British TV shows shown in America now have sub titles

When I was about 15 they showed us the video of Gregory's Girl at school (in England). We couldn't understand any of it. Seriously.

What is that US show that's similar to wife swap? Trading Spouses? One time they had a family on there from Louisiana and they put subtitles on them because of their accents!

Yes, I was just thinking about that. Some of the southern US accents could be very difficult for Brits to understand.

Yes, I was just thinking about that. Some of the southern US accents could be very difficult for Brits to understand.

Something like the Acadian pigin would be hard for ME to understand! If you don't know what I'm talking about, find a clip of Rene from True Blood somewhere. I had to listen very carefully so I could get it and then translate for the husband who was almost completely lost.

Yes, I was just thinking about that. Some of the southern US accents could be very difficult for Brits to understand.

I think the subtitles were for the US viewers! 

I've been watching repeats of 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet' on telly, and when Tim Healy and Jimmy Nail have a row I need to translate for Dan!  Subtitles would be a great help!  I really don't think a show like this would be commissioned now, and I am sure it would have to be subtitled for BBCA!


Vicky

Yep. DH (a Geordie) had to translate for me during some of that show. Not to mention for his Uncle many times! He might as well have been speaking Dutch for all I knew!

I don't think it's insulting though I'm sure some of them are a bit surprising. You have to remember that some people just have bad hearing/ears for this. Though I lived in the UK for 8 years, I never did well on the phone with many English accents. I considered myself fortunate to be able to leave a job I had when it was switiching to more phone duties. I would have had panic attacks daily.

Now that I'm back in the US, I'm having to work hard to adjust to the many hispanic accents I hear. I just don't have a good ear for any of it.

I've noticed that here in the UK on news/documentary programs they will sometimes add subtitles if someone has a UK regional accent.  It's weird when sometimes I can understand someone fine and yet they still add subtitles. I don't know how they decide which accent is too strong.

I just don't have a good ear for any of it.

This is a good point.  I'm a language teacher, so I'm used to hearing people speak with very strong foreign accents; I've never had much of a problem understanding people anywhere in the US or UK.  I can understand why strong regional accents or dialects would be subtitled, but Ashes to Ashes?

I think the subtitles were for the US viewers! 

LOL! Probably so. I have to admit that on occasion, I can't understand a southern accent. I don't mean in general (don't want to upset folks with southern accents) but sometimes I have to listen very hard to get it. 

LOL! Probably so. I have to admit that on occasion, I can't understand a southern accent. I don't mean in general (don't want to upset folks with southern accents) but sometimes I have to listen very hard to get it. 

The issue, outside of specific terms, is that if you don't not listen to certain accents on a regular basis your brain takes much longer to process what they are saying. US Southern and  Appalachian can be particularly bad even for Americans.

In the almost 39 years I've lived in the US, I've never seen a TV show (or music video) in British English that's been subtitled.  I must live under a rock!

I remember when I was growing up (back in prehistoric times) my mother and I would watch old black and white British movies on afternoon TV.  And they were ooold movies even then.
We couldn't understand a word, even though in those days most British actors spoke with those very plummy accents.  So, it isn't even really about regional accents but what you're used to and also what you're expecting.  We expected people on TV to speak reasonably like Americans or at least like Alistair Cooke and these people weren't.

In the almost 39 years I've lived in the US, I've never seen a TV show (or music video) in British English that's been subtitled.  I must live under a rock!

I never saw a British music video subtitled either and I was a MTV music junkie (when it was good back back in the day).....most of the music was British, especially in the early/mid 80s. 

Britain has some pretty impenetrable accents, even for other Brits.   Just listen to TV news interviews conducted with some people from Glasgow or Newcastle and it's not so much an accent but virtually a different language.   To those us from the south, a lot of northern accents can be difficult to comprehend; I visited Bradford once some years ago and could barely understand most of what was being said.

Jim, what shows are these? 

I asked my family and they don't remember but when it happens again I will try and tell you.