Serializzare il fascismo: M. Il figlio del secolo e la narrazione politica nella serialità televisiva = Serializing Fascism: M. Il figlio del secolo and political narration in television seriality

Abstract

In an increasingly media-saturated landscape shaped by the logic and dynamics of seriality (Mittell, 2015), contemporary audiovisual productions play a central role in constructing and disseminating political storytelling (Sgreva, 2012; Sciacca, 2000). M. Il figlio del secolo (2025), the television adaptation of Antonio Scurati's eponymous novel (2018), emerges as a paradigmatic example situated between post-seriality (Brancato, 2011) and what can be defined as pop-platform seriality - a renewed dimension that rethinks and reshapes viewing practices - in which ultra-pop aesthetics (Reynolds, 2011; Bowman, 2007) and serial forms intertwine with the historical and political representation of the rise of fascism. This contribution aims to examine this serial device from a mediological and cultural perspective, exploring how the series participates in the narration of Italian political memory by reworking the past into a communicatively effective and politically charged form. The analysis therefore focuses on three main axes: (1) the construction of Mussolini as a "serial character" positioned between the aestheticization of power and techniques of emotional engagement; (2) the hybridization of historical time and narrative present, expressed through specific stylistic and linguistic choices; (3) the role of digital platforms as new spaces of consumption and cultural politicization. Through the convergent dialogue between theories of seriality, pop culture, and contemporary political communication, the research question moves toward demonstrating how M. Il figlio del secolo operates not only as a historical narrative but also as an act of transmedia political communication, contributing to the redefinition of the memory of fascism and its translation into the languages and formats of popular serial culture.