Alex & Co.

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Alex & Co.
Genre	Teen sitcom Musical
Created by	Marina Efron Versiglia
Starring	Federico Russo Olivia-Mai Barrett
Theme music composer	Federica Camba Daniele Coro Enrico Sibilla
Opening theme	"Music Speaks"[note 1]
Country of origin	Italy
Original language	Italian
No. of seasons	3 + 1 special
No. of episodes	55 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Nadia Grippiolo Lucio Wilson
Producer	Piero Crispino
Camera setup	Videotape Single-camera
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	The Walt Disney Company Italy 3Zero2
Release
Original network	Disney Channel Italy
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	May 11, 2015 (2015-05-11) – June 29, 2017 (2017-06-29)
Chronology
Followed by	Penny on M.A.R.S.
Related shows	Alex & Co: How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents
External links
Website

Alex & Co. is an Italian computer animated television series which first aired on Disney Channel Italy on May 11, 2015. It was created by Marina Efron Versiglia and stars Leonardo Cecchi, Eleonora Gaggero, Beatrice Vendramin, Saul Nanni, and Federico Russo and English actress, Olivia-Mai Barrett in the season special episodes.

The first season premiered in Italy on May 11, 2015, and ended on May 27, while the second season debuted on September 27, 2015, and ended on November 29. On January 30, 2016, Disney Channel confirmed that the series was renewed for a third season, which aired from September 24, 2016, to February 18, 2017. The series ended with a set of special episodes from June 26, 2017. An English-dubbed version of the series aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Middle Eastern regions and South Africa.

The series spawned a feature film, Alex & Co: How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents (Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori), and a spin-off series titled Penny on M.A.R.S., which premiered on May 7, 2018. The series follows Alex Leoni, an Italian teen and his friends, Christian Alessi, Nicole de Ponte Sam Costa and Emma Ferrari as they are students at the Melsher Institute.

Plot[]

Episodes[]

Season		Episodes		Originally aired
				First aired	Last aired
	1	13		May 11, 2015 (2015-05-11)	May 27, 2015 (2015-05-27)
	2	18		September 27, 2015 (2015-09-27)	November 29, 2015 (2015-11-29)
	3	20	10	September 24, 2016 (2016-09-24)	October 22, 2016 (2016-10-22)
			10	January 21, 2017 (2017-01-21)	February 18, 2017 (2017-02-18)
	Specials	4		June 26, 2017 (2017-06-26)	June 29, 2017 (2017-06-29)

Season 1[]

The series tells the story of Alex, a smart, brave, and well-intentioned teenager who starts high school at the Melcher Institute along with his childhood friends: Nicole, a sensitive girl who is secretly in love with Alex; and Christian, an athlete who is popular with girls. They quickly become friends with shy student Sam, and an attractive girl named Emma – for whom Alex instantly falls in love. They also make the acquaintance of Linda and her group of fake friends: Samantha, Rebecca, Tom, and Barto. Alex soon realizes that high school will not be the party he imagined. Headmaster Ferrari wants the institution to maintain its lead rank in academics, abandoning activities like music, singing, and acting. But Professor Belli, their literature teacher, encourages the students to follow their dreams.

Linda sends Alex and his friends to a forbidden part of the school, where the group discovers a secret place in the basement; they decide to form a band called Sound Aloud, and in the following days upload a music video. This leads record producer Mr. Smith to discover the group and offer them an album deal – but only if Sam is left out. Headmaster Ferrari does not want his daughter Emma to sing at the festival that the band is performing at, so Nicole takes her place to sing with Alex for a duet that Alex and Emma wrote, but Linda spills coffee on Nicole's shirt before the concert. Nicole changes into a dress but doesn't want to perform in a dress, so she is in the dressing room for two hours. Finally, Nicole comes out of her the dressing room in a red dress and sings with Alex the song he started to write called All The While. Together they finish the song, and after the performance, Alex discovers he has fallen in love with Nicole and tells her – but is already in a relationship with Emma.

