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In Planet Word, a five-part series on language for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two, Stephen Fry dissects language in all its guises with his inimitable mixture of learning, love of lexicon and humour.

From the cutting-edge of linguistic research to the glories of world literature, Stephen analyses how we use and abuse language, corral it for good and bad, and seeks out whether we are anywhere near to beginning to understand the complexities of its DNA.

Commenting on the series, Mark Bell, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Arts Commissioning Editor, said: "Language is what sets humans apart from other species. Planet Word explores our linguistic achievements and how these skills developed. Human dictionary Stephen Fry is the ideal guide for the journey of how we came to be so verbal."

Spanning locations across the globe including Hong Kong, Sydney, Israel, Kenya, Tanzania, Malaysia and Japan, Planet Word journeys through the thousands of years since man first mastered speech to the cyber world of today with its html, codes and texting.

Planet Word is a Sprout Pictures production commissioned by Mark Bell, Commissioning Editor for Arts, on behalf of Janice Hadlow, Controller of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two.

Notes to Editors

Planet Word is part of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s commitment to Arts which includes regular topical arts strands: Imagine on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One, The Culture Show and The Review Show on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two, Arena on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two and Four; the regular funding of orchestras; funding of performing arts talent through the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Performing Arts Fund and regular television moments celebrating culture, including the pan-³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Poetry Season, pan-³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Opera Season, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two's Modern Beauty Season and the forthcoming Novel Season in 2011.

Knowledge programming, of which arts is a key component, is one of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s five editorial priorities as outlined in the recent Strategy Review, bringing culture to new minds, eyes and ears and to enrich people's lives in doing so.

Last year, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ broadcast over 1,700 hours of arts programming.

JB

Information for viewers

More content about Planet Word will be published, as transmission approaches, on this page: