The Octopus

“La Piovra” is a highly regarded Italian TV drama miniseries centered on the Mafia.

The narrative was crafted by Sandro Petraglia, with Luigi Perelli overseeing the production design. The musical score was initially composed by Riz Ortolani and later by Ennio Morricone, who continued to provide music for several subsequent installments.

All ten series have been made available on DVD in Australia by Aztec International Entertainment, complete with English subtitles. The series originally aired on the Special Broadcasting Service television channel. In the United States, it was broadcast on MHz Networks, while the first three series were shown in the UK on Channel 4.

The TV drama achieved immense popularity in the USSR, where it was broadcast on state television in 1986, and in Bulgaria, where it aired in the late 1980s, captivating audiences with its intense and dark narrative from beyond the Iron Curtain. “La Piovra” was also shown in communist Albania during 1987–1988, where it became a massive hit and remains a cult classic. Its characters and phrases have deeply influenced Albanian culture, language, and society.