CBBC Leonardo superfan Dervla gets her friends to watch the show for the first time. With a few surprise guest stars along the way….
Show artwork by the wonderful Hope Anna
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Instagram: @FantasticoPod
TikTok: @FantasticoPod
Leonardo is a British action-adventure television series which aired on CBBC between 2011 and 2012. Set in 15th-century Florence, the show follows the adventures of teenage Leonardo da Vinci (Jonathan Bailey), Lorenzo De Medici (Colin Ryan), Lisa Gherardini (Flora Spencer-Longhurst); and Machiavelli (Akemnji Ndifornyen)
Comedian Avril Burke joins the hosts to discuss the revelation of a villain, parental cult involvement, and the essence of Teenage Renaissance Batman in this interview episode.
23 Jul 2025
EP109: Lost and Found (with Zoé)
Zoé explores themes of family dynamics, gender expectations, and historical games within the context of Lisa's mother's arrival and arranged marriage plans in this interview episode with host Dervla.
16 Jul 2025
EP108: Angels and Cherubs (With Meg Barrett)
Art historian Meg Barrett reveals surprising truths about real-life paintings featured in the CBBC Leonardo show, as Hope Anna and Dervla discuss Michelangelo and Leonardo's rivalry in this interview episode.
2 Jun 2025
EP107: Time Waits (with Hannah Scott-Ravikumar)
Hannah Scott-Ravikumar joins Dervla and Anna to explore time travel in fiction and history, offering insights into narrative and historical perspectives in this interview episode.
15 May 2025
Alistair McGowan meets Fantastico
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’dever 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 recorded in 2022. Since then, Tom Wilkinson, one of the actors who Alistair mentions as being an inspiration for Piero, has sadly passed away. We’re so grateful for Tom's inspiration on this show we love.
***
Alistair McGowan
Alistair's website (https://highfieldproductions.com/alistair-mcgowan/)
Listen and buy Alistair's amazing piano album here (https://slinky.to/ThePianoAlbumVolTwo).
Alistair's book (https://www.waterstones.com/book/not-what-we-were-expecting/alistair-mcgowan/9781739623173)
Follow the podcast on
Instagram: @FantasticoPod (https://www.instagram.com/fantasticopod/)
Tiktok: @FantasticoPod (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticopod)
Tumblr: CBBCLeonardoPodcast (https://www.tumblr.com/cbbcleonardopodcast)
Follow the hosts:
Hope Anna is on Substack (https://bogofbread.substack.com/ )
Dervla is on Instagram: @dervlaj (https://www.instagram.com/dervlaj/)
8 May 2025
EP106: The Lightning Box
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 podcast on
Instagram and Threads: @FantasticoPod (https://www.instagram.com/fantasticopod/)
Tiktok: @FantasticoPod (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticopod)
Follow the hosts:
Hope Anna is on Substack (https://bogofbread.substack.com/ )
Dervla is on Instagram: @dervlaj (https://www.instagram.com/dervlaj/)
Our Recs:
Ezra Furman's album! (https://open.spotify.com/album/2KTQDiz3rmivOSbzLPbjTn?trackId=0tau6QR7ID4jqGzgMBLxk2)(released in 2022...when this episode was originally recorded)
Sources:
Leonardo and his interest in light and shadow (https://ia800604.us.archive.org/21/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.126698/2015.126698.The-Notebooks-Of-Leonardo-Da-Vinci-Vol1-New-Edition_text.pdf)
Tesla Coil (https://www.britannica.com/technology/Tesla-coil) (real life lightning box? Also NOT a toy)
1 May 2025
EP105: It Must be Love
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 secret special guest from the show we interviewed. (All will be revealed soon)
(Originally recorded in 2022)
Follow the podcast on
Instagram and Threads: @FantasticoPod (https://www.instagram.com/fantasticopod/)
Tiktok: @FantasticoPod (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticopod)
Follow the hosts:
Hope Anna is on Substack (https://bogofbread.substack.com/ )
Dervla is on Instagram: @dervlaj (https://www.instagram.com/dervlaj/)
Our Recs:
No recs this week but we wish your dog food to be free of maggots.
