I think it was a first class series. With a title including the word 'Genius' in it, it was always going to concentrate on the more artistic side of things or on the 'names' from the past who have stood the test of time. Whether some of the more modern stuff will still be remembered in years to come remains to be seen, but that's probably true of most art forms.
It didn't get bogged down in all the technicalities of photograhpy. Programmes that I've seen before, over the years, always seem to spend more time on explaining shutter speeds, apertures, loading your film into the developing tank, etc., which is fine for the beginner but you wouldn't expect a programme on literature, say, to concentrate on choosing the best pen and paper or how to spell different words.
This series has avoided all that and shown how those who've realised the potential of photography have pushed the boundaries to take it beyond the simple static shots of the first photos.
We've also been treated to a couple of excellent series on the photographs of Albert Kahn ('The Edwardians in Colour' and 'The Twenties in Colour'). Kahn was a wealthy financier (though he eventually lost it all in the 'crash') and he used his money and influence to send photographers all over the world to document the different peoples before their way of life was overtaken by a fast-moving modern society.
I've had a general interest in photography for many years but, I must admit that I'd never heard of Kahn before, so this series has been a revelation to me. Those old Autochromes are quite something and seem to have stood the test of time better than some more modern emulsions.
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