Desperate Romantics

The BBC turns historic costume drama on its head in this hot and sexy six-part series about three young artists who call themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and take on the British art establishment. Join the trio on their romp through the alleys, studios and brothels of 1850s London, in rollicking pursuit of artistic immortality and women. "A dazzling concoction of colour and nonstop whirling action" (London Daily Mail), starring Aidan Turner (Being Human, The Tudors) as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and a young, all-star cast. "Making-of" extra.

Episode 1
Rebellious, talented and charismatic, three young men are on a mission to change the world of art. The darkly handsome Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the brilliant and conflicted William Holman Hunt and the prodigious and preternaturally talented John Millais - the self-styled Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - are out to rock the art world with a style of painting that is, according to them, more true, real and heartfelt than anything seen for 300 years. And they declare their irreverent genius to the Victorian artistic establishment as frequently and as loudly as they can.
Unfortunately, the art world isn't much interested in a bunch of young, punk iconoclasts raging against the Establishment of the Royal Academy - particularly when one of that set, the shamelessly arrogant Rossetti, has yet to learn to paint. The Brothers need to step up a gear, and so they set out to find a muse to inspire their best work yet.
Cue Fred Walters, an aspiring young journalist and long-time fan of the Brotherhood. A shy hanger-on, he ingratiates himself by spotting the ‘perfect model', dazzling redhead Lizzie Siddal, at the back of a hat shop and introducing her to the Brothers. Though none of them yet realises it, she is soon to be the most famous model in Britain.
The Brothers are thoroughly bewitched by Lizzie and before long are squabbling over who will get to paint her first. Fred immediately falls in love with her, but though he vies for her attention he cannot compete with Rossetti's endless charisma and self-belief. Lizzie, meanwhile, begins to model first for the hard-working and pugnacious Hunt.
The Brotherhood's adventurous, anti-establishment style and choice of subject matter and model brings them to the notice of the brilliant and influential art critic, John Ruskin. Encouraged by Ruskin's interest, and still smarting over their rejection by the Royal Academy, the Brothers decide to mount a last-gasp exhibition of their own. One step away from anonymity and poverty, they invite Ruskin, in the hope of securing his approval - which is vital to launching them into a world of fame and fortune.
As they work towards each painting becoming a masterpiece for their make-or-break exhibition, they find themselves distracted by poverty, hunger, jealousy and lust.

Episode 2
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood continues its quest for credibility, celebrity and success. Having caught the attention of John Ruskin, the pre-eminent art critic of the day; they now have to persuade him to buy their work.
Millais sets about rustling up a ‘masterpiece' to show him. The work is Ophelia, and he chooses Lizzie Siddal to sit for it. Rossetti, who is convinced that he is nothing without Lizzie as his muse, is furious with Millais for taking her from under his nose. Holman Hunt, meanwhile, attempts a masterpiece of his own, with the street girl, Annie Miller, once again sitting for him. Having lost his virginity to Annie, Hunt remains unable to resist her charms and is cast into turmoil as he battles with his deep-felt religiosity and conflicting sexual desire.
Everything in the Brothers' world comes crashing to a halt when Lizzie falls unconscious with pneumonia while posing as Ophelia in a bath of cold water. Millais, distracted by thoughts of Ruskin's beautiful young wife, Effie, had failed to notice Lizzie sinking into a decline. As Lizzie's life hangs in the balance, so does Millais' masterpiece and thereby the Brotherhood's most promising chance of gaining recognition. However, Rossetti, no longer cares about the future of the Brotherhood as he contemplates a future without the woman he loves...

Episode 3
The youngest and most-talented member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, John Millais, delights in having landed the influential John Ruskin as his new patron. Hunt and Rossetti watch on in bitter envy as he commences his rise to fame and fortune. It is not long, however, before Millais realises that Ruskin's patronage comes at a price.
Ruskin insists on Millais painting Effie, his beautiful, young wife. It is plain to Millais that Effie is unhappy and before long she tells him why: after five years of marriage, she is still a virgin. Ruskin cannot or will not lay a finger on her. Effie explains to Millais that he is just another in a long line of men that Ruskin has attempted to lay in her path, in order put a stop to her raising the issue of sex.
Horrified, Millais realises what is expected of him: in return for Ruskin's patronage, he is to sleep with Ruskin's wife. True to form, Rossetti immediately seizes on the benefits of his friend's predicament: Millais has a rich and influential patron with a beautiful young wife whom he wants Millais to sleep with as and when he pleases. What's the problem? Millais, however, is crestfallen at the idea of sleeping with another man's wife. What of the potential scandal? He resolves to walk away from Ruskin and to leave the whole situation behind altogether. But there is one, significant problem with this plan: he is in love with Effie...