Sources:
Leonardo and the periscope (https://mostre.museogalileo.it/codiceleicester/en/water/50-leonardo-s-submarine)
Slashing (Clothing) (https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/dagging/)
Houppelande (and more on medieval costumes and clothing) - Medieval Clothing and Costumes : Displaying Wealth and Class in Medieval Times by Margaret Scott
24 Apr 2025
EP104: Something Wicked (with Alice Fowler)
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 lead into gold is writer, swimmer, and dog trainer Alice. (@Kintaruska (https://www.instagram.com/ruskagram/))
(Originally recorded in 2022)
FOLLOW THE PODCAST
You can find the show on:
Instagram and Threads: @FantasticoPod (https://www.instagram.com/fantasticopod/)
Tiktok: @FantasticoPod (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticopod)
(We are nothing if not consistent)
FOLLOW THE HOSTS
Hope Anna (whose audio sadly glitched this episode) is on Substack
Deanie is on Instagram: @seedeanwrite (https://www.instagram.com/seedeanwrite/)
Dervla is on Instagram: @dervlaj (https://www.instagram.com/dervlaj/)
Our Recs:
Merlin the bird app (https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/)
Sources:
Leonardo's infamous wings (https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/leonardo-da-vinci-and-flight)
Leonardo the animal rights activist: (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/nov/30/leonardo-da-vinci-animal-rights-activist)
17 Apr 2025
EP103: "A Wing and a Prayer" (with Deanie Vallone)
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 (https://www.instagram.com/seedeanwrite/)) as we talk falcons, father figures and flying. Plus we explore the real Leonardo Da Vinci's fascination with birds.
(Originally recorded in 2022)
Episode summary: Leonardo has invented a pair of wings but needs to study a bird in order to perfect the design. He gets Lorenzo to steal a falcon from Piero but the falcon and the wings catch the attention of the villain of the week who wants to harness the power of flight and take over the world (apparently).
FOLLOW THE PODCAST
You can find the show on:
Instagram and Threads: @FantasticoPod (https://www.instagram.com/fantasticopod/)
Tiktok: @FantasticoPod (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticopod)
(We are nothing if not consistent)
FOLLOW THE HOSTS
Hope Anna (whose audio sadly glitched this episode) is on Substack (https://bogofbread.substack.com/ )
Deanie is on Instagram: @seedeanwrite (https://www.instagram.com/seedeanwrite/)
Dervla is on Instagram: @dervlaj (https://www.instagram.com/dervlaj/)
Our Recs:
Merlin the bird app (https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/)
Sources:
Leonardo's infamous wings (https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/leonardo-da-vinci-and-flight)
Leonardo the animal rights activist: (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2011/nov/30/leonardo-da-vinci-animal-rights-activist)
10 Apr 2025
EP102: "Da Vinci's Code"
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 CBBC Leonardo podcast (Originally recorded in 2022)
Find Hope Anna on Substack: (@bogofbread) https://bogofbread.substack.com/ (https://bogofbread.substack.com/ )
You can find the show on:
Instagram and Threads: @FantasticoPod (https://www.instagram.com/fantasticopod/)
Tiktok: @FantasticoPod (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticopod)
(We are nothing if not consistent)
SOURCES:
Renaissance Opticians:
https://eyewiki.org/History_of_Ophthalmology#cite_note-23 (https://eyewiki.org/History_of_Ophthalmology#cite_note-23)
Duke-Elder S & Wybar KC (1961). The history of the anatomy of the eye. System of Ophthalmology. Vol 2. The Anatomy of the Visual System. London: Henry Kimpton 1–72.
3 Apr 2025
EP101: "Anything is Possible"
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: (@bogofbread) https://bogofbread.substack.com/ (https://bogofbread.substack.com/ )
You can find the show on:
Instagram and Threads: @FantasticoPod (https://www.instagram.com/fantasticopod/)
Tiktok: @FantasticoPod (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasticopod)
(We are nothing if not consistent)
Who has been a guest on Fantastico: The CBBC Leonardo Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Avril Burke
Zoé
Meg Barrett
Hannah Scott-Ravikumar
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
16
Social presence
91
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Fantastico: The CBBC Leonardo Podcast
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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