Da Vinci's Inquest

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.

for you Americans who don't have access to the show, my heart goes out to you. to my fellow Canadians, we truly have been blessed.

this show has world class actors, magnificent story lines and a cool gritty look. i am no fan of Canadian made television. hockey and davinci are the only two shows i watch on CBC. but when a friend told me about this and she ranted like a crazed lunatic about this Vancouver shot show, i figured i would check it out. THANK YOU LAURIE!

i cant say enough about this show. along with 'deadwood', 'sopranos', news, hockey, i always try and be home for davinci. find a way to watch this show if you can. you will not be disappointed.

The second season of DaVinci's will be starting soon (probably in October), and I would suggest to anyone who is not familiar with the show to give it a try. The acting, for starters, is first-class. The show definitely draws its grittiness from American series like Homicide.. etc. but these guys also put a human & humorous face to the characters that make them convincing beyond anything on television today. The writing is first class, often drawing its inspiration from recent criminal cases in Canada. There is nothing contrived about this program. Yes, it is gritty, but not overly so. I would simply call it, exceedingly realistic. I cannot recommend this program highly enough. You will be pleasantly surprised to learn that Canada can now produce "made in Canada" series and draw from all the good production tricks of the U.S. industry, but also put a truly Canadian face back onto the television.

I had heard about this series through friends who worked on set, but actually watched my first couple episodes in Honduras (go figure). I actually live and work in the downtown east side of Vancouver, where most of the series takes place. The imagery, and story lines, are quite true to the neighborhood. Most of the TV series coming out of Vancouver, use the backdrop and call it something else, often side stepping a lot of the uniqueness of the city in an effort to mask the location. DVI actually embrace Vancouver's look as well as problems, which makes thing leagues more genuine.

I LOVE the feel of the show, it's built on longterm story, and the evolution of characters over seasons instead of just episodes. The drama isn't overly heated, it's kept in range enough so to get into an almost documentary feel. Which actually has a better impact as it is taken for reality, more than say... Third Watch, or other "shaky-cam cop shows" that can get over the top dramatic, reminding you that these are actors, on a big budget set.

Canadian TV has always been pretty solid on drama and story, as there isn't always a budget big enough to blow up buildings, cars, or anything else for that matter. They are heavily supported by Canadian viewers. I will watch things sometimes just because they are Canadian, and am often quite surprised. And by Canadian, I mean real Canadian, not American companies, heading north in the interest in saving money.

All in all great show, great stories, great characters, in a great city. And Even though most of the focus is on the more seedy of areas of Vancouver, if you've ever lived there, you'll know there a certain charm to that area. Bottom line, take some time, and enjoy your first episode, It will go from there I'm sure.

not to be confused with the book, The DaVinci Code.

this is an amazing television series and i feel privileged to get to see it. i wish everyone who likes dramatic series had the chance to see it because it is far and away the best i have ever seen, though you have to watch it for awhile before the full magic works itself on you.

DVI is in a class all by itself. it evolves slowly and intelligently in many ways over many episodes. the characters seem so much more real, with their peculiarities and particular views on the world which weave a feeling of humaness and familiarity. even walk-on parts have more depth than is normal.

a couple of plots at least are usually being pursued at the same time, and where many things do eventually wrap up, other don't. somethings you just never know, some are implied, some just lead you to think. issues that affect the poor and disenfranchised in the city come up on a regular basis, and prostitutes look more like street people than glamour girls, have actual personalities, live lives you care about. i could go on and on.

i just love this show, and it is great to have such a quality series made in and made about (no pretending to be Kansas or l.a. here) a city in Canada. even the cafés are real ones. a neat tidbit is that the series is based on the former city coroner, Larry Campbell, who is now Vancouver's mayor. kinda cool.