At the end of the year, the Melcher Institute wins the academic race, and the principal organizes a year-end concert to raise money for Sam's scholarship. Shortly before the concert, Emma tells Alex that she saw the way he and Nicole acted and they agree to break up because they both don't know what they fell for each other anymore, allowing Alex and Nicole to be together, but he doesn't want to lose Nicole as a friend. Nicole overhears Alex telling Christian that he and Nicole can never be together, so she gets mad at Alex

On the night of the concert, Linda traps Nicole and Alex in passageways under the stage. Alex and Nicole try to get out of the tunnels but stop and talk. Alex tells Nicole why he didn't want to date her at first and then Alex and Nicole makeup and kiss. Alex and Nicole get out of the tunnels and perform with the rest of the group. The concert is a success, and Professor Belli is admitted as their literature teacher again. Headmaster Ferrari announces that they will have spaces to practice music and drama for the following year. In the end, Christian realizes he is in love with Emma, while Alex's parents tell Mr. Belli that they plan on moving to the United States without Alex's knowledge.

Season 2[]

Summer is over and Alex's parents announce that they plan to move the family to the United States. Alex is not happy, and together with his older brother Joe and their friends, they try to stay. Eventually, while Joe finds a way to stay, Alex realizes he must move because their mother is ill, and decides to accompany her. But when their mother faints as they pack, the family panics, only to discover that she is not ill, but is actually pregnant. The doctor advises her not to leave the country, so the move is cancelled, much to Alex's delight. Meanwhile, the Melsher Institute begins a new year and the group cannot wait to spend time together again. Rebecca and Sam realize they love each other and become a couple.

The band decide to participate in The Talent, a talent show where they could win a recording contract and a European tour. They decide to change the name of the band to Alex & Co. Meanwhile, Linda and her friends form a band called The Lindas, and Linda's mother buys them a song from Mr Smith who is one of the talent show's panellists and the producer who offered them a record deal. Sam discovers the deception and the group plan to reveal it to the creator of The Talent.

Tension among the members of Alex & Co. cause Alex and Nicole to have an on-and-off relationship, eventually reuniting as a couple. Emma and Christian also date, though a lie told by Linda causes them to break up until Rebecca reveals the truth. Alex & Co. separate for some time, during which Alex is offered a solo recording contract. However, he chooses to bring the band back together. In the last episode, as Alex & Co. are about to perform on stage, Joe announces to Alex that their mother is in labor and has given birth to a baby girl. After meeting his new baby sister, Alex performs "We Are One". The band reveals the deception of The Lindas, and Alex & Co. win The Talent. However, Nicole feels that she can't go on living with the pressure of being a semi-celebrity, and decides to leave the band and end her relationship with Alex.

Season 3[]

Season 3 Part 1[]

With Nicole having left the band, Alex & Co. starts to record their album, but Emma leaves the band when she loses her voice and has to get surgery. She also finds out that her father was fired as Headmaster, but he is rehired soon after. Alex and Nicole mend their friendship, but instead of rejoining the band, she gets involved in saving a local theatre, The Blue Factory, which is run by her former babysitter Sara. Linda returns as a calmer and friendlier person, and The Lindas join Alex and Co. A new student named Clio arrives at the Melsher Institute, new in town after having been bullied in her former school and deciding to quit her dream of being a dancer. She has a troubled relationship with Alex, but he sees through her hardened exterior. They grow closer and start dating.

Frustrated with the direction that their new manager Diana is taking the band in, Alex invents a secret masked internet artist persona named 'Nobody' and releases a song called 'I Am Nobody' online, which finds worldwide success. Sam's personality starts to change because of the band's fame, but after a reality check from Rebecca, he returns to his normal self and applies for a scholarship to a prestigious school. Alex & Co. is disbanded, ending Linda's hopes of fame and sending her back to her old sinister ways. Nicole develops feelings for Nobody, who encourages her to write her first song. She kisses him, not knowing he is really Alex. The original Alex & Co. is reunited, and they work to save The Blue Factory together. Sam is accepted to the new school but will have to leave earlier than expected. A boy named Ray unsuccessfully flirts with Emma.

