Radio

Published on Saturday 8 August 2009 16:44

THERE will be lots of hows, whys and 'eh?'s flying around this week with intriguing new radio offerings from Jerry Hall and Stephen Fry.

First up is a new three-part series of Fry's English Delight (BBC Radio 4, Tuesday, 9am) in which the witty wordsmith analyses the evolution of the English language and reveals that – gasp – one day, nobody will care about split infinitives. But purists need not fear: Fry will, like, totally keep you right. In the first programme, So Wrong It's Right, he is joined by a lexicographer, an educationalist, a Times subeditor and a judge to make the case for blue-sky thinking.

Later that day, Jerry Hall will have us tickled pink with The Art Of Laughter (BBC Radio 2, Tuesday, 10.30pm), an hour-long documentary in which the model and actress enlists the help of top comedians to examine the psychology and physiology of our giggles and guffaws. Satire, sarcasm and slapstick, the low and the high brow all fall under Hall's gaze. Her roll call of guests includes David Walliams, Matt Lucas, John Cleese, Jo Brand and Reginald D Hunter.

Saturday takes on hues of mellow yellow and strawberry fields for The 40th Anniversary Of Woodstock (BBC Radio 2, Saturday, 10pm), the flower power music festival that came to define the hippie era. Presented by American singer-songwriter John Sebastian, the programme features contributions from Joni Mitchell, Pete Townshend, Richie Havens and Carlos Santana, as well as previously unreleased tracks recorded there by The Grateful Dead and Creedence Clearwater Revival.