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Season 1 – Leonardo

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Leonardo Mar 2021 History Drama Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
17% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Exploring the secrets and drama behind the genius of Leonardo da Vinci -- his life, his work and his personal struggles set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy. "Leonardo" follows da Vinci as he grows into an unparalleled genius and renowned polymath whose work overturns the established order. His restless curiosity about art, science and technology is driven by a profound quest for knowledge and he's determined to unfold the mysteries of the world around him. The series unlocks the enigma of this extraordinary man, through an untold story of mystery and passion.

Critics Reviews

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Max Gao AV Club 08/15/2022
C
A historical drama that not only lacks the oomph of more inventive period pieces on television right now, but they’ve also undermined its protagonists with a contrived murder-mystery subplot. Go to Full Review John Anderson Wall Street Journal 08/12/2022
It’s audacious, yes, and certainly takes liberties with history. But at the same time, the show takes seriously the devotion to art, engineering, anatomy, armaments and technology. Go to Full Review Liam Fay The Times (UK) 08/03/2022
A life of momentous achievement, studded with remarkable feats of intelligence, guts and imagination, is reduced to the blandest of costume melodramas — a portrait of the artist as an insipid period piece. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Edward L @Glyndower Feb 6 Ignore the professional critics this is easily the best Leonardo fiction with superb performances all round and a real connection between Turner and de Angelis. A pity there was not a second season. See more Steve A @RT92021794 01/02/2024 Omg ! what incredible acting and story lines! Loved it ! :) See more andrei d @RT74856639 11/13/2022 Needs more actual Leondardo See more daniel m @dsmccoy 10/06/2022 They completely fabricated a murder mystery that has nothing to do with the actual Leonardo. They completely ignored any actual information about Leonardo's actual personality and just wrote a story with a bunch of tortured artist tropes. (When he meets Michelangelo, it's hard not to think they switched roles!). The acting is good, but maybe I've just watched too much Good Doctor to believe Freddie Highmore in this one. Caterina is lovely, but a complete fabrication. This might have been a good drama if they had just totally made up a renaissance artist and left out all of the Leonardo references, but the show is an insult to the intelligence of anyone who has actually read a biography, any biography, of Leonardo. See more Bart C @Copper52 09/28/2022 I rarely agree with the critics, but on this one, I must. Rarely has a life been shown to be so tedious, so wracked with pain and agony, so much grief and indecision as this drama presents. If Leonardo was truly this much of a coward when it came to his personal life and making those around him feel inadequate and unworthy - I doubt we would be paying any attention to him in the 21st Century. This series reduces him to a person with a stunted personality whose only way to express his genius is to scream, yell, rant and rave that both he - and his apprentices are never up to the task. And the silly murder sub-plot is just cringe worthy. See more james r @JDR111111 09/01/2022 Very few shows are worth seeing lately, thank goodness Leonardo is airing now. Really enjoy! What's with the critics, sometimes I think they live in a different world than normal people. I always go by the audience ratings, don't pay attention to critics. See more Read all reviews
Leonardo — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Aidan Turner

Leonardo da Vinci

Matilda De Angelis

Caterina da Cremona

Giancarlo Giannini

Andrea del Verrocchio

Freddie Highmore

Stefano Giraldi

Carlos Cuevas

Salai

James D'Arcy

Ludovico Sforza

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Mar 23, 2021 Episode 101 Leonardo da Vinci is arrested for poisoning Caterina de Cremona; after protesting his innocence to Stefano Giraldi, Leonardo remembers back to his days as an apprentice in Andrea del Verrocchio's studio, where he first meets Caterina. Details Episode 2 Aired Mar 23, 2021 With Leonardo's successes recognized and his reputation growing, a risky decision sets to destroy everything he has worked for; Leonardo receives support through new commissions but pays the price for his actions. Details Episode 3 Aired Mar 30, 2021 Episode 103 Leonardo ventures to Milan with a determination to claim an offer of patronage from the Duke Regent, Ludovico Sforza; the reality of the situation turns out to be less appealing. Details Episode 4 Aired Mar 30, 2021 When Ludovico asks Leonardo to create a sculpture in honor of his father, Leonardo's ambitions reach new heights as he endeavors to exceed the expectations placed upon him. Details Episode 5 Aired Apr 6, 2021 Following the death of Ludovico's wife, Leonardo is assigned a new commission but struggles to deal with his inner turmoil; after taking on board some wise words from Fr. Luca Pacioli, Leonardo seeks assistance. Details Episode 6 Aired Apr 6, 2021 Returning to Florence, an uninspired Leonardo accepts to paint the portrait that will become the Mona Lisa; after failing to repair his relationship with Caterina, Leonardo goes to Imola, where he receives much praise from his employer. Details Episode 7 Aired Apr 13, 2021 Episode 107 Reunited with Caterina, Leonardo perseveres with his work but is frustrated by the growing success of a younger artist, Michelangelo; putting his feelings aside, Leonardo is persuaded to accept a new commission. Details Episode 8 Aired Apr 13, 2021 Episode 108 With time running out, Stefano races to save Leonardo and finally discovers the truth behind his biggest kept secret; armed with the facts but lacking the evidence, an unexpected revelation leaves Stefano turning to an unlikely source for help. Details
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Leonardo — Season 1

Leonardo Leonardo View more photos

Season Info

Director
Daniel Percival, Alexis Cahill
Screenwriter
Frank Spotnitz, Steve Thompson, Gabbie Asher
Network
The CW
Rating
TV-PG (V|D)
Genre
History, Drama, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date
Mar 23, 2021