I’m always pleased to see there’s a new Lucy Worsley programme. Her series on the history of home, If Walls Could Talk, was insightful and enjoyable, and she’s rather fun on Twitter. Her latest BBC series, A Very British Romance did not disappoint. It had most things I look for in a programme: historical accuracy, humour, period costume and some excellent coat and glove combinations from Worsley herself. A Very British Romance ‘delves into the history of romance to uncover the forces shaping our very British happily ever after and how our feelings have been affected by social, political and cultural ideas.’

Worsley argues that the romance novel changed the way society thought and felt about the concept of romance and the first episode charts the rise of the ‘romantic’ novel, exploring how the likes of Richardson, Burney and Austen shaped the nation’s ideas of romance. Alongside analyses of novels, Worsley showcases the locations and landscapes that inspired, formed and produced the texts she’s discussing. She also shows us love letters, jealousy glasses and eye miniatures; small pieces of history, funniosities of the period that serve to entertain an audience while educating it. Visually, the episode is engaging throughout. Worsley sits at dinner in full Georgian costume as she discusses the unfortunate marriage of a poor teenager; she visits a modern hairdresser for a towering Georgian do to strut about the streets in and wanders between illustrated dancers at the Upper Assembly Rooms in Bath.  

For those of us that spend the majority of our time in the eighteenth century, A Very British Romance likely offers little in the way of ‘new’ information. But Worsley’s delivery, and the narrative she weaves, is nonetheless enjoyable. Though frequently humorous and not afraid of whimsy, the show treats its subject matter with a genuine seriousness. Romance is so often a subject that is brushed aside as silly and insubstantial. Yet, as A Very British Romance makes clear, romance has shaped literature, art and society for centuries. In this episode, Worsley calls on author Lynn Shepherd, Burney and Austen biographer Claire Harman and historian Sally Holloway to offer insight and expertise. A Very British Romance is, perhaps not unexpectedly, dominated by female experts. Considering that the ‘femininity’ of romance is so often cited as a reason for its dismissal, it was refreshing to watch these women discuss it with such easy expertise and genuine interest.

Watching A Very British Romance felt somewhat like rewatching the 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation (and not just because it opened with its now famous theme tune.) Just because I know what happens in the novel, doesn’t mean I no longer enjoy watching the way it plays out on screen. The passion that Worsley and her experts express for their topic shines throughout the programme, complemented by the show’s lively visual style. A Very British Romance manages to offer serious academic insight without ever taking itself too seriously. Much like the novels Worsley discusses, the show entertains whilst it educates and the result is an enjoyable show. After all, what is there not to like about a programme that features two academics sipping sparkling wine through a straw in the back of a London taxi whilst discussing Fanny Burney?

Episode One of A Very British Romance was broadcast on BBC 4 on October 8th 2015. The subsequent two episodes explored Victorian and twentieth-century contexts respectively.