New Girl(hood)

Diversity, Inclusion, and Generational Audiences in Rai’s TV Series

Abstract

This article analyses the representation of girlhood in contemporary Italian teen series produced by the public service broadcaster Rai, with particular attention to the divergences between linear broadcast television and the streaming platform RaiPlay. First, the study situates the analysis within the transformations of the Italian television landscape over the past decade, following the entry of global SVOD platforms such as Netflix, which have reshaped production practices, audience expectations, and representational norms. Within this context, it examines the rise of youth-oriented seriality and the increasing centrality of themes related to identity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, highlighting the emergence of girlhood as a key narrative site within Italian teen drama. The article then turns to Rai’s response to these shifts, focusing on its transition from public service broadcaster to public service media – a process that has effectively produced two distinct spaces for serial storytelling: prime-time generalist television and the digital-first environment of RaiPlay. Finally, through a comparative textual analysis of selected teen series, the article shows how prime-time productions remain shaped by co-viewing logics and pedagogical imperatives, whereas RaiPlay enables more youth-centred, intersectional, and empowerment-oriented narratives aligned with the cultural expectations of Gen Z audiences. In doing so, the article contributes to ongoing debates on public service media, platformisation, and the evolving representation of girlhood in contemporary European television.