Broadchurch (UK) - a Cultural Competency Must-Watch

I just found this show on Netflix, and started watching. (Now I can't stop!).......

So - I've done lots of research and following of British movies and shows - but I know precious little about 'customs' outside of a couple of contacts here and there.

I know in the Midlands, they use to call things "Irish" (kind of like: Texas Is So Insane It's Now Slang For 'Crazy' In Norway....you know. Different sayings in different cultures meaning similar things....

I'm "fluent" in Shakespearean English, and also have watched enough movies like Billy Elliot and The Full Monty to be able to identify what area of the UK is represented by the dialect used in the film.

Anyway, so - just enjoying this murder mystery series BROADCHURCH (now on Netflix in the US Midwest).
So - questions: This is taking place in the Northeast of England, right? And......

Do the lawyers and judges actually put on those wigs?

Just curious, my dear cousins in the UK - looking for some cross-cultural conversation....(e.g. pavement vs sidewalk; nappy vs diaper; all right vs hi; just....in general.)

I love to learn about dialects and local traditions. Yeah - do they really put on those wigs?

It's filmed in my neck of the woods of the U.K. The beautiful West of England, Bristol and Clevedon.

I promise no spoilers.

And yes, Judges and Barristers really do wear those wigs.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I have not seen this show but it is apparently set in Dorset which is south west England. A fair bit lower than London and pretty west.

Grainofsand lives around that way I believe, I used to live in North Devon but I think this is further down.

Yes they really do wear those wigs.

Link to info(nonspoiler)

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
It's filmed in my neck of the woods of the U.K. The beautiful West of England, Bristol and Clevedon.

I promise no spoilers.

And yes, Judges and Barristers really do wear those wigs.

Oops, I thought it was further down than that. My Bad.

It's only about 50 miles from me then.

I think a friend of mine was in an episide a while back.

Hey, thanks you guys!! I think it's the phrases and pronunciation that messes me up.

Like Russell Brand uses the "f" sound for American "th" ...... same as these folks.
That's where I got confused. So - am I backwards on where Billy Elliott and The Full Monty were supposed to be?

originally posted by: nonspecific

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
It's filmed in my neck of the woods of the U.K. The beautiful West of England, Bristol and Clevedon.

I promise no spoilers.

And yes, Judges and Barristers really do wear those wigs.

Oops, I thought it was further down than that. My Bad.

It's only about 50 miles from me then.

I think a friend of mine was in an episide a while back.

I think some of it was also filmed in Dorset, but I know a lot of it was filmed around here because the local rag was full of it when the second series was being made.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
Hey, thanks you guys!! I think it's the phrases and pronunciation that messes me up.

Like Russell Brand uses the "f" sound for American "th" ...... same as these folks.
That's where I got confused. So - am I backwards on where Billy Elliott and The Full Monty were supposed to be?

Those films were filmed and based in Yorkshire.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

They were both set up north, Yorkshire way.

I just asked my mate and he has been in it several times as an extra.

See, that's the thing. I know Fawlty Towers was filmed in Torquay, right? (Cornwall?)

But - The Englishman is supposedly in Wales/SW England.......

Neither of those do the "f" for "th" thing except for a couple of hotel guests......

And .. The Englishman Who Went up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain
of course.....near to Cardiff (which is a place someone in Broadchurch mentioned)....

and - Brassed Off. But, that was in Yorkshire, right?

If you all could help me identify what region of the UK they came from, that would be awesome! (Grand!) (Ta!)

a reply to: BuzzyWigs Billy Elliot and the Full monty were based in the coal mining cities of Yorkshire, where coal mining was a way of life until the pits got closed down in the 80sleaving many proud miners out of meaningful employment. It's a very strong accent up there. I went to uni in Leeds which is Yorkshire and had trouble with the accent. Especially the very strong variety. People from Yorkshire, will always tell you, they are from Yorkshire. They say what they like and like what they bloody well say.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs


Broadchurch

Link

link

Two seperate locations both in the south west, looks like Cobaltic and myself were both right!

a reply to: woodwardjnr

Thanks!! Like I said, I was confused....

I know the Billy E and Full M settings and accent were in Yorkshire.
But what about The Englishman? And Fawlty Towers?

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
a reply to: woodwardjnr

Thanks!! Like I said, I was confused....

I know the Billy E and Full M settings and accent were in Yorkshire.
But what about The Englishman? And Fawlty Towers?

Faulty Towers was set in Torquay, same area(ish) as Broadchurch but if I remember they did not follow a set accent.

link

a reply to: BuzzyWigs
Torquay is Devon, next county east of Cornwall.
I think the "f" pronunciation is a bit of Cockney which may have spread out of London.
The guests in Fawlty Towers would not have been local, being in a tourist hotel. I don't think the staff were meant to be local either (Polly was an art student).

a reply to: BuzzyWigs an Englishman accent like basil fawlty is just a middle class university educated accent, but there are so many accents in the uk, they can vary depending on location or social class. I live near Oxford and don't have an accent, but there are a lot of accents in Oxfordshire, villagers and town folk even speak different. I live in the same area as our prime minister, but don't speak anything like him. I don't really have an accent. Maybe a bit of country bumpkin going on, but nothing too strong, people do tend to call each other "love or duck round here though, which would sound strange to an outsider "me duck".

I haven't watched it yet, although I think it's kinda cool that David Tennant was in both Broadchurch and the american version Gracepoint, playing the same character.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

I always thought "me duck" was a north Nottinghamshire/Yorkshire thing?

I am not too far from Oxford now but have not heard that since I moved down here?

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
I don't really have an accent.

You mean that you're not conscious of having one. I used to be quite proud of not having the accent of my place of origin, which includes pronouncing the word "go" as "goo".
Then, in another part of the country, somebody pointed out that I say "gooing". I do, but I hadn't noticed.

P.S. What I remember from Oxfordshire is initial "b" changing to "br". "I bought" pronounced as "brought".

a reply to: DISRAELIwhen I'm up north, I get accused of sounding posh, but northerners think anyone from the south is posh, just because we use syllables and structured sentences

a reply to: woodwardjnr

an Englishman accent like basil fawlty is just a middle class university educated accent, but there are so many accents in the uk, they can vary depending on location or social class. I live near Oxford and don't have an accent, but there are a lot of accents in Oxfordshire, villagers and town folk even speak different. I live in the same area as our prime minister, but don't speak anything like him. I don't really have an accent. Maybe a bit of country bumpkin going on, but nothing too strong, people do tend to call each other "love or duck round here though, which would sound strange to an outsider "me duck".

Awesome response.

Yes, same here in the US. In each area of our country, there is a different 'accent' at the basic level.

I live smack-dab spot-on in the middle of this country, and came from further north. I've always been puzzled about how General American is so prevalent on every newscast by the anchor-people, yet ... how is it that so many Americans don't speak like that? It bugs me how people with obviously local (less-educated?) accents are often interviewed.....and many times they are also overweight and missing teeth....