SERIES PREMIERE: This new series reimagines Leonardo Da Vinci as a combination Indiana Jones, Robin Hood and Casanova – a dashing, defiant, imaginative Renaissance superhero. Not surprisingly, this series is created by David S. Goyer, coauthor of the
Dark Knight movie trilogy and the imminent Superman reboot. The emphasis here is on the visuals, some of which fall flat: animating Da Vinci’s sketches as a type of
CSI insert is an unnecessary waste. But while Tom Riley, as Da Vinci, exudes flair, the real reasons to watch this series are the women. Lara Pulver, as the beautiful and scheming Clarice Orsini, dazzled me as Irene Adler in
Sherlock – and Laura Haddock, as the seductive Lucrezia Donati (pictured), dazzles me here. And Da Vinci, too. For a full review, see Ed Bark’s
Uncle Barky’s Bytes.