Violet like the sea

Viola Vitale once held the Miss Italy crown and built a career as a fashion journalist. She returns to Sicily searching for her missing father and takes a job at a new digital news outlet to fund and fuel that search. While reporting she crosses paths with Inspector Francesco Demir, an investigator tied to local cases. Drawn together by shared curiosity, they begin to unravel crimes around the island, with Viola offering an unusual advantage, synesthesia, an atypical sensory blending that helps her pick up clues others miss. She uses reporting access and personal relationships to follow leads. The series mixes procedural puzzles with Viola's personal stakes, showing how past and place shape the truth without revealing key twists yet.

First broadcast in 2022, Violet like the sea was created by Francesco Arlanch, Elena Bucaccio and Silvia Leuzzi. Francesca Chillemi and Can Yaman lead the cast, and the series was filmed on location in Sicily with coastal cinematography, Italian language.

Audience scores average 7.5/10, showing mixed-to-positive reactions. Critics praised the leads and seaside atmosphere but noted some procedural beats feel predictable. The synesthesia element attracted comment for its storytelling role. Central themes include identity, memory and how altered perception affects evidence. Performances and on-screen chemistry between leads were often highlighted.

The show prompted discussion for placing synesthesia into a mainstream crime format and for foregrounding Sicily's landscapes and social rhythms. Can Yaman's casting drew international attention, while Francesca Chillemi's fashion-journalist role linked the series to style and media themes, sparking fan conversation across social platforms. Local tourism interest increased modestly.

The series didn't gather major international awards or nominations such as Emmys or Golden Globes. Its recognition has been largely domestic and viewer-driven, with critics and regional press offering most of the industry attention rather than high-profile prize circuits. Producers cited viewer engagement and online streaming as success markers.