Music on TV: the best of 2024

Music in 2024 hasn’t spent too much time on the small screenpreferring to remain in the theaters. After last year’s binge of music-themed series, in 2024 few have focused on music-themed serial products for the small screen.
The surprise lies in the fact that this void has been partly filled by some Italian biographical productionswho have proven how it can be interesting and profitable in terms of numbers to tell the rise and eventual fall of pop stars of our house, perhaps focusing on the nostalgia coefficient.

They did the lion’s share of the work on the small screen music-themed documentaries and docuseries, a type of content in which Disney+ above all believes very much, both on the international front and with regards to Italian productions. In this sector, the whole of 2024 was dotted with releases on an almost weekly basis, with a clearly identifiable new trend: that of documentaries in which the old glories of pop and rock tell of their dealings with old age, illness and in general inability to hold the stage like in the past.

I include this type of film in the TV ranking because it is content designed to arrive directly and exclusively on the platforms, a update of the old “direct-to-video” formula which does not contemplate the transition to the big screen, with a notable production and narrative impact on the final product.

They Killed Spider-Man – The Legendary Story of the 883

Sky has guessed the musical series of the year in Italy, but more probably the Italian series of the year. The impact of “The legendary story of 883” is undeniable: despite attracting an audience that is usually smaller than generalist channels and Netflix due to platform subscription issues, the Sky series has held sway in the public and social debate for weeks since its release , triggering a series of chain events, including the return of the Pavia duo’s EPs to the charts.

The operation has everything to please: for those who were there it is an amazing nostalgia operation, for those who didn’t have the discovery of a way of narrate the Italian province in music in the 90s and a very ironic coming of age.

Credit where credit is due to the award-winning company Matteo Rovere and Sydney Sibilia, who once again prove themselves to be among the very few capable in Italy of setting up a commercial product with above-average production and narrative qualitywhich dialogues with international trends in seriality but never loses contact with the Italian specificity. From Sky to Netflix, they prove themselves capable of great things, confirming themselves as the modern Fruttero & Lucentini of Italian film and television production.

The role of Sky should not be forgotten, which believed and invested in the operation with punctual, on-site production, amazing casting, bringing out a quality product. With the promise of repeating very soon: the second season is already in progress, entitled “North South West East – The legendary story of the 883”.

The review

You are in the soul

There is no more unlikely couple on paper than that formed by Cinzia TH Torrini and Gianna Nannini: the director whose name is still associated today with the resounding success of “Elisa di Rivombrosa” and the Italian rocker par excellence. The two are actually linked by a long-standing friendship, given that they met as children, in the 70s, due to the friendly bond between their mothers.

So during COVID, when Cinzia retrieves Gianna’s autobiographical book (titled “Cazzi mie”) contacted her to ask her to make an adaptation. No biographical documentary though: Gianna Nannini closes the issue with a terse “no, what a drag!”

In retrospect she was right: the story of her turbulent years of youth in search of a creative and personal balance while Italian and European success overwhelmed her works better in a fiction key, especially because Letizia Toni is a truly convincing alter egoeven vocally. A not entirely unexpected outcome, given that he had Nannini himself as coach.

“You are in the soul” is light years away from certain hagiographies seen this year on Italian generalist TV dedicated to various colleagues of Gianna Nannini. It recounts a specific period of the artist’s career and focuses on a theme that Italian and international music news have brought to the fore precisely during this year: that of fear of losing one’s psychological balance due to media pressure that is difficult to manage, combined with creativity and a rebellious instinct that are often coupled with personal frailties.

The interview with Gianna Nannini

I am Celine

The best music documentary of the year was shaped more than by who was behind the camera, more than by who was in front, thanks to his charisma and his honesty. 2024 was the year of revenge for Celine DiHona legendary voice of pop music hunted by a very rare disease that has seriously compromised his permanence on the stage.

Luckily, we already know the ending: Dion singing at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games with a masterful live performance, worthy of his fame, which enchants the whole world.

Without “I am Celine” it would be almost impossible to understand how much she fought to be there, how unlikely her return was. Among the many documentaries seen this year about music stars who talk about the impossibility of returning to the stage (the one on Bon Jovi, the one dedicated to the Beach Boys) “I am Celine” is the best, because its protagonist shows and talks about herself with brutal honesty in its fragilities and contradictions.

Without feeling sorry for yourself, without hiding vanity and ambition, Celine Dion takes us inside her life and her illness, telling how his existence was entirely dedicated to music, dedicated to protecting and preserving his voice. Without hiding the foibles and vices of a diva, which she proudly claims, together with the very luxurious but slightly tacky house in which she lives.

It is difficult to forget the final scene of the documentary in which we are allowed as in San Tommaso of see first-hand how terrible the disease that afflicts him is, coming out even more admired for how the disease did not weaken her.

The review

Agatha All Along

Disney could only save the musical destinies of international serials. Ever since the title “Agatha All Along” she has focused on music. Musical moments are always around the corner in the “WandaVision” spin-off series which held sway throughout the month of October with the adventures of the Marvel witches.

The entire miniseries, which includes at least one musical number per episode, is played on the evolution of the song “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road”, reinterpreted in various genres as the story progresses. The musical attention of the production of “Agatha All Along” (which at least in theory is not a musical but has a strong passion for Broadway and its surroundings) is evident. For example in the pilot episode – a parody of the detective story genre – it is played as an opening, a sad blues song a la “True Detective” composed for the occasion. After all, how can you stop yourself from singing you have Patti LuPone in your cast?

Also noteworthy is the care with which an Italian version of the songs was created for the dubbed edition, in order to follow the puns of the song lyrics.

The review

Descendants: The Rise of Red

It is always Disney who has also thought about the younger audience in 2024 with television products with a strong musical flavour. The House of Mouse always confirms itself in search of success at the “High School Musical” levels which it has lacked for a few years.

In this sense 2024 was the year of the return of the Descendants franchise. Fans of the saga are divided on how much “Descendants: The Rise of Red” is more or less successful, but from a musical point of view the presences are really significant: battling it out in sumptuous costumes, singing original songs live on set written for the occasion are there Brandy returning as Cinderella and Rita Ora, who has fun here playing the evil Queen of Hearts.

At their side there is a squadron of very young talents from the world of acting and music, which in all likelihood hides the Sabrina Carpenter of the future, because the years pass but the products of Disney Channel and its surroundings remain an extraordinary talent factory.

Interview with Rita Ora

Arcane – season 2

It’s impossible to close a list like this without mentioning an animated series that in theory has nothing to do with music, but which has produced one of the most listened to soundtracks of 2024, putting together a panel of artists from a major music festival.

Arcane, an animated offshoot of League of Legends produced by Netflix, had already stood out in the first season for contributions of great narrative and musical impact, starting with the theme song “Enemy” which later became a mega hit in 2021.

For the second and final season Riot Game was overwhelmed by requests from artists and real celebrities won over by the project and eager to be part of it. They have entered the official soundtrack 22 original songs composed for Arcane by artists of the caliber of Ashnikko, Marcus King, Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong by Linkin Park. All songs then ended up in the listening charts, starting with “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” by Stromae and Pommewhich reached fourth position in the global audience rankings.

However, those who worked on the soundtrack explained that they could put together an album of hits by big names in music with all the songs that were not able to be used in the show. Artists like i Twenty One Pilots and Stromaewho voluntarily and personally offered to compose music for the animated series, characterized by the enormous technical care in the animations, in the writing of the episodes and in the soundtrack. This attention to the musical sector, this desire to invest time, money and talents on the musical side is quite rare in the serial field but, as proven by the success of Arcane, it also pays off on streaming platforms.