Discover
The Story of English is the title of an Emmy Award-winning nine-part television series, and a companion book, both produced in 1986, detailing the development of the English language.
Original Release
09/22/1986 on PBS
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Robert MacNeil | Self |
| Michael Hordern | Prospero / King Lear / Self |
| Christopher Page | Self - Old English Reader |
| Penny Downie | Titania / Self |
| The Medieval Players | Themselves |
| Richard Bebb | Self - Chaucer Reader |
| Mary Tamm | Self - Chaucer Reader |
| John Barton | Self |
| Philip Jackson | Bottom |
| Peter Hall | Self |
| # | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | An English Speaking World | Monday, 22 September 1986 |
| 2 | The Mother Tongue | Monday, 29 September 1986 |
| 3 | A Muse of Fire | Monday, 06 October 1986 |
| 4 | The Guid Scots Tongue | Monday, 13 October 1986 |
| 5 | Pioneers! O Pioneers! | Monday, 20 October 1986 |
| 6 | Black on White | Monday, 27 October 1986 |
| 7 | The Muvver Tongue | Monday, 10 November 1986 |
| 8 | The Loaded Weapon | Monday, 17 November 1986 |
| 9 | The Empire Strikes Back | Monday, 24 November 1986 |
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Robert MacNeil | Self |
| Michael Hordern | Prospero / King Lear / Self |
| Christopher Page | Self - Old English Reader |
| Penny Downie | Titania / Self |
| The Medieval Players | Themselves |
| Richard Bebb | Self - Chaucer Reader |
| Mary Tamm | Self - Chaucer Reader |
| John Barton | Self |
| Philip Jackson | Bottom |
| Peter Hall | Self |
| Ron Cook | Richard III |
| Alec McCowen | Prologue in 'Henry V' |
| Charles Gray | Duke of York |
| Nicol Williamson | Macbeth |
| Keith Michell | Marc Antony |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1987 | Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming - Writing | Won |
