My Brilliant Friend () is a Neapolitan- and Italian-language coming-of-age drama television series created by Saverio Costanzo for HBO, RAI, and TIMvision. Named after the first of four novels in the Neapolitan Novels series by Elena Ferrante, the series is an adaptation of the entire literary work into four seasons. My Brilliant Friend is a co-production between Italian production companies Wildside, Fandango, The Apartment Pictures, Mowe and international film groups Umedia and Fremantle.
The first two episodes of the series were presented at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2018. The first season, based on the first novel in the series, premiered on HBO on November 18, 2018, and on Rai 1 and TIMvision on November 27, 2018. In December 2018, the series was renewed for a second season, based on the second novel in the series, The Story of a New Name. The second season premiered on Rai 1 on February 10, 2020, and on HBO on March 16, 2020. The first two episodes of the second season were screened in selected Italian cinemas from January 27 to 29, 2020.
In April 2020, the series was renewed for a third season, based on the third novel in the series, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay. The third season premiered on Rai 1 on February 6, 2022, and on HBO on February 28, 2022. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, based on the final novel in the series, The Story of the Lost Child. The first two episodes of the fourth and final season made its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on August 20, 2024, and were presented at the 19th Rome Film Festival on October 25, 2024. The ten-episode fourth and final season premiered on HBO on September 9, 2024, and on Rai 1 on November 11, 2024.
The following actors are credited in the opening titles of a single episode of the series:
Commissioned by Rai Fiction, HBO and TIMvision, the first season was produced by Italian production companies Wildside and Fandango and international film group Umedia. TIMvision withdrew from the project after the first season, while production companies The Apartment Pictures and Mowe joined production for the second season.
On February 18, 2020, Gaia Girace announced that she would leave the series after playing Lila in three episodes of the third season, as a new and older actress would be cast for the following episodes. However, the director of the third season, Daniele Luchetti, later opted to retain Girace and Mazzucco for the duration of the season.
The score of the series was composed by Max Richter.
The soundtrack album for the first season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on December 7, 2018, for digital download. It was preceded by the release of the single "Elena & Lila" on November 30, 2018.
The first season features additional material from Richter's solo discography.
The soundtrack album for the second season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on May 1, 2020, for digital download. The soundtrack features material from Richter's solo discography.
The soundtrack album for the third season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on March 4, 2022, for digital download. The soundtrack features material from Richter's solo discography.
The soundtrack album for the fourth and final season was released by Deutsche Grammophon on September 27, 2024, for digital download. The soundtrack features material from Richter's solo discography.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 93% rating with an average score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 57 reviews. The site's critical consensus is, "My Brilliant Friend is an expansive epic that gleans rapturous beauty from the most desolate of circumstances, but it is the intimacy between the central duo â and the remarkable performances that bring them to life â that audiences will remember most vividly". On Metacritic, it has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 20 reviews. Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett of The Guardian stated "How revolutionary it still feels to see female friendship explored onscreen in this way. It goes without saying that it takes the Bechdel test and turns it into ragù."
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a 100% rating with an average score of 9.5 out of 10 based on 15 reviews. The site's critical consensus is, "Gorgeously shot and full of incredible performances, My Brilliant Friends second season expands its small world with rich results." On Metacritic, it has a score of 92 out of 100 based on 8 reviews.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has a 100% rating with an average score of 9.2 out of 10 based on 13 reviews. On Metacritic, it has a score of 96 out of 100 based on 6 reviews.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the fourth season has a 100% rating with an average score of 9 out of 10 based on 5 reviews.
On April 2, 2019, HBO Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD and Digital in Region 1.