If you follow these sorts of things, you're well aware that the TCA Winter Press Tour is in full swing at the moment. If you don’t, well, the TCA are the Television Critics Association, and the twice-yearly press tour consists of the networks and cable channels bulling themselves and their upcoming content up to the press. Over the weekend Starz got the opportunity to do just that for the shows on their upcoming slate, and perhaps the most interesting project they’re banging the drum for is the David Goyer (“The Dark Knight” trilogy) -penned “Da Vinci’s Demons.”
The wildly erratic (in terms of the quality of his work) writer received an eight-episode order from Starz at the back end of 2011 for the show that will follow the 25-year-old Leonardo Da Vinci during his time spent in Florence. Speaking about the show at the TCA Press Tour, Goyer explained that his approach to writing the show “wasn’t unsimilar to adapting Batman or Superman,” adding that the character “is kind of superhero-y, there are so many legends and tall tales about him.” So it will be somewhat of a historical fantasy, with “80-85 percent” of what’s being depicted drawn from historical fact.
Following on from that presentation the first trailer for the show has appeared online, and it certainly looks like perfect Starz fodder. There’s swordplay, sex, more swordplay and even more sex, and it looks as if the main villain in the piece could just be the Pope – and that would be just super. Brits dominate the cast with Tom Riley taking the title role, and a couple of semi-familiar faces cropping up such as Laura Haddock (Sam Claflin’s other half and star of the British hit “The Inbetweeners Movie”) and Lara Pulver (“Sherlock”). The show will premiere on Starz at 10pm on Friday, April 12, before moving to the earlier time of 9pm in following weeks after the series finale of “Spartacus.” We’re guessing it will fit right in. [THR/Dark Horizons]