This police drama started out quite well and the first 2 seasons were mostly well written and performed with one, unfortunate exception.....the main character....Da Vinci himself. For my taste his acting style is so wooden and uninspired that I expected to see him holding the script below him in some of the long shots. Almost painful to watch his overacting and over-emphasis of every single emotion,....happy...sad...angry....you name it...he gives us an overacting primer on it......'nuff said. The story moves along quite nicely with a 5 or 6 episode run featuring veteran actor Eric Peterson playing a bad guy.....nice shift and very well done. Unfortunately the writing becomes bloated at the end of season 2 and we see the usual, and predictable plots yanked out of the vault and sprayed about.....child molesting....always a favorite with over-reaching and over-reacting cops and coroners everywhere......what a mystery....will he be a REAL child molester or will we watch another sad epic about the presumptive attitude of police....YADDA...YADDA......boring and from now on it doesn't get any better. Mr John Clease said it best when he informed us that 2 series is about all any show can produce....despite the pressure of networks to give us more of the same....he, wisely, knew his limit. So, in summary.....2 seasons....good.......PASS on the other 5

This show is high on group work and realistic dialogue and action, much more realistically paced and acted than current Yankee faves such as CSI and NCIS. They use real words such as "forensics" and the lead characters manage to hold audience interest without cheap and predictable audience grabbers. Good writing and excellent outdoor photography. It is so good it is only going over the show afterwards that I appreciate it at this level. While I'm watching it I'm drawn into the slice of life it portrays.I also suspect it is less popular among us Yanks than for Canadians because of the pacing and attention to detail. I'd be happy to be wrong, however.

This critically acclaimed gem from Canada is great, no, excellent television viewing. If you're a fan of TV shows like Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, or Homicide: Life on the Street you'll love this program.Da Vinci's Inquest begins with a story based on a true headline about the serial murders of prostitutes. Since its debut, it has collect many awards which confirms what I'm telling you here.Add to the amazing story lines an incredible cast. Nicholas Campbell, Ian Tracey and Donnelly Rhodes star together and make a perfect ensemble cast with other familiar faces.Since this is a TV show, I do not want to write any spoilers so, if you're interested in the program, watch it.

I've been very fortunate to see many episodes of this show on WGN and I have to say that it handily bests all of the American police procedurals. We never really did good police procedurals in the US anyway; we're obsessed with happy endings and quips, when the reality of police work is grueling, unfair and exhausting. Shows like Law & Order and CSI succeed by their sheer numbers. The best one ever made in the U.S.--Homicide: Life on the Street--was unceremoniously canceled after a short but brilliant run, and constantly tried to underline the realities of detective work. Only it stands against Inquest.Da Vinci's inquest, on the other hand, has such a great feel. The acting--especially that of the lead Nicholas Campbell--is top notch for this type of show, because it's so transparent. In other words the delivery and body language seem so authentic that you actually forget you're watching TV. I get so tired of the same puppet shows on Law & Order, the one dimensional characters who exist only to drive the plot to its tidy conclusion at the 22 minute mark.This one is worth seeing, and I'm glad to know it's on DVD when it disappears (as it surely will like anything else that's actually good on U.S. TV.)