''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian
crime drama
Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
television series which originally aired on
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes.
The show, set and filmed in
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, starred
Nicholas Campbell
Nicholas Campbell (born 24 March 1952) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. He is a four-time Gemini Awards, Gemini Award winner, a three-time Genie Awards, Genie Award nominee, and a Canadian Screen Awards, Canadian Screen Award nominee. He is k ...
as Dominic Da Vinci, once an undercover officer for the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
, but now a crusading
coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
who seeks justice in the cases he investigates.
The cast also included
Gwynyth Walsh
Gwynyth Walsh (born 1956) is a Canadian actress best known for her role of the ''Star Trek'' character B'Etor, one of the Duras sisters. She also played constable Nimira in the '' Star Trek: Voyager'' episode " Random Thoughts", and provided th ...
as Da Vinci's ex-wife and chief pathologist Patricia Da Vinci,
Donnelly Rhodes
Donnelly Rhodes Henry (December 4, 1937 – January 8, 2018) was a Canadian actor. He had many American television and film credits, probably best known to American audiences as the hapless escaped convict Dutch Leitner on the soap opera spoof ' ...
as detective Leo Shannon, and
as detective Mick Leary.
Episodes
Cast
Main
*
Nicholas Campbell
Nicholas Campbell (born 24 March 1952) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. He is a four-time Gemini Awards, Gemini Award winner, a three-time Genie Awards, Genie Award nominee, and a Canadian Screen Awards, Canadian Screen Award nominee. He is k ...
as Coroner (Mayor in season 8) Dominic Da Vinci
*
Suleka Mathew as Dr. Sunita "Sunny" Ramen (credited as "Sue Mathew" in the first season) (seasons 1–5 & beginning of season 6)
*
Donnelly Rhodes
Donnelly Rhodes Henry (December 4, 1937 – January 8, 2018) was a Canadian actor. He had many American television and film credits, probably best known to American audiences as the hapless escaped convict Dutch Leitner on the soap opera spoof ' ...
as Detective Leo Shannon (seasons 1–7)
*
Venus Terzo as Detective Angela Kosmo
*
as Detective (Coroner in season 8) Mick Leary
*
Gwynyth Walsh
Gwynyth Walsh (born 1956) is a Canadian actress best known for her role of the ''Star Trek'' character B'Etor, one of the Duras sisters. She also played constable Nimira in the '' Star Trek: Voyager'' episode " Random Thoughts", and provided th ...
as Dr. Patricia Da Vinci (seasons 1–4)
*
Robert Wisden as Chief Coroner James Flynn (seasons 1–2 & beginning of 3)
*
Sarah-Jane Redmond as Sergeant Sheila Kurtz (seasons 3–7, recurring in seasons 2 and 8)
*Gerard Plunkett as Chief Coroner
ormerly Crown ProsecutorBob Kelly (seasons 3–7; recurring in seasons 1–2 and 8)
*
Kimberly Hawthorne as Detective Rose Williams (credited as "Kim Hawthorne") (seasons 4–7)
*
Alex Diakun as Forensics Detective Chick Savoy (seasons 5–8, recurring in 1–4)
*
Sarah Strange as Helen (seasons 5–7, recurring in 1–4)
*Simone Bailly as Constable Jan Ferris (season 8)
*
Brian Markinson as Police Chief Bill Jacobs (season 8; recurring in seasons 6–7)
*
Mylène Dinh-Robic as Rita Mah (season 8)
*
Benjamin Ratner as Sam Berger (season 8)
Recurring
*
Emily Perkins as Sue Lewis (seasons 1–7)
*Stephen E. Miller as Accident Investigation Sgt. Zack McNab (recurring in seasons 1–7)
*
Robert Clothier as Joe Da Vinci (season 1)
*
Joy Coghill as Portia Da Vinci (seasons 1–5)
*
Duncan Fraser as Staff Sgt. Regan (season 1 and beginning of 2)
*
Max Martini as Danny Leary (seasons 1–4)
*
Jewel Staite
Jewel Belair Staite (born June 2, 1982) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles as Kaylee Frye in the series ''Firefly'' (2002–2003) and its follow-up movie '' Serenity'' (2005), and as Jennifer Keller on science fiction television ...
