| Che Dio ci aiuti | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Carlotta Ercolino |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Andrea Guerra |
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Original language | Italian |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 132 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Modena (1−2) Fabriano (3−5) Assisi (6-in corso) |
| Running time | 50-55 minutes (episode) |
| Production company | Lux Vide for Rai Fiction |
| Original release | |
| Network | Rai 1 |
| Release | December 15, 2011 – present |
Che Dio ci aiuti (May God Help Us) is an Italian TV series that has been broadcast in Italy since December 15, 2011. [1]
Sister Angela (Elena Sofia Ricci) is an ex imprisoned nun who completely changed her life, living at a convent named Convento degli Angeli (Angel's Convent), based in Modena. When the convent encounters economic difficulties and risks closure, she decides to convert it into student accommodations including a cafè, "L'Angolo Divino", even if her Mother Superior (Sister Costanza) initially didn't agree. This brings new energy to the convent, which becomes a place where every kind of people can gather.
Sister Angela gets closer especially to Giulia, Azzurra and Margherita in the first season; each of them has a different personality and completely different problems. She speaks to them and learns about their daily lives, often helping to solve their problems.
Important presence of the convent is sister Costanza, wise and grouch mother superior who often scolds sister Angela for not following the rules, but deep down is fond of her.
Season 1 mostly focuses on crime solving, even thanks to the presence of the policeman Marco Ferraro, while later seasons focused more on cases of various kind, with the help of the lawyers Guido Corsi first and Nicodemo "Nico" Santopaolo after. Though they often disapprove of Sister Angela's behavior, the Mother Superior and the lawyers Guido and Nico always end up helping her with her adventures, trying to solve the cases.
The tv series was advertized through a brief crossover with another religious tv series, Don Matteo: after the episode that aired on december 8th 2011 on Rai 1, a short video was transmitted where Elena Sofia Ricci and Valeria Fabrizi, interpreting sister Angela and sister Costanza, meet the priest-detective interpreted by Terence Hill, which suggests them to call their cafè in Modena "L'Angolo Divino" [2] , and then turns to the public saying Che Dio ci aiuti (May God help us). All of this because both tv series have the same production companies: Lux Vide and Rai Fiction.
The series is directed by Francesco Vicario (also known for I Cesaroni, another long-term Italian tv series). The music is authored by Andrea Guerra. The idea for this tv series is from Carlotta Ercolino, which signed the story together with Elena Bucaccio, Mauro Gaiani and Andrea Valagussa.
The series debut had great success through the public [3] , so much that in April 2012 the filming of the second season started [4] . At the same time, the series registered a big change of course, because leaves the crime features to embrace comedy [5] and romantic [6] genres.
At the end of 2013 a third season was confirmed [7] , and the filming started on April 7th in Fabriano. [8] The production of a forth season was made official on June 28th 2016 during the presentation of Rai programs schedule for the tv 2016-2017 season. [9]
Filming of fifth season started in April 2018, and it was aired from January 10th to March 21st 2019. In January 2020 it was announced the production of the sixth season, whom filming started in June 2020 and ended in February 2021. The season was aired from January to March 2021. [10]
On March 2021 the renewal for a seventh season was announced, and the filming started in May 2022. The season aired from January to March 2023 [11] , and the protagonist was not Elena Sofia Ricci anymore, but Francesca Chillemi, whose character updated from secondary to protagonist.
On March 2023 an eighth was announced, whose filming started in June 2024 and ended in February 2025. Here, Francesca Chillemi was confirmed as protagonist as Azzurra Leonardi, next to the new entry Giovanni Scifoni. The season aired from February to May 2025.
A ninth season was announced, which will air in 2027. [12] [13]
The series had two crossovers: the first with the series Don Matteo, and the second one with the series Un passo dal cielo. This also because these tv series have the same production companies: Lux Vide and Rai Fiction.
The first one was transmitted after the Don Matteo episode that aired on december 8th 2011 on Rai 1, when a short video was transmitted in which Elena Sofia Ricci and Valeria Fabrizi, interpreting sister Angela and sister Costanza, meet the priest-detective interpreted by Terence Hill, which suggests them to call their cafè in Modena "L'Angolo Divino" [2] , and then turns to the public saying Che Dio ci aiuti (May God help us).
The second one happened at the end of the seventh season, to anticipate the seventh season of Un passo dal cielo. [14] [15]