Tom Riley stars as Leonardo Da Vinci -- Renaissance ladies' man.
Starz's upcoming series Da Vinci's Demons portrays everyone's favorite Renaissance man as a swashbuckling ladykiller romantically linked with Lorenzo Medici's mistress. That's a far cry from the real Leonardo's vegetarian, pacifist, likely homosexual but celibate Morrissey-esque lifestyle. While billed as showing a 25-year-old Da Vinci's secret history battling against religion, making the famed inventor heterosexual kinda sorta forgets he was charged with sodomy around that age. Twice!
If we're rewriting notable individuals' lives and sexualities to up their TV entertainment value, why stop there? A bevy of hit shows could result from giving history the Da Vinci's Demons treatment. Maybe we'll see...
- Getting Clean with the William S. Burroughs: A happily married Naked Lunch author and his loving wife help famous addicts kick their habits. Highlights include Allen Ginsberg enlisting Burrough's help to quit drinking for his three daughter's sake.
- 40 Days and 40 Nights of Sodom: The Marquis de Sade has always been an incorrigible but lovable Lothario, but hilarious hijinks ensue after he discovers religion and gives up sex for Lent!
- Capotication: Forget In Cold Blood, it's cold feet troubling Truman Capote. Leaving his bride-to-be at the altar, he undertakes a sexual odyssey and learns how to be single again.
- She's Turing On Me: Alan Turing uploads himself into cyberspace TRON – style and fights Nazis. There he falls for a beautiful female program, but little does he know she's actually a virus sent by the Third Reich.
- Michel and his Fou Co-Eds: Philosopher detective Michel Foucault and his sexy team of undergrad girls travel the world, delivering discipline and punishment to criminals everywhere.
- Oscar Wilder: Way cool fraternity social director Oscar Wilde teaches his clueless freshman pledge class how to party, pick up women and other valuable life lessons.
Riley on set with show creator David S. Goyer
How do you feel Da Vinci's Demons' sexuality swapping shenanigans? Which famous people could use a revisionist makeover? Let's hear your thoughts.
