Ready to Wear: The voice-over in 'British Style Genuis' dutifully rolled out every stultifying cliché in the book

Last Tuesday's British Style Genius – the much-hyped BBC2 five-parter on this country's fashion industry – should have been the best. After all, it focused on the three undisputed greats – Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen – and the imagery created by all three is unparalleled. Certainly, "Breaking the Rules: The Fashion Rebel Look", as it was called (even the title appeared to have been written by the world's most boring auntie), was an improvement on the flagrantly hagiographic ode to Topshop that was the first in the series, or the mind-numbing homage to Savile Row that followed.

The access to designers – and to Westwood in particular, who loves a media opportunity, now as then – was impressive. How great it was to see her in her studio explaining the genesis of her Pirates T-shirt, with its off-centre neckline, and the 18th century-inspired trousers that went with it. "I think they're brilliant," the designer opined with the wisdom of Confucius, before bringing the whole shebang back to earth in the manner that only she knows how: "But they make you look like you've shat your pants."

Then there was John Galliano's sublime breakthrough collection shown in socialite Sao Schlumberger's Paris mansion, dusted with talcum powder for the duration, seating included, and modelled by everyone from Linda Evangelista, then at the height of her supermodel notoriety, and a young Kate Moss. Footage from McQueen's shows in particular – from "Highland Rape", which looks as startling today as when it was first shown in the early Nineties, to his current autumn/winter collection – was a thing of extreme, characteristically disturbing beauty to behold.

McQueen, incidentally, according to the programme-makers, has a "foul mouth" and thus represents the more accessible face of British fashion. Cue: a model elaborately draped in the world's finest fabrics stalking a barren landscape dominated by an ancient oak tree wrapped in silk tulle. Hello!

Most of all, the voice-over, courtesy of "Whistleblowers" actor Richard Coyle, was astonishing if only in its ability to dutifully roll out every stultifying cliché in the book. Even the couture houses of Paris are in the thrall of our "edgy" designers, apparently, and of "the inventive madness" of John Galliano. McQueen, meanwhile, is the "hooligan of British fashion". I'm sure the designer speaks very highly of you too Mr Coyle.

How depressing, in the end, that despite inspirational archive material and incisive contributions from everyone, from the photographer Nick Knight to Central Saint Martins MA fashion director Louise Wilson, and from milliner Stephen Jones to Malcolm McLaren, the overriding mood was banal. British style is genius. It's just a pity that British television is only able to communicate that fact in a tone that is so uniformly trite.