Credit where due for Maltese series

The letter by Josephine Cassar Manghi (May 3) calls for a slight albeit important clarification.

I strongly defend the originality of the novel Ghada Jisbah Ukoll. Style and content contribute to make it my own.

The first series of Ghada Jisbah Ukoll, and my omonimous novel, are neither an ad litteram or free translation nor a faithful adaptation of Caro Domani, a series created by Pupo Avati, the well known Italian script writer and director/producer, as the writer of the above mentioned letter seems to imply. This was not on our agenda from the word Go. My instructions were to follow the conceptual and original idea of the Italian series, scripted by different authors and transmitted by Sat 2000 - for which Media Centre had asked and obtained the necessary clearance from Sat 2000, an ethical procedure between two honest partners - but in no way was I to copy and follow the original storylines or the dialogue of the original Italian script. This clearly transpires from the Introduction by Victor Formosa to my novel, published by Media Centre.

The Maltese version, and my novel, are merely inspired from the Italian original series. And the word "adaptation" is to be understood within this context. Some characters in the Maltese series have been created ex ovo by me and the production team. No Untie Lucy or Karl and family or G bit-Tikka (et al.) are present in the Italian version. Teresa, or rather Signora Bianca, in Caro Domani is portrayed differently from the one created in our series. Martina has been given a new outlook and a new background, although we maintained her aptitude as a writer and her disposition to jot down her thoughts in a diary. Even the characters of Gulja and Rina have undergone important changes, although Gina in the original series is an announcer as carried in our series. The affinities are very minimal. Fr Bert has been created ad hoc, although in the original Caro Domani there is a seminarist in a secondary part. And so on and so on and so on. The stories of each episode have been tailor-made according to the new structure of our version.

To cap it all, I only read about 35 episodes from the original 160 half-hour episodes, produced and transmitted by Sat 2000, as our episodes from the initial number One had already taken a different path from the storylines of Caro Domani. Even the style of our local production, in my script and as acted, filmed and edited by the Picture Box team, is considerably different from Caro Domani.

From the original script we maintained - and I am glad we did - the human and Christian values of the main characters as this was the raison d'etre of the whole venture. These values clearly come out in the Italian series by Pupo Avati from Episode One. And we suited our stories according to this aim.

All in all, Ghada Jisbah Ukoll is an encouraging effort - result, I would say- of a well-organised and dedicated team. And I am proud that I am credited with the authorship of 37 episodes out of 42 of the two series.

I avail myself of this opportunity to thank Ms Cassar Manghi for giving me the opportunity to bring out these clarifications and for her encouraging words about this series. Indeed, a fascinating experience for all those involved!