At The Blue Factory's fundraiser concert, Rebecca leaves The Lindas after learning that Linda is still trying to destroy Alex & Co. Linda gets her dad to buy the theatre's building as a roadblock for the gang. Rebecca sings with Sam, Clio dances on stage for the first time in months, and Alex & Co. performs "Welcome to Your Show", written by Nicole and Emma. After the band says goodbye to Sam, Alex reveals to the world that he is really Nobody.

Season 3 Part 2[]

One week after the Nobody reveal, Christian has moved to Australia with his family. Alex works to regain Clio and Nicole's trust after they find out that he was Nobody. Diana also encourages him to continue as a solo artist and manage his own career. After The Blue Factory's fundraiser is a success, the gang opens a record label: The Blue Factory Records, but Alex encounters difficulty when the public only seems interested in Nobody. Rebecca and Emma bond over their failed long-distance relationships with Sam and Christian respectively. Ray is revealed to be Nina's son. Rebecca's sister Giada joins The Lindas, ignoring Rebecca's warnings about Linda. Rebecca falls for Matt, a pianist from a wealthy family.

The girls work to make Nina and Mr. Ferrari a couple. Emma's feelings for Ray grow as they work on the song 'So Far Yet So Close' together. Mr. Ferrari forbids their relationship, seeing Ray as a bad influence, which causes a hurt Nina to break up with Mr. Ferrari. Emma stands up to her dad and stays with Ray, while Mr. Ferrari apologises to Nina. Nina makes amends with Ray for not giving him the benefit of the doubt. Nicole goes to a songwriting school, but realises that she's still in love with Alex. She leaves a set of lyrics for a song called 'The Magic of Love' with Sara. Alex is given the lyrics to add to his music, but Sara doesn't tell him who wrote them. Clio gets into the academy after auditioning with Alex. Matt also gets into the academy, but Rebecca finds out about his family's wealth. After he explains why he hid the truth from her, they tell each other that they love each other.

Clio's ex-boyfriend Ivan joins forces with Linda to help him get Clio back and to help Linda finally destroy Alex. Ivan steals the Nobody persona and tries to paint Alex as the impostor, but Ivan and Linda argue about the plan. Clio amicably breaks up with Alex when she realises that he belongs with Nicole. With the gang's help and support, Alex is finally ready to take on Ivan. At the final Nobody challenge at the Blue Factory, Emma and Ray perform 'So Far Yet So Close'. Alex and Ivan perform 'I Am Nobody', both dressed as Nobody and matching each other in dancing skills. Alex's voice modulator was sabotaged, so he sings without his mask. On the other hand, Ivan can't sing without his mask, which Linda had told Ivan was his biggest mistake in challenging Alex. This proves that Ivan is the impostor. Having reclaimed Nobody, Alex officially retires the persona, planning to only perform as Alex Leoni from then on. Nicole returns, entering the theatre as Alex is performing 'The Magic of Love'. After he realises that she wrote the lyrics about him and their relationship, they kiss and get back together.

Special episodes[]

Alex and Nicole got back together. Alex & Co. are invited to the special edition of "The Talent World", a show in which the contestants are the winners of the previous seasons of The Talent worldwide. Alex and his friends, however, decide to reject the invitation to focus on the music projects of their record company. Nicole, in fact, has a new big dream: to get her new lyrics sung by Bakìa, the greatest pop star of the moment.

Alex, Nicole, Emma, Ray and Rebecca go to Matt's villa for his birthday. During the party, Nicole discovers that next to Matt's house, Bakìa is shooting a new music video. Nicole tries to get closer to the popstar, but is the victim of a serious accident. Thanks to the help of an unknown girl, Penny, Nicole is safe, but her savior mysteriously disappeared. Alex and his friends are desperate: Nicole is in a coma and it is unknown if or when she will resume.

