''Ntoltse Vita'' ( el, Ντόλτσε Βίτα, it, Dolce Vita, en, Sweet Life) is a Greek comedy directed by Alexandros Rigas and co-written with Lefteris Papapetrou, which aired on

Mega Channel MEGA Channel, also known as MEGA TV or just MEGA, is a television network in Greece, that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek programming. It is the first and the oldest private television network in Greece. History Mega Channel (1989–2018) ...

from 1995-97. The series focused on the affair between Christina Markatou and her daughter's Boyfriend. The entire structure of the show was based on the way the relationship would remain secret from the family members, the working and social entourage through hilarious situations. ''Ntoltse Vita'' drew high ratings and is one of the most successful series in Greek television history. Reruns of the show are airing until today.

Seasons

Season 1

''Season 1'' begins with Christina visiting her daughter, Dorita, in Italy where she studies. On the way home, the bus she is traveling on, stops in a motel near

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...

due to a blizzard. There, Christina meets a young Greek man and they spend the night together without introducing themselves to each other. When Dorita returns to

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, she announces at the family that she brought her new boyfriend with her. Christina soon realizes that Dorita's boyfriend is the unknown man she met in Perugia, whose name is Antonis. Initially, Christina is against the thought of having an affair with Antonis, but after a while the two of them become lovers, trying desperately to keep it a secret. The only persons who know about the affair are Sasa, Christina's childhood friend, and Manolis, Antonis' best friend. Sasa and Manolis occasionally help the couple from being revealed. At the end of the season Antonis is called to serve his military duty.

Season 2

''Season 2'' continues with the secret relationship between Christina and Antonis, even though Antonis joined the army. Later in the season everyone finds out about the affair except Dorita. Olga, Christina's mother-in-law, in order to keep it still secret from Dorita and wash away the shame Christina brought to the family, tries to persuade her to marry Dorita's godfather. The story continues with Christina leaving the groom at the altar and going away with Antonis. The series ends with the couple separating.

Cast and characters

Main characters

Anna Panayiotopoulou Anna Panayiotopoulou ( el, Άννα Παναγιωτοπούλου; born 30 July 1947) is a famous Greek actress that has starred in many series, films and theatrical plays. She became famous after starring in the Greek series ''Madam Sousou'' ...

as Christina Markatou * Thanasis Euthimiadis (Thanasis Efthimiadis) as Antonis Kaloudis, Dorita's boyfriend *

Maria Foka Maria Foka ( el, Μαρία Φωκά, 1 October 1916 - 15 June 2001) was a Greek actress and participated in character roles. She was married to Lykourgos Kallergis. Her final role was Olga in the Mega Channel series ''Dolce Vita''. She died i ...

as Olga Markatou, Christina's mother-in-law * Katiana Balanika as Sasa Papadima, Christina's best friend * Maria Kavogianni (Maria Kavoyianni) as Aspasia Vardatsikou, the maid * Katerina Ziogou as Dorita, Christina's daughter * Pavlos Orkopoulos as Loukas, Christina's work partner * Galini Tseva as Sofi, Christina's secretary * Isidoros Stamoulis as Manolis, Antonis' best friend who works in Christina's factory.

Secondary Characters

Christoforos Papakaliatis Christoforos Papakaliatis, (born 23 December 1975) is a Greek actor, director and screenwriter. Early life Christoforos Papakaliatis was born in Heraklion on 23 December 1975, the son of Villy Malamis and Emmanuel Papakaliatis. His mother is S ...

as Charis, Dorita's husband.
Keti Konstantinou as Chrisoula Striftompola, Antonis's neighbor

Guest Stars

Eleni Gerasimidou as Fotini Kaloudi, Antonis' mother
Sofia Filippidou as Amalia Pispiriggou, Antonis' captain
Athinodoros Prousalis as Periklis Markatos, Christina's deceased husband
Eleni Kastani as Eleni Yioulbasi
Dimitris Kallivokas as Koulis Delivorias

Stelios Mainas Stelios Mainas ( el, Στέλιος Μάινας; born 1 October 1957 in Ermoupoli, Syros) is a Greek actor. He graduated Veakis Drama School in 1982 and has been working as a stage, cinema and television actor ever since. His first film role was ...

as Pantelis
Iro Mane as Voula

Christina's Birthday

Christina's birthday is a significant day because it was the day her secret affair with Antonis was exposed. Coming to the end of the series, her family and friends decide to make a surprise party for Christina. Thus, they announce to Christina that they are going on a trip. Initially, Christina is sad because no one remembered her birthday, but after a while comes to her mind that she can spend her special day with Antonis. The "gang" is gathered in Sasa's apartment. As the night continues, they decide to go to Christina's house to start the preparations for the party. When they hear sounds coming from upstairs, they start hiding and Dorita remembers at the last moment that she forgot the camera in the car and she goes to get it. At the same time Antonis is coming down the stairs with Christina in his arms. Then everybody sneak out surprising them, but the real surprise was for them to see Christina and Antonis together. Dorita didn't find out that day, since everyone kept it a secret. The night went on with Sofi and Olga passing out, along with Christina.

Reception

During seasons 1995-96 and 1996–97, ''Ntoltse Vita'' was the most popular series in

and today is considered to be a classic TV series (or Megalicious Classic) by

Reruns

''Ntoltse Vita'' ended its run in 1997. The TV station continued airing the series from 1998 until 2001, in 2004, in 2006, in 2008, in 2010, in 2011 and again in 2016 achieving high ratings each time.

References

External links

* * http://www.megatv.com/megaliciousclassics/default.asp?catid=17515 {{end Mega Channel original programming Greek comedy television series Greek-language television shows 1995 Greek television series debuts 1997 Greek television series endings 1990s Greek television series Television shows set in Athens