Leonardo (2011 TV series)

Did You Know?

• In 2012 an online game based on the second series was released, entitled Leonardo, allowing players to defeat the villain Il Drago who has stolen Leonardo's inventions.
• The game was nominated for a 2013 KidScreen Award for Best Companion Website.
• In 2012, Leonardo won three KidScreen Awards for Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series, Best Music, and Best Design.

Premise

The story follows teenage Leonardo da Vinci and his friends: Lorenzo De Medici, the wealthy son of a powerful aristocrat; Lisa Gherardini, a girl disguising herself as a boy so she can become an artist; and the cunning manipulator Machiavelli. Inspired by the inventive genius of the real-life Leonardo, the series re-imagines da Vinci as a teenage action hero drawn into the dangerous schemes of the Luminari, a sinister secret society plotting to take over Florence. The Luminari have stolen Leonardo's notebook and want to use his designs to create deadly weapons to kill the Duke, allowing their leader Piero de'Medici to take over Florence. Leonardo and his friends work together to recover the notebook, using Leonardo's intelligence and inventions, Lorenzo's wealth and status, Lisa's street smarts, and Mac's cunning and network of spies and child pickpockets. The friends do not know that the head of the secret society is Lorenzo's father. When Lorenzo discovers the truth, he must choose between his father and his friends. After siding with his father in the series one finale, Lorenzo loses his friends. In series two, when Leonardo and Lisa's mentor Verrocchio is framed for murder, Lorenzo tries to help, but is forced into an arranged marriage and kidnapped. The friends rescue him, and after the Duke is murdered by a Milanese assassin, they team up with Piero to protect Florence. Lorenzo discovers it was his own father who killed the Duke, and must again choose between his friends and his father as Piero creates deadly weapons like armoured tanks to wage war against Milan.

Cast and characters

In the 2011 series Leonardo, Jonathan Bailey plays Leonardo da Vinci, an artist working at Verrocchio’s workshop. He is a skilled painter, but his attention often drifts to the new inventions he plans to build. Flora Spencer-Longhurst portrays Tomaso, who is actually Lisa Gherardini. Lisa fled her home to escape an arranged marriage. Her ambition is to become a painter, but since women are forbidden from practicing the craft, she dresses as a boy named Tomaso to train at Verrocchio’s workshop. She later becomes the model for Leonardo’s famous Mona Lisa. Colin Ryan plays Lorenzo de’ Medici, the son of the wealthy and powerful Piero de’ Medici. Lorenzo finds his luxurious life dull and often sneaks away to go on adventures or spend time at Verrocchio’s workshop. He must keep his friendship with Leonardo and the others a secret, as Medici are not permitted to associate with lower classes. He deeply admires his father and constantly seeks his approval, which creates internal conflict. Akemnji Ndifornyen plays Niccolò Machiavelli, known as Mac. He is the person to turn to when a job needs doing. Mac always has a scheme running, and his network of child spies and pickpockets keeps him informed about everything happening on the streets of Florence. His friends sometimes have to rescue him when one of his plans goes wrong. Piero de’ Medici, played by Alistair McGowan in the first series and James Clyde in the second, is a wealthy banker who controls over half of the province. He is the cousin of the Duke of Florence and secretly hopes to overthrow him. Piero closely monitors events in Florence, especially those involving his son Lorenzo and his friends. Unknown to his family, Piero leads a secret society called the Luminari and has stolen Leonardo’s notebook to build weapons and assassinate the Duke. James Cuningham plays Maestro Verrocchio, the teacher and surrogate father to Leonardo and Lisa. He holds his apprentices to high standards but always defends them. Both Leonardo and Lisa respect him greatly, especially since Leonardo’s father often abandons him and Lisa’s father has disowned her. The Duke is played by Graham Hopkins.

Production

Tom Mason and Dan Danko originally outlined a novel that imagined Leonardo da Vinci as a teenage Renaissance Batman. Though the book was never published, the BBC optioned the concept in late 2009 and finished pre-production by summer 2010. The first series was filmed in South Africa during the latter half of 2010. The second series debuted on CBBC on 20 September 2012, with its first two episodes airing together as the hour-long installment Illusion. This series was also shot on location in Cape Town. For the second series, James Clyde took over the role of Piero de' Medici from Alistair McGowan.