Episode 4
While Hunt is far away in the Holy Land, Fred sets out to fulfil his promise to look after Annie and prevent her from getting up to mischief. But Annie proves too hot to handle and, before Fred knows what's what, she has seduced him. Hunt returns from the Holy Land none the wiser. In fact, so taken is he with Annie's improved deportment and education under Fred's care that he asks her to marry him.
Meanwhile, Rossetti receives an encouraging visit from Ruskin who, with Millais no longer on his books, is looking for a new protégé. Rossetti is so excited by the prospect of Ruskin's patronage that he finally pops the question to Lizzie, who is as delighted with his marriage proposal as Annie is with Hunt's.
However, in spite of newly-wed Millais' smug insistence that in married life lies true happiness, both Hunt and Rossetti begin to waver at the prospect of what lies ahead. Could it be that Hunt prefers the idea of Annie-the-whore to that of Annie-the-wife? And is Rossetti capable of taking on responsibility and a conventional role in life? Fred watches on as his friends start to panic, but can he hold his own nerve and keep secret from his friend Hunt (aka ‘Maniac') his affair with Annie?

Episode 5
Rossetti and Lizzie revel in their new-found status and wealth, acquired courtesy of Ruskin's generous patronage. Swept up in a whirlwind of late-night partying and debauchery, they forget all about their art, including the commissions that they have promised to complete. Ruskin is less- than-impressed and threatens to end his support unless they both calm down and focus.
Ruskin instructs Lizzie to report every day to his house, in order to paint in his studio. To Rossetti's annoyance, he also instructs her to stay at her parents' house each night, in order to avoid further temptation to stray from her art. Lizzie responds swiftly and obediently to Ruskin's orders, leaving a disgruntled Rossetti to get back to the church mural that he has been commissioned to paint.
Rossetti, as usual, struggles to knuckle down and instead ends up back out on the town, meeting and commencing a raunchy affair with the street girl, Fanny Cornforth. Fanny's beauty, unlike Lizzie's, is large, fleshy and voluptuous and it inspires in Rossetti a new, richer and more sensual style of painting. Indeed, Fanny's unbridled hedonism, as opposed to Lizzie's tendency towards neurosis, seems to inspire in Rossetti a new lease of life altogether.
Rossetti receives further creative succour from his new young students, William Morris and Ned Burne-Jones, who offer their unadulterated worship and also their much-needed assistance with the dreaded church mural.
While Rossetti enjoys himself, Lizzie (forever worried about losing him to another woman) struggles to obey Ruskin's orders to keep away. It seems only a matter of time before she returns to find him in Fanny's arms...

Episode 6
Rossetti and Lizzie return from their honeymoon ready to settle into conventional married life. However, when Millais proposes the idea of an artistic colony for the Brotherhood and their wives, Rossetti is immediately attracted by the bohemian notion of group living. Lizzie, on the other hand, cannot bear to think of Rossetti living under the same roof as other women.
Unfortunately for Lizzie, it doesn't take an artistic colony for Rossetti's eye to wander. Within days of their return, he starts up an affair with William Morris's wife, Jane Burden. When Ruskin also forsakes Lizzie, withdrawing his support for her art now that she is a married woman, it begins to look as if laudanum (opium) has become her only remaining refuge.
Hunt, meanwhile, sets out to win back Annie Miller, hoping to persuade her to move into Millais' artistic colony with him. He sends Fred to deliver his latest offer of marriage. Annie, having had enough of Hunt blowing hot and cold, tells Fred that she has no intention of accepting his proposal. Fred sees this as the perfect moment to seize his own chance of happiness, and proposes to her himself. However, Annie bursts out laughing at the idea of marriage to Fred.
Humiliated, Fred vows to himself to protect no one's feelings in future, and to always tell the truth, no matter how brutal. However, when he chooses the

Directed by Paul Gay
Written by Peter Bowker, Franny Moyle
Produced by Ben Evans
Executive Produced by Hilary Salmon, Franny Moyle
Original Music by Daniel Pemberton
Cinematography by Alan Almond
Film Editing by David Head, Paul Knight
Costume Design by James Keast

"A colourful drama painted by a superlative cast" The Times

"Drama of the week ... Peter Bowker's six-part drama offers a suitably flash and irreverent account of the lives of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood"  Independent

"With a nod to its subjects' defiant philosophy, the makers have revamped the dusty period-drama formula with a dazzling concoction of colour and nonstop whirling action. You've seldom seen anything like it" Daily Mail

"If you know nothing about art but you know what you like, then I expect you'll love Desperate Romantics"
Daily Mirror

"It's been some time since we've had a decent costume drama, but this rollicking new six-part series is more than worth the wait. Five stars" Mail on Sunday

"Here's something a little different from your run-of-the-mill Tuesday evening drama. Four stars"
Daily Express

"Clever Peter Bowker's script had some good quips in it, and the idea of showing the Pre-Raphaelites from the point of view of their chaotic, often ill-advised love affairs with their models was essentially an interesting one" Daily Telegraph