I go away, I stay, I stay as long as. I go away, I stay, I stay as long as. I go away, I stay, I stay as long as. An interminable and obsessive refrain, to the point of becoming redundant and annoying. Mara Venier’s future at “Domenica In” is annually called into question, only to then inform the public that everything will remain as it is.

Perhaps the only way to expect a real revolution would be to not communicate anything, not to raise a fuss, not to start the complete succession. Because every time it happens, the historic landlady’s hand comes back, even more determined not to let go.

The usual refrain

“Domenica In”, let’s face it, is the perfect remake of “Groundhog Day”. In fact, since Venier has been at the helm, we have all been trapped in a time loop that forces us to relive and suffer the same events.

If Bill Murray always woke up tormented by the same song and forced to honor ‘Groundhog Day’, Mara tends to re-propose the identical script relating to his farewell. Every twelve months.

The announced abandonment ritual has now become a brand, as have the subsequent second thoughts, justified and archived with a laugh and a joke, suggesting that in the end it was only a joke.

The greatest illusion of the Venier-led editions concerns novelties. Preach, hope for and never launch. Everything is terribly indistinguishable and any change to the original setting tends to fail in an instant. The examples are endless and range from the early games with Orietta Berti to the column inspired by the “Musichiere” entrusted to Pierpaolo Pretelli, passing through the various spaces assigned this year to Teo Mammucari, tossed between a performance of magic and illusionism and safes to open.

The Corsi case

The true metamorphosis of “Domenica In” – albeit partial – should have had the appearance of Gabriele Corsi. Made official a year ago at the presentation of the schedules, it would apparently have enjoyed its independence, giving the format back the division into blocks that was already implemented about twenty years ago. The renunciation and the consequent engagements of Cerno, Miccio and Mammucari himself, relegated to a negligible amount of time, have therefore clearly demonstrated that, as long as Venier is there, the program will have a single great protagonist.

The latter, in this sense, resembles Pooh, trapped in an eternal farewell concert that never ends. And if it is legitimate for the interested party to defend her territory, claiming identification with the programme, the behavior of Rai, passive and at the mercy of events, is less understandable.

Rai’s responsibilities

A company that suffers the moods of a presenter (whoever he is) demonstrates that it has no planning, vision or ideas. Also because state TV is the first to be aware that the change and the start of a new phase can only be implemented with the replacement of Venier.

“Rai asks me to stay; I want to reflect, I believe that Domenica In needs to be changed and revised”, she declared to Fanpage in recent days. Yet another promise that clashes with an immobile reality depicted by the two stools placed one in front of the other and by interviews with VIPs at the one hundred and fiftieth appearance.

The anniversary ignored

In 2026 “Domenica In” celebrated half a century of life and the possibilities of a profound restyling were offered on a silver platter. On the contrary, nothing has moved, not even in terms of a dutiful celebration of Corrado and Baudo, who were fundamental pillars. Thinking – and hoping – that we can move now makes you smile.

Blessed are those who believe in it.