Da Vinci's Demons on FOX cancelled after just 3 seasons; third and final 'bittersweet' 'ending to Leonardo's journey' will start end of October.

After not living up to expectations the FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) drama Da Vinci's Demons with Tom Riley has been cancelled with the upcoming delayed 3rd season which will suddenly be its last.

The third season of Da Vinci's Demons revolving around the fictionalised life of a young Leonardo Da Vinci will start at the end of October with John Shiban who took over the reigns as executive producer in the place of creator David Goyer who is out.

There will be a final 10-episode third season, produced by Adjacent Pictures, making the underwhelming Da Vinci's Demons from FOX International Channels (FIC) the latest TV show not to survive the 2014/2015 TV season.

The 3rd and final season of Da Vinci's Demons will start at the end of October more than 17 months after the 2nd season finale.

"While ending Leonardo's journey is bittersweet for me, I'm happy we're ending the story on a high note," says David Goyer said.

"Leonardo was famous for his mirror-writing, and there's a symmetry to the entire series - between the first episode and the final one - that I think the maestro would have appreciated."

"I want to thank our dedicated fans around the world for viewing and engaging with such passion," says David Goyer. "And I want to thank Tom Riley for turning in a consistently brilliant performance. It's no small feat to portray a genius, but Tom did it with grace and humor. I hope everyone enjoys these final episodes as much as we enjoyed making them."

"David Goyer brought us a plan to portray the unknown early years of a genius and we think the fans will enjoy this final chapter which segues into the da Vinci that history knows," says Carmi Zlotnik, the managing director of Starz, the TV channel showing Da Vinci's Demons in the United States while its shown on FOX in the rest of the world.

"John Shiban has done a tremendous job of building on past seasons and by showing how da Vinci matures as his challenges grow."

The final season of Da Vinci's Demons will find Leonardo da Vinci trying to protect the city of Otranto attacked by Ottoman invaders, using some of his own inventions against him as he has to try and come up with new ones.

"To fight those who seek to destroy everything he loves, Leonardo must align with old foes, repair broken friendships, discover hidden secrets, and resume a dangerous quest, all while knowing that he is his own worst enemy."

Da Vinci's Demons on FOX renewed for a 3rd season with new executive producer, John Shiban.

Da Vinci's Demons on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 130) with Tom Riley, currently on episode 5 in its 10 episode second season in South Africa and at episode 7 in America, has just been renewed for a third season in 2015 with John Shiban taking over as executive producer.

Creator David S. Goyer will retain an executive producer title although John Shiban is taking over as executive producer and running of the drama series.

Production on the third season of the Leonardo da Vinci drama produced by Adjacent Pictures will start in at the end of the year with episodes set to roll out from 2015.

"I'm very proud of this modern take on the endlessly fascinating Leonardo da Vinci - everyone from the writers, directors, cast and all the crew have been invaluable and will continue to be for what we have ahead," says David S. Goyer said in a statement.

Da Vinci's Demons going to Peru and Machu Picchu in South America in the second season starting in April on FOX in South Africa.

The second season of drama Da Vinci's Demons will start in April in South Africa on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 130) soon after the season starts on 22 March in the United States, although FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) can't provide an exact starting date yet.

In the second season of Da Vinci's Demons with Tom Riley as Leonardo da Vinci, the show will see the character visit Peru and Machu Picchu while the Incas were at the height of their civilization in South America (albeit recreated on a Swansea sound stage).

New Da Vinci inventions viewers will see include a submarine.

Tom Riley told FOX International Channels that "we've got some really good, exciting new people coming to shake things up. And the characters that already exist are all going to be thrown together in strange combinations anyway, so you're going to see people interacting who you haven't seen interacting before".

"We spent a lot of time in the New World, so we have recreated a one of the hottest countries in the world in one of the coldest. So we had to spend quite a lot of time in very little clothes looking like we were sweaty and hot and trying to hide our cold breath. So that was pretty challenging this season," said Tom Riley.

"The show splits in the second season. We see the characters in various different geographical locations, different emotional locations, and Lucrezia is sort of the glue that holds it all together".

Da Vinci's Demons channels the Dharma Initiative - but blink and you'll miss it. (Along with a dragon skeleton, the ark and Kryptonite.)

