Traditions and current state of the "police" series: the Italian experience

The article reconstructs the Italian experience of creating "police" series, which from the 80s of the XX and the first two decades of the XXI century coexisted in the cinema of this country in parallel with feature films of the "criminal" genre, which were sometimes assessed as not only national but also European culture in general. The article focuses on the professionalism of the vast majority of "police" series and films made in Italy over the past forty years, and emphasizes that some series openly competed with films, especially in terms of skill and popularity of directors and actors involved in their creation. It is emphasized that the genre of "police" series is constantly represented in current film production, so a comparative analysis of traditions and modern experience in the production of films of this genre and understanding of their aesthetic and artistic orientation seems quite relevant. Particular attention is paid to the problem of the protagonist of the series, which for a long time - from series to series - carries an important emotional and psychological burden. Based on empirical material, the article reflects both the process of formation of the "police" series, and the gradual "building" of artistic means of expression in its implementation.