Da Vinci's City Hall

My husband and I were so sad to see Da Vinci's City Hall go!!! We have been huge fans since Da Vinci's Inquest! Nicholas Campbell has been excellent in both roles. He really made the Da Vinci Character believable. It was so wonderful having the two series filmed in Vancouver that were actually set in Vancouver!!! It use to be so neat to see all the different places that they would use to film around the city. We hope to see either a made for TV movie or mini-series to properly conclude Da Vinci's City Hall. It was just left hanging in the air. Chris Haddock brought two brilliant series to CBC. We wish all the actors, writers and film crew the best!!!

Watching the new Da Vinci's City Hall after seven seasons of Da Vinci's Inquest is a bit like playing MahJong--same pieces, same board, totally different configurations. Or, as the show's new motto goes: "Same Da Vinci. Same Vancouver. More lives in the balance." DVI is not the first show to get a face lift. It's just more honest than other shows in changing its name when it did it. As usual, the beginning of this season is a lot brighter and harder, cinematographically-speaking, than the end of last season, reflecting the change in external lighting between Vancouver's summer (when filming for each season starts) and Vancouver's winter (when filming ends). But the new show also comes across as brighter and harder, especially in the opening scene of Da Vinci glad-handing under the harsh lights of a nighttime racetrack.

Everyone is in a different situation: Da Vinci is mayor; Mick Leary is coroner; Angela Kosmo is back in Homicide but paired up with an old enemy; Chick is in Homicide; Zack is working undercover for Da Vinci; Leo Shannon has retired and "moved on", as Chick puts it; Bill the Police Chief, and his familiar Charlie Klotchko, are still around but chafing at having Da Vinci for their new boss. And there are new friends and potential enemies to match the new font in the new show titles--Da Vinci's two "handlers", an angry businessman, an even angrier gay rights advocate and a really torqued off homeless advocate. Some of these new characters are interesting, but most are pretty flat compared to the regulars, who have the advantage of lots of show history; introductory exposition is kept to a skeletal minimum in this pilot. Hopefully, these new characters will plump out eventually, but if they don't, I'm sure the regulars will take up the slack. The irony of the premiere's title--"Zero to Sixty Pretty Quick"--is that not only Da Vinci is expected to get up to speed in an hour, but so is the audience. It's a brand, new show; but it's also season eight. Vintage Da Vinci.

There is a soundtrack for this show. I took me a long time to find it but it was worth the wait. Its caiman.com. Actually they say to contact them, it is info@caiman.com.The name of it is DiVinci's Inquest: The Sessions CD (Soundtrack). I have had it almost a year and still listen to it several times a week. If you love the show you'll love the CD. I still watch the show every day and never fail to see something new each time. You will recognize the music as you watch the show and of course both the beginning and the ending are there. You will be pleasantly surprised at how great it is. The soundtrack I believe won the Gemini one year also. The cover has pictures of all the musicians,and Chris Haddock and of course, NICK. FYI janelouadams@aol.com

Even better than Inquest. Can't take your eyes off the screen for a minute, there's so much going on.

Nov. 1 episode blew me away. When was the last time you saw four women police officers conducting a bust? That and cultural diversity makes this show for all people. Nobody is left out.

I, too, miss Donnelly Rhodes. What a great character actor. Maybe they could bring him back from time to time.

And what happened to DaVinci's secretary (when he was coroner)? I'd like to see her again.

This show proves once and for all that Canadians can do drama as well as or better than anyone else. The only other drama that comes close to this is The West Wing.

Congratulations to cast and crew.

I was a fan of both Da Vinci's Inquest and if anything this incarnation was even more intense and captivating than the first Da Vinci series. If you want to know how people wheel and deal and want to see how politics really must work, this show really delivered the goods.

In politics and in business (really the same thing) as many personal agendas as well as corporate and social interests as possible must be served and this show was all about that. I loved watching the trading of favours and compromises that occurred in order 'make the deals and move ahead' and both wanted and had to watch carefully in order not to miss the intrigue.

It was a thinking person's show and for those who wanted cerebral versus physical action this was the best show since The Sandbaggers. Perhaps Da Vinci's City Hall was too intellectual to survive the test of ratings alone and needed time to collect the requisite viewers before cancellation but I hope that viewers will find a way to watch and appreciate the 'dance' that it portrayed so well.

Well Mr. Haddock, what's next ?