Just like Steven Spielberg worked in Star Wars figures in a split second showing in his TV drama Falling Skies it's now clear that Da Vinci's Demons' creator and writer David S. Goyer is a fan of Lost - he's worked in the enigmatic Dharma Initiative into Da Vinci's Demons' most mystically tantalising episode yet.

South African viewers will be able to see episode seven of Da Vinci's Demons on Monday 17 June at 21:45 and it is good. The best episode yet - and not just because a major character is unexpectedly killed off.

Leonardo da Vinci makes it into the papal secret archives, meets the pope and then they journey even deeper on the papal elevator down into the papal secret chambers and then into a grotto tunnel holding even more mystical secrets. It wonderful and tantalising to behold.

Inside viewers will see what the Roman Catholic church have managed to find and keep deeply secret according to the mythos of this show: a real dragon skeleton, the legendary Spear of Destiny which killed Jesus (and then turns out to really work!), green glowing Kryptonite, the Sword in the Stone of the Arthurian legend (which Leo reaches towards to pull out), the golden Ark of the Covenant and a golden Egyptian mummy mask.

The best thing however is a mysterious piece of parchment which - when light is flashed over it - reveals writings and symbols - but never ever the same writing twice.

(The constantly flashing and changing page encased between glass with different languages, symbols and lettering reminded me of the Iconian gateway and an episode of another awesome show but let me not mix the TV arcana too deep for the uninitiated.)  

When Leonardo flashes his torch to and from over the parchment as does the pope, the writings and lettering changes, and in a brief flash the symbol and logo of the enigmatic Dharma Initiative shows up - back in the Renaissance period!

For true television watchers and TV treasure seekers, that brief micro second as a fun on-screen shout-out is awesome if you look very, very closely.

REVIEW. Da Vinci's Demons on FOX with its boobs, buttocks and penis display, Pope Sixtus IV splashing around with a naked boy and its bisexual hero, is not for everyone.

Da Vinci's Demons starting tonight in America and next month on FOX on DStv and TopTV in South Africa has nudity and risque scenes making the show inappropriate for younger viewers and only suited for adults who choose to watch such content.

Last month I watched the first episode of Da Vinci's Demons, the new fictional drama coming to FOX and following the bisexual Leonardo Da Vinci (Tom Riley) in his 20s, when it was made available to TV critics in South Africa.

I have to warn that the somewhat-flawed drama series has nudity which includes boobs (from very early on and later), derrieres, full-on male penis and scenes such as a pope splashing around in a pool with a boy (followed by a bloody murder), and of course somewhat gratuitous sex scenes.

It was fun seeing an older Julian Bashir Alexander Siddigand the special effects of the city scape of Florence looked good.

Overall in terms of look and feel and story Da Vinci's Demons is a cross between Merlin, The Da Vinci Code, Camelot, Zero Hour, and the better Game of Thrones.

Da Vinci's Demons has an overall conspiracy theory which feels interesting and which will probably play out as an overall arch, as well as some mysticism surrounding both Leonardi Da Vinci's past and his future.

The baring of body parts makes Da Vinci's Demons come across as begging for legitimacy to be taken "seriously" as adult television drama - although, with its characters which are not complex - it isn't adult drama in the sense of great television at all.

Da Vinci's Demons is Merlin with slightly better special effects and older people; a type of The Borgias lite. Watching it, somehow that late 90s, somewhat contrived drama Relic Hunter sprang to mind.

I've played Assassins Creed 3 recently, and the show's tone feels a bit like that video game: a sprawling exotic city like Constantinople as setting (Florence here), mystical meta out-of body (back)flashes, Templars (the cult of Sons of Mithras here) and the hero having to connect with the ruler.

It will be interesting to see whether the show can develop nuance and character as it colours in a fictional version of Leonardo Da Vinci's past.

Da Vinci's Demons on Fox Entertainment starting date in South Africa moved out to Monday 6 May at 21:45.

You're reading it here first. 

The starting date of the highly anticipated new drama Da Vinci's Demons which will debut on TopTV's Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) has been moved out - the drama about the fictional life of a young Leonardo da Vinci will now start on Monday 6 May at 21:45 (South African time).

I have already watched the first episode of Da Vinci's Demons thanks to Fox International Channels (FIC) to weeks ago and their online preview screening service, but the agreements in place as a TV critic is that I cannot tell or review anything about it, until a certain specified date.

Da Vinci's Demons was originally scheduled to start in South Africa and Africa on Monday 22 April at 21:45 - with episodes which would have been shown here just 10 days after America - but the drama has now been moved on to 6 May.

