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  • The Story of English (1986–1986)
  • TV Mini-series | 60 min | Documentary
The Story of English (1986–1986)
TV Mini-series | 60 min | Documentary
A history of the English language from its early beginnings to present day English in all its variations.
Read more: Plot summary
Seasons
1   See all
Writers
Robert McCrum (series writer) | Robert MacNeil (co-writer)
Producers
William Cran (producer) | Peter Dale (producer) | Vivian Ducat (producer)
Composer
Stephen Oliver
Cinematographers
David South (photography) | John Goodyer (photography) | Peter Hall (photography) | Godfrey Johnson (photography) & 3 more
Editors
Richard Spurway | Susan New | Simon Hammond | John Lee & 2 more
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Sep 22, 1986
Release date (First episode)
Sep 22, 1986 (United Kingdom)
Awards
Won 1 Primetime Emmy Award.

Contacts

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Cast

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122 cast members
Name Episodes Known for
Robert MacNeil
Self - Presenter Self - Presenter   See fewer
9
Hamlet (2000)
J.L. Dillard
Self - Plantation Creole Linguist / Self - Creole Linguist (as Professor J.L. Dillard) Self - Plantation Creole Linguist / Self - Creole Linguist (as Professor J.L. Dillard)   See fewer
2
The Story of English (1986)
Alistair Cooke
Self - Writer and Broadcaster Self - Writer and Broadcaster   See fewer
2
Stingers (1998)
Siaka Stevens
Self - President, Sierra Leone, 1971-85 / Self - President, Sierra Leone Self - President, Sierra Leone, 1971-85 / Self - President, Sierra Leone   See fewer
2
The Story of English (1986)
Ron Cook
Self - Richard III (archive footage) Self - Richard III (archive footage)   See fewer
1
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Charles Gray
Self - Duke of York (archive footage) Self - Duke of York (archive footage)   See fewer
1
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Nicol Williamson
Self - Macbeth (archive footage) Self - Macbeth (archive footage)   See fewer
1
Excalibur (1981)
Keith Michell
Self - Marc Antony (archive footage) Self - Marc Antony (archive footage)   See fewer
1
Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972)
Michael Hordern
Self / Self - Prospero / Self - King Lear / Self - Bible Readings Self / Self - Prospero / Self - King Lear / Self - Bible Readings   See fewer
1
A Christmas Carol (1951)
George Bonner
Self - Market Stall Holder Self - Market Stall Holder   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Randolph Quirk
Self - President, British Academy (as Prof. Sir Randolph Quirk) Self - President, British Academy (as Prof. Sir Randolph Quirk)   See fewer
1
Frank Delaney (1982)
Benjamin Bligen
Self - Speaker of Gullah English Self - Speaker of Gullah English   See fewer
1
Camera Three (1954)
Christopher Page
Self - Old English Reader (as Dr. Christopher Page) Self - Old English Reader (as Dr. Christopher Page)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Stanley Robertson
Self - Scottish Storyteller Self - Scottish Storyteller   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Chris Rose
Self - Agriculturist, Papua New Guinea Self - Agriculturist, Papua New Guinea   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
John Henry
Self - Irish Seanchaí (Storyteller) Self - Irish Seanchaí (Storyteller)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Penny Downie
Self / Self - Titania Self / Self - Titania   See fewer
1
Invictus (2009)
Seamus Heaney
Self - Poet Self - Poet   See fewer
1
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Janie Hunter
Self - Speaker of Gullah English Self - Speaker of Gullah English   See fewer
1
Camera Three (1954)
Robert Burchfield
Self - Editor, Oxford English Dictionary (as Dr. Robert Burchfield) Self - Editor, Oxford English Dictionary (as Dr. Robert Burchfield)   See fewer
1
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Jack Chambers
Self - Linguist (as Professor Jack Chambers) Self - Linguist (as Professor Jack Chambers)   See fewer
1
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Bob Barltrop
Self - Local Historian and Author of 'The Muvver Tongue' Self - Local Historian and Author of 'The Muvver Tongue'   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Willie Ross
Self - Burns Society Self - Burns Society   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
The Medieval Players
Self - Actors in 'Mankind' Self - Actors in 'Mankind'   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Philip Jackson
Self - Bottom (archive footage) Self - Bottom (archive footage)   See fewer
1
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Richard Bebb
Self - Chaucer Reader Self - Chaucer Reader   See fewer
1
Blake's 7 (1978)
Gerald Maitland-Carew
Self - Thirlestane Castle (as Captain The Honourable Gerald Maitland-Carew) Self - Thirlestane Castle (as Captain The Honourable Gerald Maitland-Carew)   See fewer
1
Eddie Izzard: Marathon Man (2010)
Braj Kachru
Self - University of Illinois (as Prof. Braj Kachru) Self - University of Illinois (as Prof. Braj Kachru)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Jim Wolveridge
Self - East End Bookseller and Author of 'The Muvver Tongue' Self - East End Bookseller and Author of 'The Muvver Tongue'   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Pat Linney
Self - Irish / Self - English Poet Self - Irish / Self - English Poet   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Clifford Paul
Self - Traffic Supervisor, St Lawrence Seaway Self - Traffic Supervisor, St Lawrence Seaway   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Mary Tamm
Self - Chaucer Reader Self - Chaucer Reader   See fewer
1
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John Barton
Self - Royal Shakespeare Director Self - Royal Shakespeare Director   See fewer
1
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John Wells
Self - Phonetician and Linguist (as Dr. John Wells) Self - Phonetician and Linguist (as Dr. John Wells)   See fewer
1
