| Episode | First Broadcast | Repeated | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20050529 | 20050604 | |
| 02 | 20050605 | 20050611, RptofSun5.40pm | 2/3. Three talks celebrating the 250th anniversary of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary which defined, reported on, and shaped the English language with great intelligence, verve and wit, as well as giving the meaning of lexicographer as ""a harmless drudge"". Alan Downie, Professor of English at Goldsmiths College, talks about the pleasures of rummaging in a word-hoard. |
| 03 | 20050612 | 20050618 | From Glasgow, Joe Farrell remembers Johnson's quip about oats feeding horses and the Scots, and investigates jokes and prejudices and the Scottish 18th Century. |