'Poldark' Star Aidan Turner's 'Leonardo' Series to Air on The CW in August

American network The CW is not usually considered a destination location for anglophile-friendly television (even though it is the network that tried (and sadly failed) to bring Taskmaster to U.S. shores). That said, it has had some success in recent years with splashy historical dramas like Reign, a generally inaccurate but wildly fun retelling of the life of a young Mary Queen of Scots, and has generally made a handful of foreign imports staples of its summer drama lineup, such as Canada's Coroner and the Italian series Devils that stars Patrick Dempsey.

Now, the network has officially set a date for Leonardo, the highly anticipated first post-Poldark television project for its star Aidan Turner.

The eight-part series will premiere in August and aims to explore the secrets and drama behind the life of the famed painter and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. A 15th-century man whose work remains instantly recognizable centuries after his death,  the details of Da Vinci's life and character nevertheless are still relatively unknown to us.

Set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy, Leonardo follows Da Vinci as he grows into an unparalleled genius and renowned polymath whose work overturned the established order around him. His restless curiosity flitted between arts, science, and technology, always driven by a profound quest for knowledge and determined to unfold the mysteries of the world.

The Good Doctor's Freddie Highmore will star alongside Turner, playing a fictional young detective named Stefano Giraldi who is assigned to solve the mystery at the center of the story, in which Da Vinci is accused of murder.