Top Telly - Desperate Romantics

Set in and among the alleys, galleries and flesh-houses of 19th-century industrial London, Desperate Romantics follows the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a vagabond group of English painters, poets and critics.

A relationship drama from the perspective of this iconoclastic group of dysfunctional male romantics, the series follows their lives and relationships as they shamelessly scheme and strive to find fame, fortune and success, as well as love and quite a bit of sex along the way.

Desperate Romantics is written by Peter Bowker, whose credits include Blackpool, The Canterbury Tales (The Miller's Tale) and ShakespeaRe-Told (A Midsummer Night's Dream).

This colourful and rude gang drama from BBC Drama Production executive-produced by Kate Harwood, Controller, Series and Serials, BBC Drama Production.

Joint executive producer is Franny Moyle, whose factual book of the same name published this year in 2009.

The series is being produced by Ben Evans (Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!, Fear Of Fanny, Curse Of Comedy).

Kate Harwood says: "Basically, it's Entourage with easels. Desperate Romantics paints a modern, vivid and irreverent portrait of this group of painters whose attitude to the establishment makes them comparable to the punks a hundred years later.

The Brotherhood is formed by three artists; there’s William “Maniac” Holman Hunt played by Rafe Spall, a founding member of the Brotherhood, the gifted John Everett Millais played by Samuel Barnett and the charismatic Dante Gabriel Rossetti played by Aidan Turner who was notorious for seducing his models. In addition to the artistic trio, there’s William Michael Rossetti (Brother of Dante) who was the diarist for the group.

A composite character Fred Walters played by Sam Crane has been included to help the narration of the series and he is an amalgamation of several historic characters.

The series gives an insight into the creation of some great works of art but is also a bodice-ripping romp with not a little humour for good measure. Recommended.

Desperate Romantics

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of 19th Century London

Starring Rafe Spall, Samuel Barnett, Aidan Turner and Sam Crane