Mike Bongiorno

Mike Bongiorno

Mike Bongiorno, TV presenter was as old as the medium that he came to symbolize. The man who is an integral part of the history of television in Italy has passed away today at the age of 85 in the French city of Montecarlo. I owe Mike my reverential love for quizzes ever since I was a toddler and I would be amazed at the persons locked in the glass cabin wearing the headphones answering question after question shot at them by Mike.

Even as Mike’s presence shifted into the era of the vile kitsch of Berlusconi’s Mediaset he still carried the immense history of the early beginnings of television and the recent versions of Mike that we saw in the advertorials will remain a pleasant reminder of the character who will forever be seen shouting “Allegria!”. The ANSA news agency said Bongiorno died from a heart attack. It quoted Premier Silvio Berlusconi as saying Italy had lost a great TV personality and he had lost a friend.

Nicknamed "The Quiz King," Bongiorno was of American origin but made his name in Italy. He was one of Italy's most enduring and beloved television personalities. In the 1950s and 1960s, he popularized quiz shows through a series of successful programs on state-run RAI. Bongiorno was also the host of countless other shows, including a popular annual song fest in San Remo.