BREAKING. Da Vinci's Demons coming to Fox Entertainment on TopTV from 22 April at 21:45; episodes just 10 days after America!

You're reading it here first. 

Da Vinci's Demons will debut on Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) in South Africa and Africa on Monday 22 April at 21:45!

In January TV with Thinus exclusively broke the news that the highly-anticipated new drama series Da Vinci's Demons will be coming to Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) from April when the fantasy historical adventure series starts in America - now I can exclusively break more news with the starting date: Monday 22 April at 21:45!

Now give your enigmatic Mona Lisa smile: The starting date of 22 April at 21:45 for the big-buzz exclusive new drama series of Fox Entertainment means that episodes will unspool for South Africa's TopTV subscribers only 10 days after it's shown in America where Da Vinci's Demons will start on 12 April.

ALSO READ: Da Vinci's Demons: Could it be 2013 hottest brand-new TV drama?
ALSO READ: Fox International Channels grabs the highly-anticipated new drama Da Vinci's Demons for South African viewers (July 2012 story).

Fox officially describes Da Vinci's Demons - which chronicles the life and times and women and drama and mysteries of a young Leonardo Da Vinci set against the backdrop of a bigger secret society evil order murder mystery like Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code - as "the fight of one man to set knowledge free".

Evil things are happening inside the church, and they call upon Leonardo Da Vinci, who they don't actually like, to help them.

"The secret history of Leonardo Da Vinci's tantalizing life reveals a portrait of a young man tortured by a gift of superhuman genius. He finds himself in the midst of a storm that has been brewing for centuries."

"A conflict between truth and lies, religion and reason, past and future. his aspirations are used against him by the opposing forces of the time - luring him into a game of seduction where those who despise his intellect need him most."

"Leonardo must take up the fight against foes who use history to suppress the truth. A hero armed only with genius, Da Vinci stands alone against the darkness within - and the darkness without."

BREAKING. Da Vinci's Demons coming to Fox Entertainment on TopTV from April when it starts in America.

You're reading it here first. 

I can break the news and reveal that the first really big, buzzy, and brand-new TV drama for 2013, Da Vinci's Demons will be coming to South Africa with viewers who will only be able to see it on Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) on TopTV from April.

Meanwhile I'm waiting for a South African broadcaster (Anyone? Anyone?) to tell me that they have secured the broadcasting rights to the new 2013 drama series Vikings which History for South Africa doesn't seem to have any plans to show and which will start early in March in America, as well as the cool-looking new 2013 science fiction series Defiance which will also be starting in April in America.

But back to Da Vinci's Demons. Fox International Channels (FIC) has the exclusive broadcasting rights for Africa and South Africa to this new suspense and mystery filled new drama chronicling the exploits and "missing years" of a young Leonardo Da Vinci.

After I wrote about it yesterday and that Da Vinci's Demons will most likely come to either Fox Entertainment or FX on TopTV in the first half of 2013, I've just been told that "Da Vinci's Demons is set to start broadcasting in April on Fox Entertainment".

Since Da Vinci's Demons will start in April on the Starz TV channel in America, it means that South African viewers are going to get to see the hot-looking drama series filled with fun, Florence and all kinds of "f" words within days of the series' American premiere similar to The Walking Dead and Falling Skies.

The first season of this brand-new fantasy series with Tom Riley as the 25 year old Leonardo will have 8 episodes and was filmed during the latter part of last year in Wales.

Da Vinci's Demons has an overall mystery (a murder mystery involving a secret cult) as it fills in those "missing pages" that's not included in Leonardo Da Vinci's memoirs - that of a kind of maverickey inventor, thinker, free-spirited Renaissance man and womanising bedder during a time when thought and science was seen as an enemy of religion.

FIRST LOOK. Da Vinci's Demons - Could it be 2013's hottest new TV drama, and earmarked for a Fox channel on TopTV?

It looks a little bit MacGuyver, a little bit Elementary, a little bit Merlin, with elements of Game of Thrones, Camelot and The Borgias - the very hot-looking, brand-new TV drama Da Vinci's Demons which might turn out to be 2013 best new, big-buzz TV drama - one which South African viewers will most likely only be able to see on a Fox channel on TopTV early in 2013.