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Sean Dufrayner
Self - Irish / Self - English Linguist Self - Irish / Self - English Linguist   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Fraser Aitken
Self - Minister of Scottish Kirk, Girvan (as Reverend Fraser Aitken) Self - Minister of Scottish Kirk, Girvan (as Reverend Fraser Aitken)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Martha DeWeese
Self - Middleton Plantation Self - Middleton Plantation   See fewer
1
Gullah Tales (1988)
Eldred Jones
Self - Compiler of Krio-English Dictionary (as Professor Eldred Jones) Self - Compiler of Krio-English Dictionary (as Professor Eldred Jones)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Ron Carroll
Self - Lock-Master, St Lawrence Seaway Self - Lock-Master, St Lawrence Seaway   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
P. Lal
Self - Writers' Workshop, Calcutta (as Prof. P. Lal) Self - Writers' Workshop, Calcutta (as Prof. P. Lal)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Alec McCowen
Self - Prologue in 'Henry V' (archive footage) Self - Prologue in 'Henry V' (archive footage)   See fewer
1
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Michael Garfield
Self - Sugar Cane Cutter Self - Sugar Cane Cutter   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Martin Sivener
Self - Friesian Speaker Self - Friesian Speaker   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Frank White
Self - Horse Trainer, Ballymena Self - Horse Trainer, Ballymena   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
John Bernard
Self - Australian Linguist (as Professor John Bernard) Self - Australian Linguist (as Professor John Bernard)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Mary Sheppard
Self - Middleton Plantation Self - Middleton Plantation   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Henry Neilson
Self - Gold Prospector Self - Gold Prospector   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Tommy Hosford
Self - Master Brewer, Murphy's Brewer Self - Master Brewer, Murphy's Brewer   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Stanley Ellis
Self - Linguist (as Professor Stanley Ellis) Self - Linguist (as Professor Stanley Ellis)   See fewer
1
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Rory O'Connor
Self - Murphy's Brewery Self - Murphy's Brewery   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Richard Stoney
Self - Estate Owner Self - Estate Owner   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Sammy White
Self - Horse Trainer, Ballymena Self - Horse Trainer, Ballymena   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
George Hawker
Self - Bungaree Sheep Station Farmer Self - Bungaree Sheep Station Farmer   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Winston Daniel
Self - Sugar Cane Cutter Self - Sugar Cane Cutter   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Jean la Rue
Self - Breton Speaker Self - Breton Speaker   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Dave Elliot
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1
The Story of English (1986)
Peter Hall
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1
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William Safire
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1
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George Shauss
Self - Cowboy Self - Cowboy   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Henry Conyngham
Self - Lord Henry, Earl of Mount Charles Self - Lord Henry, Earl of Mount Charles   See fewer
1
The Manions of America (1981)
Albert Murray
Self - Jazz Historian Self - Jazz Historian   See fewer
1
Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday (1990)
Eddie Edghill
Self - Sugar Plantation Owner Self - Sugar Plantation Owner   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Alec Miller
Self - Farmer, Ballymena Self - Farmer, Ballymena   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Ronnie Davies
Self - Welsh Speaker Self - Welsh Speaker   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Joan Hawker
Self - Bungaree Sheep Station Farmer Self - Bungaree Sheep Station Farmer   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Moon Unit Zappa
Self (as Moon Zappa) Self (as Moon Zappa)   See fewer
1
National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
Garry Hynes
Self - Director, 'The Playboy of the Western World' Self - Director, 'The Playboy of the Western World'   See fewer
1
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Jim Baker
Self - Plimoth Plantation Museum Self - Plimoth Plantation Museum   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Horace Williams
Self - Shoeshine Man Self - Shoeshine Man   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Mervyn Morris
Self - Creole Linguist (as Professor Mervyn Morris) Self - Creole Linguist (as Professor Mervyn Morris)   See fewer
1
Dub and Otherwise (1985)
John Braidwood
Self - Dictionary of Ulster English (as Professor John Braidwood) Self - Dictionary of Ulster English (as Professor John Braidwood)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Eluned Phillips
Self - Writer and Twice Winner of National Eisteddfod of Wales Self - Writer and Twice Winner of National Eisteddfod of Wales   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Jean Bell
Self - Cowboy Self - Cowboy   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Rob Brown
Self - Yacht Skipper Self - Yacht Skipper   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Barry Humphries
Self / Self - Dame Edna Everage / Self - Sir Les Patterson (as Barrie Humphries) Self / Self - Dame Edna Everage / Self - Sir Les Patterson (as Barrie Humphries)   See fewer
1
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Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage)   See fewer
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Edwin George
Self - West Country Forest Ranger Self - West Country Forest Ranger   See fewer
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The Story of English (1986)
