• 2011
  • 1h
Fry's Planet Word

Summary Fry's Planet Word sees Stephen Fry finding out more about linguistic achievements and how our skills for the spoken word have changed. He dissects language in many of its guises. View more details

  • 2011
  • 1h

Fry's Planet Word

Directed : Unknown

Written : Unknown

Stars : Brian Blessed Stephen Fry Steven Pinker Robert McCrum

All cast & crew

7.8

Details

Genres : Documentary

Release date : Sep 24, 2011

Countries of origin : United Kingdom

Language : English Klingon Esperanto

Production companies : Sprout Pictures

Summary Fry's Planet Word sees Stephen Fry finding out more about linguistic achievements and how our skills for the spoken word have changed. He dissects language in many of its guises. View more details

Details

Genres : Documentary

Release date : Sep 24, 2011

Countries of origin : United Kingdom

Language : English Klingon Esperanto

Production companies : Sprout Pictures

Photos

Fry's Planet Word (2011)

Episodes

View All Seasons
Episode 1 • Sep 24, 2011
Babel
In this first episode, Stephen seeks to uncover the origins of human language and how and why we are the only species on the planet to have this gift. From attempts to teach chimps to speak to the so-called singing mice who have been given the human 'language gene', Stephen uncovers to what extent our brain is uniquely hard-wired for language. Watching how a child acquires language, Stephen hears from psycholinguist Steven Pinker how grammar is an innate quality, yet still has to be nurtured.
Episode 2 • Oct 01, 2011
Identity
What is it that defines us? Stephen argues that above all, it is the way we speak. Be it a national language, a regional dialect or even class variation - we interpret and define ourselves through our language. From markets in Kenya to call centres in Newcastle, Stephen charts the shifting patterns of lingua franca and the inexorable spread of Globish (Global English).
Episode 3 • Oct 08, 2011
Uses and Abuses
This programme looks at the ways language is used and abused. While not everyone approves of 'bad' language, Stephen learns that swearing plays an important part in human communication the world over. He undergoes an MRI scan and discovers the parts of the brain associated with swearing.
Episode 4 • Oct 15, 2011
Spreading the Word
In this programme, Stephen Fry explores 'the written word'. Writing is a great invention - making it possible to communicate across space and time. Without writing we would have no history and very little technology. Stephen discovers the earliest writing - cuneiform - at the British Museum, and learns how our alphabet came from the Phoenicians.
Episode 5 • Oct 22, 2011
The Power and the Glory
This time Stephen Fry celebrates storytelling. It has been with us as long as language itself and as a species, we love to tell our stories. This desire to both entertain and explain has resulted in the flowering of language to describe every aspect of the human condition. Stephen asks just what makes a good story and why some writers just do it better. He reveals what stories make him shiver with joy or, conversely, shudder with horror.
Comments
Welcome to juqing comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Login to display more comments

This week's popular movies

Hellstorm

6.7
Generally favorable

Ganz normale Männer - Der 'vergessene Holocaust'

7.2
Generally favorable

Armadillo

7.4
Generally favorable

Israelism

7.6
Generally favorable

Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden

6.7
Generally favorable

The Last Signal

7.3
Generally favorable

Hearts and Minds

8.2
Generally favorable

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

8.3
Generally favorable

Lessons of Darkness

8
Generally favorable

Virunga

8.1
Generally favorable

This week's popular TV shows

Islam'in Sartlari

0
No rating

Anthology

0
No rating

Natural

0
No rating

TI Series

0
No rating

Racconti neri

0
No rating

Stardom

7.8
Generally favorable

Akershus slott og festning gjennom 700 år

0
No rating

Angry Young Men

7.7
Generally favorable

Producers' Workshop

0
No rating

Baletnyy sindrom

0
No rating

Edit Focus

Ook Zoiets

Ook Zoiets

Eddy Zoëy advises you what to in various situations and tests a lot of products (for instance he tests the water resistence of cellphones).

  • TV Shows
Cross-Roads

Cross-Roads

  • TV Shows
Akolouthontas ti grammi paragogis

Akolouthontas ti grammi paragogis

  • TV Shows
Exploring Science

Exploring Science

BBC Schools series on the subject of science.

  • TV Shows
Cris Pelo Mundo Descobrindo a Suíça

Cris Pelo Mundo Descobrindo a Suíça

Cris Stilben has always dreamed of traveling the world and from a young age planned what would come ahead. Among national and international destinations, she created a blog to record her journeys. After a while, she was joined by Igor who from her boyfriend became her husband and later their son's father, young Emmanuel. The trio is always traveling and exploring new places, which are shown on the TV show Cris around the World. The trips only get bigger, just like the family: there is a baby on the way. And the big question is: will it be possible to keep their traveling routine? After telling their story, the three board with the new family member still on Cris's belly heading to Switzerland, where between ski resorts, amazing Alpine mountains, train tours, resorts, and spas, they enjoy the last trip before their big life change. Between touristic attractions, the couple reflects and discusses the future possibilities after the arrival of the second child, while Emmanuel tries to overcome his fears of the Covid-19 pandemic. Together the three try to decide on the baby's name and Cris and Igor get to a decision that will change their lives: stay still in one place or continue traveling.

  • TV Shows
Search for the World's Most Secret Animals

Search for the World's Most Secret Animals

  • TV Shows
All Filters