"Da Vinci's Inquest" (1998) TV series 1998-2005

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Creator:

Chris Haddock

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

7 October 1998 (Canada)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Tagline:

He has a way with people, especially when they're dead.

Plot:

A Vancouver cop turned coroner searches for truth and justice with the help of his friends.

Plot Keywords:

Coroner | Police | Detective | Medical | Mysterious Death

Awards:

34 wins & 56 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 16	1:35 AM	ABC
Mon. Nov. 23	1:35 AM	ABC

Cast

Nicholas Campbell	...	Dominic Da Vinci (91 episodes, 1998-2005)
Donnelly Rhodes	...	Det. Leo Shannon (90 episodes, 1998-2005)
Venus Terzo	...	Det. Angela Kosmo (90 episodes, 1998-2005)
Ian Tracey	...	Det. Mick Leary (90 episodes, 1998-2005)
Sarah Strange	...	Helen (81 episodes, 1998-2005)
Alex Diakun	...	Chick Savoy (80 episodes, 1998-2005)
Sarah-Jane Redmond	...	Sgt. Sheila Kurtz / ... (72 episodes, 1998-2005)
Gerard Plunkett	...	Chief Coroner Bob Kelly / ... (71 episodes, 1998-2005)
Suleka Mathew	...	Dr. Sunita 'Sunny' Ramen (66 episodes, 1998-2003)
Gwynyth Walsh	...	Dr. Patricia Da Vinci (52 episodes, 1998-2002)
Kimberly Hawthorne	...	Det. Rose Williams (42 episodes, 2000-2005)

Also Known As:

Coroner Da Vinci (Canada: French title) (dubbed version)
Coroner Da Vinci (France) (dubbed version) [fr]
Da Vinci - dødens detektiv (Denmark) [da]
Da Vinci, Detetive Forense (Brazil) (cable TV title) [pt]
Da Vincin murhatutkimukset (Finland) [fi]
La clave Da Vinci (Spain) (cable TV title) [es]

Runtime:

44 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Hungary:16

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Trivia:

Before the show premiered in 1998 there was an ongoing mystery concerning the disappearance of dozens of Vancouver area prostitutes which did not stop until the arrest of a Port Coquitlam. B.C. pig farmer - Robert "Willy" Pickton - for multiple murder of some of these prostitutes. The three part opening episode was based on this mystery.

Quotes:

Dominic Da Vinci: Not even if Hell freezes over and they play The Stanley Cup down there.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Da Vinci's City Hall" (2005)

The Best One-Hour Dramatic Show On Television. Period.

DA VINCI'S INQUEST may well be the very best 1-hour television drama ever. If it isn't, there are no more than a handful - from whatever country or era - that can even come close.

It's new to American television (at least as far as I know), and I've only seen a dozen or so episodes, but their promos don't lie: one episode and I was hooked. The writing, the acting; you almost forget that what you're watching is, well, written and acted! 'Verisimilitude' is one of those words one doesn't come across much these days, but it's appropriate to describe this show. The characters are complex, their interactions so 'real life,' that watching them almost gives a feeling of eavesdropping.

Also, as in real life, there is not always a resolution. Some episodes end with matters left hanging and loose ends untied. Life doesn't always supply us with all the why's and wherefore's; neither does DA VINCI'S. This is a show that does not treat the viewer like an idiot. Perhaps a lot of Canadian TV is like that, but it's a novelty down here.

Nicholas Campbell, as Vancouver coroner Dominic Da Vinci, is the on-screen engine that powers this show. The acting of all of the series' regulars - Ian Tracey, Donnelly Rhodes, Sue Mathew, Sarah Strange and others - is of a uniformly high order, but each is even better when playing a scene with Campbell, whose presence, style and energy make everything just crackle with authenticity (oh, hell, I don't know; does authenticity crackle? If it doesn't, it should). If you've been a regular viewer of U.S. shows such as "X-Files" and the "Stargate's" - which were/are produced in Canada - you'll see a number of familiar faces.

Be warned: this show could spoil you for all American television drama. My viewing companion and I watched an episode of "Law & Order" - which we enjoy - immediately after viewing a DA VINCI; big mistake. Anything else is going to suffer by comparison. But here's some good news: if you jump in now, you've got seven seasons worth of episodes to see. That should tide you over for a while, and you'll want to catch each one.