Starz’s Tom Riley fronted period drama Da Vinci’s Demons is to end its run with it upcoming 10 episode third season, TVWise has confirmed. The show’s final run will premiere on the premium cable network on Saturday October 24th at 9/8c. Entertainment Weekly first reported the news.
“The steadfast fans of Da Vinci’s Demons have been asking about the next installment of this story and we’re excited to roll it out”, said Starz’s Managing-Director Carmi Zlotnik. “David Goyer brought us a plan to portray the unknown early years of a genius and we think the fans will enjoy this final chapter which segues into the da Vinci that history knows. John Shiban has done a tremendous job of building on past seasons and by showing how da Vinci matures as his challenges grow,”
The show’s third season, which wrapped production in Wales earlier this year, was the first under the leadership of new showrunner John Shiban, following series creator David S. Goyer’s decision to exit at the end of the second season. Even then, there were questions if season three would be the final run for the period drama, which airs internationally on Fox International Channels. The network’s decision to schedule the back half of Outlander‘s freshman season in Demons’ traditional spring slot also raised a number of eyebrows.
“While ending Leonardo’s journey is bittersweet for me, I’m happy we’re ending the story on a high note. Leonardo was famous for his mirror-writing, and there’s a symmetry to the entire series — between the first episode and the final one — that I think the maestro would have appreciated”, said Goyer. “I want to thank our dedicated fans around the world for viewing and engaging with such passion I want to thank Starz for joining me on this crazy romp. And I want to thank Tom Riley for turning in a consistently brilliant performance. It’s no small feat to portray a genius, but Tom did it with grace and humour. I hope everyone enjoys these final episodes as much as we enjoyed making them.”
Notably, the demise of Da Vinci’s Demons comes at a time when Starz is undergoing something of an evolution. The premium cable network has found critical and commercial success with Outlander, which is currently in production on its second season; and they are gearing up to launch a new comedy in the Patrick Stewart starrer Blunt Talk, which hails from House Of Cards production company Media Rights Capital and Family Guy executive producer Seth MacFarlane. Other series on their slate include Black Sails, Counterpart, Ash Vs. Evil Dead and American Gods.
