A mixture of satirical songs and zany, anything-goes stage antics transformed Cochi e Renato (born Aurelio Ponzoni and Renalto Pozzetto) into one of the most successful duos in the history of Italian entertainment. With Cochi portraying an intellectual artist and Renato a farmer, the pair appeared in two extremely popular television series: Those of Sunday, which aired in 1968, and The Poet and the Peasant in 1973. Friends since childhood, Cochi and Renato danced and made up their own songs as youngsters. Although they took separate jobs as a French, English, and Spanish interpreter at the Milan Airport (Cochi) and a cooling system technician (Renato), they were drawn together by their love of musical theater. Making their cabaret debut at Milan's Tavern dell'Oca during the 1964-1965 season, they went on to record a series of memorable albums and appear in several early-'70s films. Separating in the late '70s, Cochi and Renato attempted to build careers on their own. While Renato appeared in several popular films, Cochi was unable to match his former success. Unable to attract interest from a movie producer, he returned to the theater stage and made his comeback to television in 1992. Reuniting after nearly two decades apart, Cochi and Renato signed with the Raiuno Production Company in 2000 to appear in eight, hour-long films. ~ Craig Harris