The early years of state television in Italy, which began transmission in 1954, have usually been viewed as crucial to the spread of mass culture through Italian society. In addition, these developments have essentially been seen in negative terms by historians and sociologists. This article explores these early years in detail for one, key, urban setting: Milan. Through an examination of the myriad and often hidden effects of television, the research attempts to draw out the contradictory and complicated impact of TV and its relationship with other media, the neighbourhood, the family, the home and daily life. The article also looks at the impact of one important quiz show in the 1950s and concludes with some reflections on the power of the media in the city in the 1990s.