Cast[]

Main[]

Actor	Character	Seasons
		1	2	3		Special
				3A	3B
Leonardo Cecchi	Alex Leoni	Main
Eleonora Gaggero	Nicole De Ponte	Main
Beatrice Vendramin	Emma Ferrari	Main
Saul Nanni	Christian Alessi	Main			Does not appear
Federico Russo	Samuele (Sam) Costa	Main			Does not appear
Giulia Guerrini	Rebecca Guglielmino	Recurring			Main
Riccardo Alemanni	Raimondo (Ray)	Does not appear		Recurring	Main
Miriam Dossena	Clio Pinto	Does not appear		Recurring	Main	Does not appear
Luca Valenti	Matteo (Matt)	Does not appear			Recurring	Main
Olivia-Mai Barrett	Penny Mendez	Does not appear				Main

Recurring[]

Actor	Character	Seasons
		1	2	3		Special
				3a	3b
Roberto Citran	Amedeo Augusto Ferrari	Recurring				Does not appear
Debora Villa	Nina	Recurring				Does not appear
Nicola Stravalaci	Professor «Scorpion» Strozzi	Recurring				Does not appear
Michele Cesari	Professor Giovanni Belli	Recurring			Cameo	Does not appear
Lucrezia Roberta Di Michele	Linda Rossetti	Recurring
Asia Corvino	Samantha Ferri	Recurring
Arianna Amadei	Giada Guglielmino	Does not appear			Recurring
Anis Romdhane	Barto	Recurring		Does not appear
Daniele Rampello	Tom	Recurring		Does not appear
Sara Borsarelli	Diana Jones	Does not appear		Recurring	Cameo	Does not appear
Enrica Pintore	Sara	Does not appear		Recurring		Does not appear
Paolo Fantoni	Ivan	Does not appear			Recurring	Does not appear
Shannon Gaskin	Camilla Young	Does not appear				Recurring
Merissa Porter	Bakìa	Does not appear				Recurring
Ben Richards	Freddy Wolf	Does not appear				Recurring
Chiara Iezzi Cohen	Victoria Williams	Does not appear	Recurring	Does not appear

Supporting[]

Actor	Character	Seasons
		1	2	3		Special
				3a	3b
Jgor Barbazza	Igor Alessi	Recurring	Does not appear
Linda Collini	Monica Alessi	Recurring	Does not appear
Gabriella Franchini	Wilma	Recurring		Does not appear
Sara Ricci	Sara De Ponte	Recurring	Does not appear
Sara D'Amario		Does not appear				Recurring
Riccardo Festa	Rick De Ponte	Recurring	Does not appear			Recurring
Elena Lietti	Elena Leoni	Recurring		Does not appear
Enrico Oetiker	Joe Leoni	Recurring		Does not appear
Massimiliano Magrini	Diego Leoni	Recurring		Does not appear
Jacopo Coleschi	David	Does not appear	Recurring	Does not appear
Jody Cecchetto	Jody	Does not appear	Recurring	Does not appear
Michelle Carpente	Erika	Does not appear			Recurring
Yvonne Giovanniello	Sonia	Does not appear				Recurring
Massimiliano Varrese	Arturo	Does not appear				Recurring

Music[]

Songs are performed by the main cast unless otherwise noted.

We Are One (2016)[]

The first album from the series, titled We Are One, was released on January 29, 2016, in Italy.^[1] It consists of the songs from the first and second seasons. The first two songs are from the first seasons, while the rest are from the second season. The album features a bonus track, "Wake Up" by The Vamps, who performed the song at The Talent in the final episode of the second season.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Music Speaks"	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:06
2.	"All the While" (Leonardo Cecchi & Eleonora Gaggero)	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:34
3.	"Unbelievable"	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:55
4.	"Truth or Dare"	Gaetano Cappa	3:12
5.	"We Are One"	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:32
6.	"Likewise" (Giulia Guerrini & Federico Russo)	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:47
7.	"Oh My Gloss!" (Lucrezia Di Michele, Giulia Guerrini, Asia Corvino)	Gaetano Cappa Salvatore Iorio	3:23
8.	"Incredibile" (Leonardo Cecchi & Beatrice Vendramin)	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:55
9.	"Music Speaks" (remix)	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:33
10.	"Wake Up" (The Vamps)	Ammar Malik Steve Mac Ross Golan Kevin Snevely	3:13