Fox - either Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) or FX (TopTV 110) - will likely be the TV channel for the highly-anticipated new drama series Da Vinci's Demons for South African TV viewers early in 2013. Episodes will most probably be rolled out close on the heels of them being shown on the Starz channel in America where it will start in April this year.

Now the first real teaser trailer of Da Vinci's Demons with Tom Riley as Leonardo has been revealed, and yes, there's gratuitous nudity. From the trailer it's clear however that Da Vinci's Demons also has a lot of action, intrigue in the form of hooded figures and a cult, as well as great special effects, and a very believable rendering of the historical city of Florence.

Fox International Channels (FIC) has the exclusive broadcasting rights for this new historical fantasy series which was filmed in Wales and the first season of Da Vinci's Demons will have 8 episodes. 

Da Vinci's Demons revolves around the life of a 25 year old Leonardo Da Vinci as a young Renaissance artist and inventor, trying to solve an overarching mystery.

Da Vinci's Demons is a co-production between BBC Worldwide and the Starz TV channel in America. Under the terms of the deal with FIC however, FIC will be the exclusive first window pay-TV broadcaster of Da Vinci's Demons in FIC territories outside of the United States and Canada - such as South Africa and Africa.

That means that Da Vinci's Demons will most likely be earmarked to be shown on one of the two Fox TV channels on TopTV, similar to Falling Skies and The Walking Dead.

BREAKING. Fox International Channels grabs the highly-anticipated new drama Da Vinci's Demons for South African viewers.

Fox - either Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) or FX (TopTV xxx) - will broadcast the highly-anticipated new drama series Da Vinci's Demons for South African TV viewers early in 2013. The production was announced last year in October and is currently being filmed in Wales.


Fox International Channels (FIC) just announced that it has the exclusive broadcasting rights for the historical fantasy series from FlashForward creator David Goyer which will revolve around the life of a 25 year old Leonardo Da Vinci as a young Renaissance artist and inventor. Da Vinci's Demons has now been picked up straight to series as a new drama show with 8 episodes in the first season.


Da Vinci's Demons is a co-production between BBC Worldwide and the Starz TV channel in America. Under the terms of the deal with FIC, FIC will be the exculsive first window pay TV broadcaster of Da Vinci's Demons in FIC territories outside of the United States and Canada - such as South Africa and Africa. This means Da Vinci's Demons will be shown in South Africa and Africa as well as the Middle East, Europe and Asia in early 2013.


"Following the incredible success we've had with The Walking Dead, we were looking for a tentpole series that would be different in tone and story but equally powerful with audiences worldwide," says Sharon Tal Yguado, the senior vice president of scripted programming at FIC in a just released statement.


"David S. Goyer's vision of one of history's most enigmatic character knocked us off our feet. We are convinced Da Vinci's Demons is a real game-changer in the world of period dramas."


Da Vinci's Demons will follow the "untold" story of one of the world's greatest geniuses during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence. Leonardo Da Vinci will be seen as "a passionate 25 year old" who is an "artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist. As a free thinker, with intellect that are almost superhuman, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time. He begins not only to see the future, but to invent it," says FIC.


"This is a bold and ambitious show from Starz and Jane Tranter's team which will sit really well with the range of great dramas currently available on FIC's channels," says Steve Macallister, the president and managing director for sales and distribution at BBC Worldwide.


"This production is particularly unique and should generate huge amounts of audience buzz. We're thrilled to be taking Da Vinci's Demons right across the globe, which seems very appropriate for arguably the world's most renowned polymath."


"FIC has a long and successful track record in spearheading multi-territory and global programming initiatives, from Dexter to The Walking Dead," says Jason Simms, FIC's senior vice president of global acquisitions. "We are delighted to partner with BBC Worldwide on this pretigious, ambitious and exciting new series."

New drama Da Vinci's Demons to be produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and distributed internationally.

BBC Worldwide Productions will, in conjunction with America's Starz TV channel produce the new TV drama entitled Da Vinci's Demons.

BBC Worldwide and Starz that produced Camelot currently shown on Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) commissioned Da Vinci's Demons from FlashForward creator David Goyer and will revolve around the life of a 25 year old Leonardo Da Vinci as a young Renaissance artist and inventor.

''The young life of this incredibly complex and brilliant man has not yet been explored," said Jane Tranter, head of BBC Worldwide Productions.

Da Vinci's Demons will begin production early in 2012 start on television in 2013 and will be distributed by BBC Worldwide and a possible first season will consist of 8 episodes.