Ready for another summer spritzer? The hit mystery series Bulletproof Heart features effervescent megastar Gigi Proietti, who’s entertained Italian audiences for decades. He began as a TV and film actor in the 1960s and shot to stardom in 1976 with a one-man comedy show, Look at Me, Please, which made him a household name. Americans might know him from US films such as The Appointment and A Wedding. He’s also had an illustrious theatrical career and has been the voiceover dubbing artist for actors like Robert De Niro, Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Dustin Hoffman, Charlton Heston and Marlon Brando.

Bulletproof Heart takes place in a print newsroom, creating a nostalgic feel and a gentle screwball sensibility. Solid writing and a delightful ensemble cast bring forth riffs on journalism, aging, the joys of Italian food and the perils of love and family life. The cast even includes Gigi’s real-life daughter Carlotta Proietti, who pipes up as a minor comic character in the newsroom. The luminous Francesca Inaudi plays his daughter in the series, and if you think you’ve seen police chief Enrico (Giovanni Scifoni) before, you have. He played Vivaldi’s son Stefano in Inspector Vivaldi Mysteries, and guest starred in Don Matteo.

As the series begins, investigative reporter Bruno Palmieri is facing retirement when one last story captures his interest. So he’s back in the game, looking into what might have been a wrongful conviction. He lives in the same apartment building as his protective son, a cardiologist, and harbors a secret longing for a woman he loved years ago. That woman’s daughter ends up working on the paper with Bruno, which brings him across the path of his former love, reigniting their spark, etc. The comedy and romance take off from there.

The name of the series refers to Bruno living for 30 years with a bullet in his lodged in his heart, put there by an unknown shooter. It’s caused him to live carefully for three decades – too carefully, perhaps. In this scene, he’s trying to talk sense to his daughter-in-law, Giovanna, who’s locked herself in her room because of a few of her own fears.

Bulletproof Heart is an unabashed valentine to Rome – from the sumptuous aerials in the opening credits, to the transition shots between scenes and the references to Roman dishes. It’s got surprises like Bruno’s standup routine at the end of each episode, or the funny dialogue between him and his photographer friend Fiocchi, played by Italian comedian Marco Marzocca. The two of them together are a comedy act of their own – talk about nonverbals.

Summer’s not over yet, folks. Let’s keep the party going!

Below is an excerpt from Proietti’s one-man show, Look at Me, Please, in which he did a routine about how Americans sound to Italians.