Welcome to Your Show (2016)[]

The second soundtrack album released on December 9, 2016, contains all songs from the previous album except for the bonus track from The Vamps, plus four new songs from the third season of the series and two new songs from the movie based on the series, Alex & Co: How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents (Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori).^[2]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"I Am Nobody" (Leonardo Cecchi)	Gaetano Cappa	3:05
11.	"So Far Yet So Close" (Beatrice Vendramin & Riccardo Alemanni)	Gaetano Cappa	3:08
12.	"The Magic of Love" (Leonardo Cecchi)	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:36
13.	"Welcome to Your Show"	Enrico Sibilla Federica Camba Daniele Coro	3:17
14.	"I Can See the Stars" (Leonardo Cecchi, Eleonora Gaggero, Beatrice Vendramin)	Fabrizio Campanelli	3:39
15.	"The Strawberry Place" (Leonardo Cecchi, Eleonora Gaggero, Beatrice Vendramin)	Fabrizio Campanelli	3:58

Broadcast[]

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The first season of the series, consisting of 13 episodes, premiered in Italy on May 11, 2015, and ended on May 27, 2015. The second season of 18 episodes premiered on September 27, 2015, and ended on November 29, 2015. The third season of the series premiered on September 24, 2016, and went on a hiatus on October 22, 2016, after airing the first half of the season, 10 episodes. The movie Alex & Co: How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents (originally titled Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori), which is based on this series, was released in Italian cinemas on November 24, 2016. The remaining 10 episodes of the third season aired from January 21, 2017, to February 18, 2017.

Four special episodes aired from June 26, 2017, to June 29, 2017, marking the end of the series.^[3]

There is an English-language version of the series being broadcast in Middle Eastern regions,^[4] Nordic countries, Hungary and Czech Republic, and South Africa.^[5]

In South Africa, Season 1 first aired from March 3, 2016, to May 26, 2016; Season 2 from July 7, 2016, to November 3, 2016; Season 3 Part 1 from April 3, 2017, to April 14, 2017;^[6] and Season 3 Part 2 from July 17, 2017, to July 28, 2017.^[7]

On June 24, 2017, the series premiered in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Disney Channel.^[8] Series 2 premiered on 2 January 2018. The English dub used is the same as that of Middle East and South Africa.^[9]

Reception[]

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The final episode of the first season reached peaks of 250,000 viewers, of which 150,000 were children aged 4 to 16 years, and 120,000 were girls aged 8 to 16 years.^[10]

Other media[]

Film[]

On December 2, 2015, Disney Channel Italy announced the release of a movie based on the series, titled Alex & Co: How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents (Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori), which was released on November 24, 2016, in Italian cinemas. It premiered in the United States at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival on February 21, 2017. In the United Kingdom, it was shown on March 5, 2018, on Disney Channel.

Spin-offs[]

Penny on M.A.R.S.[]

A spin-off series titled Penny on M.A.R.S. was announced on June 29, 2017. It follows the adventures of Penny, the main character in the special episodes of the original show, and her dream to enter the music high school M.A.R.S.. It premiered on Disney Channel Italy on May 7, 2018, and on Disney Channel UK on June 4, 2018.

Radio Alex[]

On January 30, 2016, Disney Channel Italy announced a spin-off titled Radio Alex. It aired in Italy on February 8, 2016. it stars Alex as he manages the Melsher institute radio where, with the help of his friends, talks about general topics posing questions to the audience and transmitting all the successful songs of international artists.

Alex & Co. Fan Event[]

On April 20, 2016, the cast of the series performed the songs of the series in a live concert in Milan called Alex & Co. Fan Event.

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Alex & Co. at IMDb