| Summary: | In Planet Word, Stephen Fry dissects language in all its guises with his inimitable mixture of learning, love of lexicon and humour. He analyses how we use and abuse language and asks whether we are near to beginning to understand the complexities of its DNA. From the time when man first mastered speech to the cyber world of modern times with its html codes and texting, Planet Word takes viewers on a journey across the globe to discover just how far humans have come when it comes to the written and spoken word. Stephen asks just what makes a good story and why some writers just do it better. From Homer's epic to Joyce's modern-day reinvention with Ulysses, taking in Shakespeare, PG Wodehouse, Tolkien, Orwell, Auden, Bob Dylan and even Birtspeak, Stephen uncovers why certain words can make us laugh, cry or tear our hair out. Shakespearean actors give their take on Hamlet and laud the bard as the supreme writer. Sir Christopher Ricks argues that Bob Dylan should be considered a great poet, whilst Richard Curtis explains why Auden can move us to tears but why Coldplay are just as important.
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