Stephen Fry’s reputation precedes him, being one of the most celebrated intellectuals of our age; especially renowned for his affinity with language.

This first episode aims to discover the historical and biological origins of language. As is customary in documentaries, normally in a bid to overcompensate for overly banal topics, Fry goes globetrotting. Fry visits, among others, the linguistically sophisticated Turkana people of Kenya, a baby called Ruby in London, evolutionary biologists regarding chimps in Leipzig, and a production of Hamlet in Klingon.

It was a lot of information to process, which meant that very little time could be spent on any one topic or idea in particular. When he returns to check on Ruby, he had to remind us of who she is. That should not be necessary in an hour long documentary, especially when tracking her vocal development is a focal point of the show.

This lack of focus, which was not helped by the big budget, made it hard for it to be enthralling. Some sections, and in particular his various interviews with the intellectuals are cut too short and a lot of it feels underdeveloped, or just under-planned.

Frustrations about pacing and spacing aside, this is Stephen Fry. Throughout he was his usual charming, witty and intelligent self; reciting tongue twisters to monkeys, wandering through musty libraries and being infectiously enthusiastic and delighted.

I expect the series to switch to more focused subjects, which will likely be an improvement, but in the meantime this is an enjoyable and light hearted watch.