Desperate Romantics

- Season 1

(2009)

Fred Walters recalls his friendship with the Victorian artists who called themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais. Initially patronizing they welcome him into their circle when he secures the modelling services of Lizzie Siddal with her long auburn tresses.Rossetti also engages another redhead, barmaid Annie Miller, but Hunt is wholly smitten by Lizzie. The boys' early work is not popular but Fred persuades the influential - and unhappily married - art critic and writer John Ruskin to lend his ...

With only Ruskin giving them a favourable newspaper review the Brotherhood continue painting, Rossetti and Millais clashing professionally and emotionally over Lizzie. Millais paints her as the drowning Ophelia , lying in a cold bath and she almost dies of hypothermia. When her father bans her from further modelling, Millais is concerned for his work but Rossetti is concerned for Lizzie, and bribes Mr. Siddal, with money Millais gets from Ruskin, to allow her to continue. Annie Miller gives an appreciative Hunt more sexual lessons but Ruskin still fails to consummate ...

Millais is puzzled when Effie suggests her husband wants him to do more with her than paint her. However Annie correctly guesses that Ruskin wants Millais to have sex with her so that he can name him in divorce proceedings so Rossetti persuades Effie to sue Ruskin first for non-consummation of the marriage. Milais and Effie are falling in love and end up in bed, planning to wed. Hunt sets out for a painting trip in the Holy Land, promising to marry Annie on his return but Lizzie is annoyed that Rossetti has no plans for their future. Rossetti sneakily flatters Ruskin ...

Whilst Hunt is in Syria, getting stoned and painting 'The Scapegoat', Fred is charged to keep Annie away from other men. But he falls into the river whilst taking her punting and has to take his clothes off, giving her the opportunity to do the same and seduce him. Hunt is - initially - none the wiser on return but breaks off his engagenent to Annie because she will not do as he asks and gives up her elocution lessons. She takes up with wealthy Lord Rosterley, a celebrated womanizer, and refuses Hunt's pleas to return to him. Lizzie and Rossetti have more luck,getting...

Ruskin is annoyed that Lizzie - frequently taking laudanum - and Rossetti are squandering his advance on wild parties and moves Lizzie's studio into his house. Effie warns her not to allow Ruskin to dominate her but she holds her own conversing with him and his mother. Rossetti takes up with buxom working girl Fanny Cornforth, using her as his next model. He is pursued by two of his students, would-be artists Burne-Jones and Morris ,and eventually admits them to the Brotherhood after they have saved his church mural from fading. Excess laudanum makes Lizzie ill but ...

The Rossettis return from honeymoon to a proposal from Millais; to preserve the Brotherhood they should all move into his house. They agree, out of financial need, as Ruskin has dropped Lizzie as his pupil - on the grounds of her marriage - in favour of a very young girl. Annie, dumped by her lord, turns down proposals from Hunt and Fred, vowing to bag herself another peer. She does, however, obtain hush money from Hunt not to publish his saucy love letters to her. A slighted Fred resolves only to tell the truth, starting by telling Lizzie (whom he still loves) he ...