as Gabriella Da Vinci (seasons 1, 3–4)
*
Peter Williams as Morris Winston (seasons 1–5)
*Warren Takeuchi as Wayne (seasons 1–5)
*
Crystal Lowe as Sylvia (seasons 1–3)
*Lee Jay Bamberry as Det. Roy LaBoucane (seasons 2–5)
*
Callum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie (born 14 September 1960) is a Canadian actor, based in British Columbia. His breakthrough role was as punk rocker Billy Tallent in the music mockumentary ''Hard Core Logo'' (1996), followed by a starring role as Det. Stanle ...
as Detective Bob Marlowe (seasons 2–4)
*Nathaniel De Veaux as Morris Steadman (seasons 2–5)
*
Fred Keating as Councillor Jack Pierce (seasons 2–8)
*
Terry Chen as William Chen (seasons 3–4, 6–7)
*
Dean Marshall as Constable Carter (seasons 4–7)
*
Keegan Connor Tracy as Jackie (seasons 4, 7)
*
Hrothgar Mathews as Constable (later Sgt.) Charlie Klotchko (seasons 5–7, regular in 8)
*
Colin Cunningham
Colin Alexander Cunningham (born 1966) is an American television and film actor. Cunningham is best known for his roles as John Pope in the TNT science fiction series '' Falling Skies'' and as Major/Lt.Col Paul Davis on ''Stargate SG-1'' and ...
as Detective Brian Curtis (seasons 5–8)
*
Camille Sullivan as Detective Suki Taylor (seasons 5–7)
*
Shaun Johnston as Fire Marshal Sid Fleming (seasons 5, 8)
*
Alisen Down as Dr Maria Donato (seasons 6–8)
*
Bill Dow as Mayor Russ Hathaway (seasons 6–7)
*Rob LaBelle as Phil Rosen (seasons 6–8)
*
Patrick Gallagher as Internal Affairs Detective Joe Finn (season 7, regular in 8)
*
Chris Britton as Richard Norton (seasons 7–8)
*
Hiro Kanagawa as Fire Captain Roy Komori (season 8)
*
Charles Martin Smith as Joe Friedland (season 8)
*
Gina Holden as Claire (season 8)
*Rebecca Reichert as Marcie (season 8)
*
Eugene Lipinski as Lloyd Manning (season 8)
*
Rekha Sharma as Constable Cindy Winters (season 8)
Production
''Da Vinci's Inquest'' was loosely based on the real life experiences of
Larry Campbell, the former chief coroner of
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, who was elected mayor of that city in 2002. The part of Da Vinci, however, was written specifically for actor
Nicholas Campbell
Nicholas Campbell (born 24 March 1952) is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. He is a four-time Gemini Awards, Gemini Award winner, a three-time Genie Awards, Genie Award nominee, and a Canadian Screen Awards, Canadian Screen Award nominee. He is k ...
. Elements of the series storylines were also taken from sociopolitical issues faced by Vancouver itself, such as the plight of the homeless, the controversy over a designated injection site for drug users, the idea of establishing a
red light district
A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...
, and the disappearance of homeless women and sex workers — similar to the case of
Robert Pickton
Robert William Pickton (October 24, 1949 – May 31, 2024), also known as the Pig Farmer Killer or the Butcher, was a Canadian serial killer and pig farmer. After dropping out of school, he left a butcher's apprenticeship to begin working full- ...
. Each episode of the series cost $1 million.
Format
''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is notable for its unconventional story formats. Unlike most crime dramas, many cases on ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' aren't fully explained, and some aren't even solved; often the episodes end with the resolution implied or withheld entirely. Some of the longer arcs of the show arcs span the length of one or more seasons, but aren't touched on at all for several episodes at a time. An exception to this is Season 7, which features at least three main plots that are addressed in every episode. Two episodes, Season 3's "It's Backwards Day" and Season 4's "Pretend You Didn't See Me," are notable for their extended opening takes, which follow Da Vinci as he walks around a location and speaks with multiple characters in one continuous, ten-minute shot; the former episode is also noted for playing out largely in real time.
