Biography of Carousel

And after everyone to bed!

February 3, 1957
January 1, 1977
Ad space that closed its doors in the spring of ' 77 to make room for other more aggressive forms of advertising was for many children of the 60 's generation the watershed between the day of duties and tasks and the time of leisure and daydreams.
The reason is simple: the short program was the airing of five press advertisements (didn't exist the word spot) preceded by short time series, mostly formed by cartoons (or real talking puppets). In short, everything that can make the joy of a child. Except that, then, that same child was forced to go to bed, why the program was for many, in truth, a kind-faced watershed. Not surprisingly, also took hold in common language the phrase: "I'll send you to bed after the carousel", expression of innocuous and likeable threat against small viewers. Born on February 3, 1957 (with a delay of one month and two days on the previously announced date, on 1 January 1957), the program was the result of a compromise between the leaderships of the RAI and the representatives of the major industrial enterprises who saw great potential in commercial television. RAI imposed then companies to produce advertisements in the form of small shows or skits. That choice was dictated by the fact that they wanted to avoid as much as possible the criticisms of those who paid the fee and they did not appreciate the advertisement on television.
The production of these mini-movies was charged with nothing less than the national film industry, which guaranteed standards and inventive undoubtedly high. Each spot should in any event account comply with very strict rules. First of all, we must consider that each spot had the mandatory time limit of 1 minute and 45 seconds of which only 20-30 could be devoted at the mention of the product, the name of which could not be repeated more than three times; the skit also had to be severed from the pigtail end advertising, something unthinkable today.
An advertising cycle consisted then of four (but later also six) commercials that were broadcast after ten days of each other. Of course, a very strict control was exercised over the contents. Should not be explicit or implicit references or encouragements to amorality, sex, violence, Vice, dishonesty. A curiosity, which is now inconceivable for us lies in the fact that they were excluded the spots on underwear and in the fact that there was an explicit prohibition of naming words considered objectionable as "dandruff", "sweat", "hair", and so on. Of course the narrative structure could not regardless of happy end of pragmatic and exaltation of modernity seen beneficial, continuous progress key.
Ad space strictly separated from the rest of the programs in the small container of the carousel are nate anyway small stories that, within a few minutes, users were nailed to the videos, through clever use of all available languages in the video communication: from scripted to animated design, Ballet, MIME, in the game, at the press conference, to Opera music, the mountain choir — all with the sole purpose of communicating the famous "commercial message" and foster the propensity for consumption, in an Italy still in drunkenness of Economic Boom. We must not forget that Carousel was a gym for many future big names in entertainment or the directing, a space where they could test their skills at an affordable cost and without encountering cyclopean productions and intimidating.
In fact, then, the broadcast had such a high rating by audience (with the birth of those that could be called the first "catchphrases" consisting of neologisms and phrases invented by advertisers), which famous actors not disdained to participate in these skits. Among the directors who appear in an ideal past winners of carousel, you can scroll through names like those of the sophisticated Taviani brothers and Ermanno Olmi, while among the actors is certainly to remember the participation of the great Eduardo De Filippo and future Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo. Other key features that contributed to the phenomenal success and popularity of carousel, were his memorable acronyms, marked by joy and good mood. The only change in this regard occurred in the mid-60 's, namely in ' 63. Theme designed by Luciano Emmer, with music by Raffaele Gervasio and dramatized by Nietta Vespignani was changed with a new acronym designed by Manfredo Manfredi, tempera paintings which depicted the town squares of Venice, Siena, Naples and Rome.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.