The Octopus

The Octopus unfolds as a sprawling crime saga set against the corridors of power, where organized crime weaves itself into politics, business and everyday life. Rather than focusing on a single investigation, the series follows multiple threads that reveal how money, influence and violence keep networks intact and punish anyone who tries to interfere. The octopus image crops up again and again, a reminder that corruption reaches far beyond street-level crime. Characters on opposing sides of the law face moral compromises, dangerous alliances and personal sacrifice, and the narrative stays focused on the steady cost of confronting entrenched wrongdoing.

Released on Italian television in 1984, the show was created by Nicola Badalucco and Lucio Battistrada. It stars Patricia Millardet as Silvia Conti and Remo Girone as Tano Cariddi, with Elena Arvigo as Giulia Mercuri, Rolf Hoppe as Prof. Ottavio Ramonte, and Pippo Pattavina among the supporting cast. The production is notable for its scale and ensemble casting.

The Octopus didn't collect major international awards, and detailed accolade records are limited. Still, contemporary critics and later commentators highlighted strong lead performances and the series' willingness to handle a complex, politically charged subject on television, which helped raise the profile of several cast members in Italy.

In Italian TV culture the series reinforced an image of the Mafia as a networked power that reaches into institutions, and the octopus metaphor entered public conversations about corruption. Certain scenes and character types from the show have been referenced in retrospectives on 1980s crime drama, and the series is often mentioned when people discuss how television treated political and criminal connections in that era.

Critical reception has been generally positive, reflected in a viewer score around 7.8/10 based on available votes. Reviewers have noted the show's unflinching look at power, money and violence, its procedural attention to detail, and a tone that favors moral ambiguity over tidy resolutions. Audiences who appreciate dense, politically minded crime drama tend to regard it as a substantial, if somber, example of the genre.