I did enjoy the themes explored in this series but I do think they oversell the continued influence of the Romantics. For example, the first episode narrative essentially suggests the Romantics invented the right to protest, completely overlooking all of history's previous protests during feudalism - these are too often dismissed as "peasants revolts". Examples of the public protesting government policies go far back into the 16th century and further. Of course by starting in the late 18th century you loose all context of the influence of previous centuries. So I did find this a bit misleading, perhaps an attempt to grab the audiences attention. But this series is interesting in that it isn't really about the Romantics themselves but about more modern history and how the Romantics have been elevated and popularised in contemporary culture. It is a very good example of Foucault's ontology of the present - in that history is fluid and shaped by contemporary perspectives.
Review of The Romantics and Us
