it to the top of the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list.

The series has also been adapted into a TV show of the same name by HBO, and it's available to stream in Canada on Crave.

Today on CommotionTV critic Rafaela Bassili joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about My Brilliant Friend, and what makes the TV adaptation so successful.

LISTEN | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 14:32): 

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with Rafaela Bassili produced by Jane van Koeverden.