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Television Examples of Different Accents

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  • 08-06-2015 8:05pm
    #1
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭


    An Italian friend who lives in England has asked me if I could advise him on which TV programmes could help him in terms of understanding different English language accents. He's doing an IELTS course and he knows that the exam will feature different accents (including English speaking people doing mock foreign accents - why exactly I don't know). I've come up with this list, I know a few are pretty general because Ireland, Wales and Scotland doesn't have the same accent throughout for example, but would be grateful for any suggestions.

    London:
    Only Fools and Horses
    Eastenders

    Manchester:
    Coronation Street

    Birmingham/Scotland/London:
    Porridge (Fletch - London, Godber - Birmingham, Mr. Mackay and Maclaren- Scotland

    Liverpool:
    Bread
    The Liver Birds

    Newcastle:
    The Likely Lads
    Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads
    Ant and Dec

    East of England/Wales:
    Gavin and Stacey

    Ireland (perhaps a northern one would be useful):
    Father Ted

    American:
    Friends

    Australia:
    Neighbours
    Home and Away

    Yorkshire:
    Emmerdale

    Mock foreign accents:
    Allo Allo

    Scotland and Birmingham I'm struggling on.


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    #2
    darkpagandeath
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,465 ✭✭✭✭darkpagandeath


    Fair city if you are sadistic.


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    #3
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    darkpagandeath wrote: »
    Fair city if you are sadistic.

    He lives in England so he's blessed that he can't get it haha!!!


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    #4
    Osborne
    Registered Users Posts: 310 ✭✭Osborne


    Birmingham - Peaky Blinders
    Scotland - Rab C Nesbit


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    #5
    darkpagandeath
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,465 ✭✭✭✭darkpagandeath


    Very Bored wrote: »
    He lives in England so he's blessed that he can't get it haha!!!

    Ok then hollyoaks :pac:


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    #6
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    Osborne wrote: »
    Birmingham - Peaky Blinders
    Scotland - Rab C Nesbit

    Forgot about Rab C Nesbit... I could tell him they always have someone who speaks like that in the exam lol.


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    #7
    Jimbob1977
    Registered Users Posts: 2,239 ✭✭✭Jimbob1977


    Rab C Nesbitt for Glasgow

    Trainspotting for general Scotland

    Byker Grove or Our Friends in the North for Newcastle

    Jasper Carrot for Birmingham

    Inbetweeners for the Home Counties (Bucks, Herts, Surrey)


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    #8
    mikom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,391 ✭✭✭✭mikom


    A lot of accents covered in this classic.........
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tklaMNH7IA


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    #9
    Sheep Lover
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,730 ✭✭✭Sheep Lover


    "Sminky shorts" for very accurate Irish accents.


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    #10
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    Jimbob1977 wrote: »
    Rab C Nesbitt for Glasgow

    Trainspotting for general Scotland

    Byker Grove or Our Friends in the North for Newcastle

    Jasper Carrot for Birmingham

    Inbetweeners for the Home Counties (Bucks, Herts, Surrey)

    Jasper Carrot made me think of Billy Connolly for Glasgow thanks :).


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    #11
    Into The Blue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭Into The Blue


    Were they all Scottish in taggart, or just taggart himself?


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    #12
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    Into The Blue wrote: »
    Were they all Scottish in taggart, or just taggart himself?

    All as far as I'm aware.


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    #13
    Sheep Lover
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,730 ✭✭✭Sheep Lover


    When your friend thinks they know how to understand various accents fairly well, test them out on a strong Liverpool accent. And watch their confidence drain away..


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    #14
    Reiver
    Registered Users Posts: 782 ✭✭✭Reiver


    Second Sminky Shorts. They do a whole host of them.


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    #15
    Into The Blue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭Into The Blue


    He could YouTube the regional news of each area.


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    #16
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Into The Blue wrote: »
    Were they all Scottish in taggart, or just taggart himself?
    Na, they were all displaced aliens from the planet Zog.:P


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    #17
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    What is Sminky Shorts? I looked it up on YouTube and all I could find was stuff about elephants and cows.
    Into The Blue wrote: »
    He could YouTube the regional news of each area.

    Good idea.
    Sheep Lover wrote: »
    When your friend thinks they know how to understand various accents fairly well, test them out on a strong Liverpool accent. And watch their confidence drain away..

    I've always been puzzled by the bewilderment at scouse accents. I spend a lot of time over in Liverpool and find it very easy to understand (though that could be familiarity). Its Newcastle I find hard.


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    #18
    cml387
    Registered Users Posts: 8,382 ✭✭✭cml387


    Glaswegian accents in their rawest form seldom make it to tv due the fact that subtitles would be needed (probably Rab is the closest equivalent).

    Matt Lucas is from Bristol (yeah but no but) and occasionally wanders over the border to his Welsh village of which he is the only gay.


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    #19
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    cml387 wrote: »
    Glaswegian accents in their rawest form seldom make it to tv due the fact that subtitles would be needed (probably Rab is the closest equivalent).

    Matt Lucas is from Bristol (yeah but no but) and occasionally wanders over the border to his Welsh village of which he is the only gay.
    A lot of accents are like that though. If I was to meet anyone here in real life, they'd most likely find me incomprehensible.


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    #20
    refusetolose
    Registered Users Posts: 2,559 ✭✭✭refusetolose


    Very Bored wrote: »
    What is Sminky Shorts? I looked it up on YouTube and all I could find was stuff about elephants and cows.

    you found the right videos then :)


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    #21
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    A lot of accents are like that though. If I was to meet anyone here in real life, they'd most likely find me incomprehensible.

    Where are you from?


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    #22
    cml387
    Registered Users Posts: 8,382 ✭✭✭cml387


    The supreme exponent of Geordie speak is not on TV, but is Sid The Sexist in Viz.
    The writing is so well tuned to the accent that you can acquire it just by reading it out loud.


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    #23
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Very Bored wrote: »
    Where are you from?
    Dublin 4.


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    #24
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    cml387 wrote: »
    The supreme exponent of Geordie speak is not on TV, but is Sid The Sexist in Viz.
    The writing is so well tuned to the accent that you can acquire it just by reading it out loud.

    The Fat Slags are the same with the Nottingham accent.


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    #25
    Very Bored
    Registered Users Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭Very Bored


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    Dublin 4.

    Can't imagine you're that hard to understand then :).


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    #26
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,632 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    Get some Taggart into him, I also like a few sketches from Limmy's Show

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtX2IToSuHY


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    #27
    Alpha Romeo
    Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭Alpha Romeo


    Greame McDowell interview - American


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    #28
    efb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35,514 ✭✭✭✭efb


    'Allo 'Allo Anglofranco


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    #29
    lizzyman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 704 ✭✭✭lizzyman


    cml387 wrote: »
    Glaswegian accents in their rawest form seldom make it to tv due the fact that subtitles would be needed (probably Rab is the closest equivalent).

    Is this a Glasgow accent? I like to think I can understand most accents but after the first few seconds he might as well be speaking a different language



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    #30
    razorblunt
    Registered Users Posts: 17,300 ✭✭✭✭razorblunt


    Still Game is a handy one for the Scottish too.

    For Edinburgh accents try one of the series based on Ian Rankin's Rebus character (mainly the criminals).


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    #31
    frostyjacks
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,951 ✭✭✭frostyjacks


    Dad's Army would have a mixture of regional and class accents.


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