"Nonno Felice" is an Italian play on words that could mean "Happy Grandpa" or "Grandpa Felice" since "Felice" is also an Italian last name. But enough of the Italian lesson, NONNO FELICE is one of the few Italian sitcoms that lack that "antiseptic, sterile setting" that seems to plague most of the Italian sitcoms. The film crews borrow a few techniques from the American sitcoms, making this sitcom a surefire hit.
Nonno Felice is a lovable senior citizen who is stubbornly set in his ways and who is also a little "naughty-but-nice". While he is a source of mirth and merriment to his grandchildren, who simply adore him, he is also a great source of worry and grief to their parents, Paolo and Ginevra, because of his somewhat mischievous ways.
For example, on one episode, the parents hired a tutor to help their children with their schoolwork. But the tutor turned out to be a gorgeous long-legged, raven haired beauty who also caught the attention of Nonno Felice's roving eye.
In another episode, Nonno Feloice bought a pasty from a nearby bar. (In Italy, a bar that deals with alcohol is called a "taverno" or an "American bar" while the bar that Nonno Felice visited dealt mainly with pastries.) The problem here was that he walked outside and bumped into the Guardia Finanzia (finance police) with his pastry but no receipt! This caused quite a bit of grief for everyone and poor Franco had to pay the fine.
No matter how hard Paolo and his wife Ginevra try to keep their Nonno Felice out of mischief, he is almost always one step ahead of them. So it is no wonder that Nonno Felice is a constant source of worry for Franco and Ginevra. Yet no matter what happens, it is hard to stay mad at Nonno Felice.
The combination of the Late Great Gino Bramieri's sharp one-liners and the comedy in this series, makes for great entertainment.