Major story arcs include: Da Vinci's attempts to balance his work life with his ex-wife and daughter, as well as his battles with alcoholism; Leo Shannon struggling to care for his mentally ill wife and facing pressure to retire from the force; the relocation of an old mental hospital's cemetery and the intrigue that follows; Sunny overseeing an archaeological dig at a construction site; Angela Kosmo's battle with a corrupt Vice cop and the teenage prostitute who tries to manipulate both of them; and Da Vinci's quest to establish a red light district and safe injection site to protect the
sex worker
A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is ...
s and drug addicts of Vancouver, which leads him to run first for police chief and then mayor. The sex trade is a recurring theme throughout the entire series, and early season premieres and finales center around high numbers of homicides where prostitutes are the victims, which often turn out to be the work of a serial killer. Relationships between characters (such as Da Vinci's many romantic flings and that between Mick Leary and Sunny Ramen) are left in the background of or take place between episodes.
Availability outside Canada
United States
The original run of ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' was always available in certain U.S. markets (e.g., Seattle) where the CBC could be viewed either over the air or on cable. It made its formal U.S. debut, however, the week of September 17, 2005, when it was already in syndication after the original run. The show has continued to air in syndication, along with multiple networks (including
Retro TV
Retro TV (stylized as retrotv), formerly known as Retro Television Network, is an American terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by Get After It Media. The network mainly airs classic television sitcoms and drama series f ...
,
Cloo,
WGN America
WGN America was an American subscription television network that operated from November 9, 1978 to February 28, 2021. The service was originally uplinked to satellite by United Video Inc. as a national feed of Chicago independent station WGN-T ...
, and
Court TV Mystery) due to its low-cost syndication arrangement. The series is distributed in the United States by PPI Releasing, a large distributor of Canadian programming to the American market.
Other countries
In Australia, the series aired late Monday nights on the
Nine Network
Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
, and its affiliates
WIN (although on a different night) and
NBN, and later on
13th Street. It has also been aired in late night slots on
RTÉ One in Ireland. In
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
,
Skjár einn has aired the show in various slots, including Saturday evening.
Home media
DVD
Acorn Media UK has released the first three seasons on DVD in Region 1 (US only).
In Canada,
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. (commonly known as Alliance Atlantis) was a Canadian media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Los ...
released the first season on DVD on 14 October 2003. Season 2 was released on 3 February 2009 by
Alliance Films, more than five years after the release of the first season.
Streaming
As of 2017, season one has been released online for free on
Canada Media Fund's Encore+ YouTube Channel.
Awards and nominations
Nicholas Campbell received the
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...
for Best Performance in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for his work on the series and has guest-starred in American shows such as ''
Monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
''.
Donnelly Rhodes
Donnelly Rhodes Henry (December 4, 1937 – January 8, 2018) was a Canadian actor. He had many American television and film credits, probably best known to American audiences as the hapless escaped convict Dutch Leitner on the soap opera spoof ' ...
also received a
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...
for Best Actor in 2002 and the
Earle Grey Award
The Earle Grey Award is the lifetime achievement award for television acting of the Canadian Screen Awards, and its predecessor the Gemini Awards. It can be presented to an individual or collaborative team (such as SCTV or Royal Canadian Air Fa ...
in 2006. The series was critically acclaimed as the best television series in Canada after winning the Gemini Award for Best Dramatic Series for five of its first six seasons. In 2002, actress
Keegan Connor Tracy won a Leo Award for her guest appearance in Season 4's "Pretend You Didn't See Me" and was brought back for a second appearance in 2005.
''Da Vinci's City Hall'' and TV movies
In Canada, a spin-off series, ''
Da Vinci's City Hall'', premiered on 25 October 2005.
In the U.S., ''Da Vinci's City Hall'' airs as part of the ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' rerun package, regarded as the eighth season of the series (even using the titles from the last three seasons of ''Inquest'' instead of the titles for ''City Hall''). ''City Hall'' debuted in the U.S. on
Superstation WGN on April 27, 2007, and released into national syndication to local stations, also as part of ''Da Vinci's Inquest'', on November 4, 2007.
A TV movie following up on the two series, ''The Quality of Life'', aired on CBC on 14 June 2008.
References
External links
Official Web Site*
Genie Awards and nominations''Da Vinci's Inquest'' Forum Index*
{{ACCT Best Dramatic Series, state=collapsed
1998 Canadian television series debuts
2005 Canadian television series endings
1990s Canadian crime drama television series
2000s Canadian crime drama television series
Canadian legal television series
CBC Television original programming
Television series by Alliance Atlantis
Television series by Lionsgate Canada
Television shows set in British Columbia
Television shows set in Vancouver
Gemini and Canadian Screen Award for Best Drama Series winners
Television shows filmed in Vancouver
Canadian English-language television shows