Bragg displays, once again, his priceless gift of making the academic accessible, of educating without patronising. The development of English (past, current situation, future) is a huge, multi-faceted but potentially dull, topic. This series, with each episode pursuing a different theme or perspective, manages to give a substantial overview while leaving the viewer wanting more. However much you thought you knew about the history of the language, the diversity of its worldwide impact and the forces influencing its continuing development, this series will, almost certainly, broaden your understanding whilst entertaining with engaging detail.
The negatives are all to do with how poorly ITV handled its broadcast, relegating it to a graveyard, late Sunday evening, slot with minimal promotion or trailing. As far as I can ascertain, there are no plans for a repeat, nor has there been a DVD/Video release. Very frustrating, as I would love to watch the series again.