Leonardo (TV Series)

This is the name of the incredible TV series, for the character see Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo is an award-winning British children's television series created by Dan Danko, Tom K. Mason, Pia Ashberry and Melanie Stokes. The show is an adventure programme set in 15th-century Florence following the adventures of a teenage Leonardo da Vinci and his friends.

There have been two series made by Kindle Entertainment and the BBC and it currently stands at 26 episodes, all originally broadcast on the CBBC network; the four main characters are in every episode. The music is composed by Mark Russell.

Plot
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of 15th-century Florence, this is period drama fast-paced with modern music and language, and a fashion sense that is more high street than high culture. At the heart of the show is the young Leonardo da Vinci. Working as an apprentice, he's not just a free-thinking genius; he's also an unstoppable creative force who's always 10 steps ahead.

Creation
Leonardo began as a novel outline by Tom K. Mason and Dan Danko portraying Leonardo da Vinci as a "teenage Renaissance Batman". Although never actually used in a book, Mason and Danko were able to interest the BBC in their unpublished story idea. It was optioned by the BBC in late 2009 and the pre-production was completed by summer 2010. The first series of Leonardo was shot on location in South Africa throughout the second half of 2010 and a second series was completed on location in Cape Town and was aired in 2012. The show was initially titled Young Leonardobut was later changed simply to Leonardo.

Awards
In 2012, Leonardo won three KidScreen Awards for Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series, Best Music, and Best Design. It was also nominated for the Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Soundtrack, the Best Youth Program Award at the Banff World Media Festival, and the Award for Youth Fiction at the Rose d'Or. It was also nominated for a children's television award at the Prix Jeunesse International Festival in Munich.

Game
In 2012 an online game based on the second series was released. Entitled Leonardo: The Game, it allows 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.

Characters

 * Leonardo da Vinci - Jonathan Bailey
 * Lisa Gherardini - Flora Spencer-Longhurst
 * Machiavelli - Akemnji Ndifornyen
 * Lorenzo de' Medici - Colin Ryan
 * Piero de' Medici - Alistair McGowan, James Clyde
 * Andrea del Verrocchio - James Cuningham


 * See all Characters

Episodes
