I Ragazzi del Muretto (English: The Boys of the Wall) is an Italian series that aired from 1991 to 1996 and lasted three seasons. The third season came three years after the end of the second, with half of the main characters being played by different actors.
The series is pretty much a Darker and Edgier antithesis of I Ragazzi Della Terza C, another popular Italian series released a few years before. While both are high school shows about a group of friends in Rome, they couldn't be more different. If I Ragazzi della Terza C was a comedy, I Ragazzi del Muretto is a full-fledged Teen Drama. It was probably influenced by the American Beverly Hills, 90210, except that in this show, most characters are from middle-class families.
Here we see the main characters struggling with all kinds of Trauma Conga Line, not just troubled relationships, but also Parental Abandonment (and bad home life in general), stalking, Attempted Rape, abortion, eating disorders, etc. The main focus rotates between the 12 main characters every episode, so nobody is safe from emotional breakdowns caused by the regular Trauma Conga Line. Many social issues are also treated very seriously, including homophobia, AIDS, and racism, though in these cases, it's more about One Shot Characters being helped by the protagonists.
The first two seasons, the ones with the original cast, are far more appreciated and remembered than the third (and last) season.
The show contains examples of:
- Beware the Nice Ones: Gigi is one of the kindest characters, always willing to help troubled/poor/unfortunate people, but he's also extremely moody. If someone makes him angry, he can be hysterical or even violent.
- Big Beautiful Woman: Debora considers herself fat (and struggles with an eating disorder in a season 2 episode) but anyone can see she is pretty. She attracts many guys and even one of her friends is secretly in love with her.
- Celeb Crush: In the second episode, Debora is in love with singer Luca Carboni. Due to an upcoming concert in her city, Debora meets a member of Luca Carboni's staff who promises her to introduce her to the singer, but it turns out to be just a trick to have sex with Debora.
- Damsel in Distress: All the girls have been put in dangerous situations, such as being stalked by perverted strangers, and Near-Rape Experience. Not that the guys are much luckier…
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Debora's relationship with a black student named Sahid is not approved by her father. She even tries to run away with Sahid.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Gigi pines after Debora for two seasons. Only at the end of season 2, Debora starts to return his feelings.
- Ensemble Cast: There are twelve main characters and the A Day in the Limelight rotates between them. Usually, one gets a major Trauma Conga Line in the A plot, another one gets a minor Trauma Conga Line in the B plot, various nervous breakdowns ensue, and all the others are often involved in fights/disagreements with these two characters, though they all stay True Companions eventually.
- False Rape Accusation: The main teacher was accused of this by Valeria, a One-Shot Character. At first Johnny is the only one who stands up for him, but then all the friends convince the girl to tell the truth.
- Love Dodecahedron: In one episode, Franz cheats on Giuliana with Betty. Later Giuliana sleeps with Cristian, the boyfriend of her best friend Stefania.
- Naïve Everygirl: Two of them. Debora (romantic, naive, has overprotective parents, and still believes in Santa) and Giuliana (shy, low self-esteem, Prone to Tears).
- Oblivious Adoption: Gigi finds out he is adopted in season 2, causing an extreme case of Heroic BSoD.
- Parental Issues: Family problems are common plot points, like Elena's father dying in season 2. Lampshaded in the episode where Franz is wangsting about his parents wanting to divorce, and Johnny reminds him that none of his friends have a happy family life.
- Put on a Bus: Andrea moves to another city after only five episodes, but he comes back in season 2.
- Raised by Grandparents: Johnny only lives with his grandfather.
- Second Episode Introduction: Elena and Franz don't appear in the pilot (though you can hear Franz's voice as DJ Felix at the radio). Justified, as they weren't friends with the other protagonists at first. They only become officially True Companions with the others starting in episode 4.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy Stefania is rough around the edges and usually not very feminine. Her best friend is girly girl Giuliana, a Shrinking Violet who cries a lot.
- True Companions: The twelve main characters are all close friends, despite being of different ages and in different classes. Most of them are between 16 and 19 years old, except Token Adult Mitzi, the only one who does't go to high school. The title "The Boys of the Wall" (though they are a group of boys and girls) refers to the low wall near the school where they all hang out.
