Fantastico: The CBBC Leonardo Podcast

There's a party at the Medici palace and the gang wasn't invited! Plus, Lisa discovers Piero is the head of the cult they have been up against all season, Mac is briefly kidnapped, and we finally meet a Charioteer from Lorenzo's infamous Charioteers Monthly. Joining us today to discuss all this and more is comedian and editor Avril ( @aviie1296 ) Together we talk about the best way to...

Mummy issues! Fake marriage! Love triangles! There's lot to unpack in this episode when Lisa’s mother arrives in Florence to take Lisa home and force her into marriage. Zoé ( ⁠@punk_kinsoup⁠ ) joins the podcast to help unravel the complications that follow. Together we talk family, gender roles and games where you have a hoop and a stick. Originally recorded in 2023 Follow the podcast on Instagram...

Florence’s annual art contest is here, and Leonardo and Lisa are competing against Michelangelo. With oil-based sabotages and schemes of stolen identity, who will triumph? This week we discuss Michelangelo and Leonardo’s rivalry, whether the Duke can truly love democracy as a reigning monarch, and how this should have been a Lisa episode. Joining us today is art historian Meg who has some surprisi...

The time travel episode is here! Or is it....?  Morgues, corpses, and absentee parents abound in this episode centred around a watch which may (or may not) be the key to time travel. Dervla and Anna are joined by writer, bookseller and historian Hannah ( @hannahsrwriter ) and together they discuss bodies, daddy issues, and the fantastical. (Originally recorded in 2022) FOLLOW THE PODCAST You can f...

We know him as Piero de Medici, villainous secret society leader and devoted father, but you may also know him as an impressionist, comic, actor and pianist. Alistair McGowan is here with us to discuss everything you’d ever wanted to know about Piero, from what it was like playing the villain and the experience of filming Leonardo in South Africa. *** Please note that this interview was originally...

Mysterious, ancient boxes that shoot CGI lightning, manipulative Scottish friendly-enemies, and the tragic execution of a watermelon, this episode has it all. Join Dervla and Anna as they delve into the complexities of Mac's relationship with his Scottish frenemy, the power of friendship, and discuss whether or not a lightning box can actually exist. (Originally recorded in 2022) Follow the po...

Leonardo does Twelfth Night (sort of) when Lorenzo's mean cousin comes to town and in typical kids show fashion Leonardo falls immediately in love. This episode may not be CBBC Leonardo's strongest but it allows us to talk about the depiction of gender, teen-romance and how love is portrayed in these kind of plots. Plus, pay close attention and you may be able to work out who is the super...

Something Wicked this way comes in the form of a villain from Mac's past who burned down his village and has come to Florence to force a girl into marriage. Don't worry, Leonardo and the gang have the perfect plan to stop it! It involves a museum heist, fake paintings, a money laundering front and also Scottish alchemists? Joining us this week to discuss heists, sad backstories and turning...

This week we cover what is arguably the most iconic episode as Leonardo (Jonathan Bailey) flies over CGI Florence while Song 2 by Blur plays in the background. In this episode we are joined by writer, dramaturg and bird of prey trainer Deanie ( @seedeanwrite ) as we talk falcons, father figures and flying. Plus we explore the real Leonardo Da Vinci's fascination with birds. (Originally recorde...

Cults, maths, sculpting and...eye tests? Episode 2 of Leonardo has it all and Dervla is back with Hope Anna to talk through it! Is telling your new employee to carve a giant rock too much to ask? Did Leonardo DaVinci actually write his notebook backwards? Were there opticians in the 15th century (and were they as iconic as Gilberto degli Specchi ?) Come find out in this episode of Fantastico! The...

The very first episode! Dervla is watching with Hope Anna (the artist responsible for our cover art) who is seeing it for the first time. Is any of this show historically accurate? Does anyone buy Lisa's "boy" disguise? Is Piero maintaining a good cult/home life balance? Come find out in this episode of Fantastico! (Originally recorded in 2022) Find Hope Anna on Substack: (@bogofbrea...