Italian Americans on Television in the New Millennium: From Small to Smaller Screen(s)

This chapter first discusses The Sopranos (1999–2007)—and this show’s multi-dimensional rendering of Italian Americanness—vis-à-vis Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005), populated by what its creator Phil Rosenthal calls ‘non-ethnic ethnics’. Then, the author investigates the most popular example of a reality show starring Italian Americans: Jersey Shore (2009–2012). Speaking of Italian American non-fictional characters, the discussion then shifts to cooking shows and a couple of the most famous Italian American TV personalities: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Giada De Laurentiis. The author argues that the former, being specialized in Italian and Italian American cuisine, has successfully managed to present herself in the United States (and be recognized as such) as an iconic representative of both cultures. The latter, as part of a new generation, proposes a very different image of Italy (and Italian cuisine) and embodies a very different case of Italian Americanness. The chapter ends with a reflection on the most recent depictions of Italian Americans offered by streaming companies like Netflix and Prime Video and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) companies like Paramount+.