Hubert Devonish
Self - Creole Linguist (as Dr Hubert Devonish) Self - Creole Linguist (as Dr Hubert Devonish)   See fewer
1
The Adventure of English (2002)
Len Travers
Self - Plimoth Plantation Museum Self - Plimoth Plantation Museum   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Manny Octaviano
Self - Italian American Self - Italian American   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
John Fott
Self - University of Pennsylvania Self - University of Pennsylvania   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Gloria Steinem
Self - Editor, Ms Magazine Self - Editor, Ms Magazine   See fewer
1
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Leo Rosten
Self - Writer and Yiddish Historian Self - Writer and Yiddish Historian   See fewer
1
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Wilson Goode
Self - Mayor of Philadelphia Self - Mayor of Philadelphia   See fewer
1
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Willard Watson
Self - Appalachian Farmer and Maker of Moonshine Self - Appalachian Farmer and Maker of Moonshine   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Seamus Deane
Self - Writer (as Prof. Seamus Deane) Self - Writer (as Prof. Seamus Deane)   See fewer
1
Brian Friel and Field Day (1983)
Clifford Arbon
Self - East Anglian Dialect Speaker Self - East Anglian Dialect Speaker   See fewer
1
Akenfield (1974)
Irwin Bielby
Self - Yorkshire Dialect Speaker Self - Yorkshire Dialect Speaker   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Edward Brathwaite
Self - Jamaican Poet Self - Jamaican Poet   See fewer
1
Dub and Otherwise (1985)
Alan Morris
Self - Mojo Advertising Agency Self - Mojo Advertising Agency   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Paul Hogan
Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage)   See fewer
1
Crocodile Dundee (1986)
Thomas Alan Shippey
Self - Scholar of Middle and Old English Literature (as Professor Tom Shippey) Self - Scholar of Middle and Old English Literature (as Professor Tom Shippey)   See fewer
1
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Harry Marks
Self - Graphic Designer Self - Graphic Designer   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Desmond Johnson
Self - Dub Poet Self - Dub Poet   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Peter Martin
Self - Sergeant, New York Police Self - Sergeant, New York Police   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Constance Clayton
Self - Philadelphia Board of Education Self - Philadelphia Board of Education   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Reg Sillock
Self - East Anglian Dialect Speaker Self - East Anglian Dialect Speaker   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Manny Lenkovsky
Self - Jewish New York Furrier Self - Jewish New York Furrier   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Cratis Williams
Self - Appalachian Historian (as Professor Cratis Williams) Self - Appalachian Historian (as Professor Cratis Williams)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Kathy Lette
Self - Author Self - Author   See fewer
1
The Boy Who Fell to Earth
Carl Rosendahl
Self - Computer Animator Self - Computer Animator   See fewer
1
The Arrival (1996)
Mohammed Ajeeb
Self - Mayor of Bradford Self - Mayor of Bradford   See fewer
1
Highway with Sir Harry Secombe (1983)
Arthur Spiers
Self - Linguist (as Dr Arthur Spiers) Self - Linguist (as Dr Arthur Spiers)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Ray Hicks
Self - Appalachian Farmer Self - Appalachian Farmer   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Michael Clanchy
Self - Scholar of Old English (as Professor Michael Clanchy) Self - Scholar of Old English (as Professor Michael Clanchy)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Paddy Molloy
Self - IRA Republican Activist Self - IRA Republican Activist   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Kuan Yew Lee
Self - Prime Minister, Singapore (as Lee Kuan Yew) Self - Prime Minister, Singapore (as Lee Kuan Yew)   See fewer
1
Dateline (1984)
Rosie Hicks
Self - Appalachian Farmer Self - Appalachian Farmer   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Ananda Lal
Self - Teacher of Indian English (as Professor Lal) Self - Teacher of Indian English (as Professor Lal)   See fewer
1
If Not for You (2019)
Graham Williams
Self - Hand-Printer Self - Hand-Printer   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Wayne Moroni
Self - Truck Driver Self - Truck Driver   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
B.K. Yap
Self - Shipyard Manager Self - Shipyard Manager   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Lee Sow Ling
Self - English Language Consultant, The Straits Times Self - English Language Consultant, The Straits Times   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Riva Moroni
Self - Truck Driver Self - Truck Driver   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Kate Flower
Self - Presenter, 'Follow Me' Self - Presenter, 'Follow Me'   See fewer
1
Hang On, I'll Just Speak to the World (1982)
John MacDonald
Self - Scots Gaelic Speaker, Barra Self - Scots Gaelic Speaker, Barra   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
H.C. Narang
Self - Nehru University, Delhi (as Prof. H.C. Narang) Self - Nehru University, Delhi (as Prof. H.C. Narang)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Colin MacInnes
Self - Priest and Scots Gaelic Speaker, Barra (as Father Colin MacInnes) Self - Priest and Scots Gaelic Speaker, Barra (as Father Colin MacInnes)   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
John Northcote
Self - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment Self - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
Calum Keane
Self - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment Self - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regiment   See fewer
1
The Story of English (1986)
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1 external link (official websites, website)