Should TG4 be prohibited from showing English language shows

Phat Dick

I think they should, their dg went cap in hand to the government recently wanting more tax payers money but I think they should only get it on the condition that they stop showing stuff like the weakest link. They could fill gaps in their schedule with programs in other minority languages like welsh and scots Gaelic.

Vex Willems

No

Phat Dick

So you think it's grand for the national Irish language station to show episodes of the weakest link from 2007 for 15 hours per week ?

Gal2glam

As a non Irish speaker I enjoy the programs on TG4 that are done either in English or Irish having English subtitles. They all seem to be related to Irish culture and history so I don’t see what the problem is

Tom Mann Centuria

Phat Dick wrote: »

So you think it's grand for the national Irish language station to show episodes of the weakest link from 2007 for 15 hours per week ?

That wasn't the question you initially asked.

geecee

I think they shouldn't be allowed to show shows in Irish!
Waste of taxpayers money broadcasting shows in a dead language!

ScrubsfanChris

I always taught they were missing a trick by not having Irish subtitles on English language programs.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Who, exactly, is going to watch a Welsh TV program in Ireland? At least with Scots Gael some from Donegal have a chance at understanding it, but the audience is going to be tiny. I would like to see the English programs on TG4 reserved exclusively for Irish culture as another poster said. That would be grand, the emphasis being on the Irish language of course

brian_t

I'm happy to have got to see Breaking Bad and Curb your Enthusiasm on Irish TV at a reasonable hour.

feargale

geecee wrote: »

I think they shouldn't be allowed to show shows in Irish!
Waste of taxpayers money broadcasting shows in a dead language!

You don't know what you are talking about when you describe Irish as a dead language.

UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger categorises 2,473 languages into five levels of endangerment: vulnerable, definitely endangered, severely endangered, critically endangered and extinct. Irish is classed as "definitely endangered."

Some people should educate themselves before they post. Even a quick google can work wonders,

ScrubsfanChris

feargale wrote: »

You don't know what you are talking about when you describe Irish as a dead language.

UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger categorises 2,473 languages into five levels of endangerment: vulnerable, definitely endangered, severely endangered, critically endangered and extinct. Irish is classed as "definitely endangered."

Some people should educate themselves before they post. Even a quick google can work wonders,

Good points and I totally agree, but I wouldn't humour him/her, obvious trolling.

iseegirls

You need certain English language programmes to pull you onto the channel, and I guess that's what TG4 need.

If you do by any chance watch The Weakest Link, and you see an advert for an Irish programme for later in the week that interests the viewer and they'll watch it - then that has helped.

For types of English language programmes they show recently can be very debateable. The Waltons, Rawhide and The Weakest Link must be cheap as chips and have been repeated a lot. They had some quality shows in the 2000's, with The OC, Breaking Bad and the Wire getting good timeslots. Survivor has remained a mainstay in their schedule as well, but they seemed to have tailed off on US and UK shows recently.

geecee

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Good points and I totally agree, but I wouldn't humour him/her, obvious trolling.

My post wasn't trolling, I simply hate the absolute waste of resources that are spent trying to keep the language alive

e.g. At my local Luas stop today the signs for Christmas and night Luas's were all in Irish... For me that is such squandering of money and there is absolutely no requirement for it...And TG4 is the same

Regarding the post on UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger... Ok so the language is not yet dead according to UNESCO but it is dying... so why not just let it die out and stop pumping money into the likes of TG4?

JohnFalstaff

geecee wrote: »

Regarding the post on UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger... Ok so the language is not yet dead according to UNESCO but it is dying... so why not just let it die out and stop pumping money into the likes of TG4?

Thankfully, there are many people who value what you apparently see as worthless. Language, culture, and art - in any language - can enrich our lives.

And for a dead language, having two books in the Top Ten Bestsellers list in the run up to Christmas is no mean feat:
http://www.dubraybooks.ie/bestsellers-top-10

As regards TG4, they have consistently punched above their weight when it comes to home-grown output. Look at what they have managed to achieve on a fraction of RTE's budget. I remember comparing the two flagship dramas that RTE and TG4 put out recently - 'An Klondike' and 'Rebellion'. RTE's budget was five times the budget of the TG4 series, yet 'An Klondike' was far superior to 'Rebellion'.

I would agree with the OP that TG4 should stop showing programs in the English language. They should make an effort to buy in more series and dub them into Irish - which is what they do with Survivor.

ArmaniJeanss

JohnFalstaff wrote: »

I would agree with the OP that TG4 should stop showing programs in the English language. They should make an effort to buy in more series and dub them into Irish - which is what they do with Survivor.

Nothing should ever be dubbed, its a terrible way of showing a program.
Subtitles are fine.

connemara man

geecee wrote: »

My post wasn't trolling, I simply hate the absolute waste of resources that are spent trying to keep the language alive

e.g. At my local Luas stop today the signs for Christmas and night Luas's were all in Irish... For me that is such squandering of money and there is absolutely no requirement for it...And TG4 is the same

Regarding the post on UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger... Ok so the language is not yet dead according to UNESCO but it is dying... so why not just let it die out and stop pumping money into the likes of TG4?

Just because it's not a part of your life doesn't mean it's not a part of others.

I'm a fluent gaeilgeoir I work through Irish all around the country and all the bits of Irish are great. And tg4 should keep making its Irish language programming as it's documentary content is top notch and it's sport content is incredible. Is there a bit too much English language content debatable but it's a necessary part of the channel

JohnFalstaff

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Nothing should ever be dubbed, its a terrible way of showing a program.
Subtitles are fine.

These are programs with voice-over where the existing narration is redubbed into Irish, not onscreen interviews or actors.

ArmaniJeanss

JohnFalstaff wrote: »

These are programs with voice-over where the existing narration is redubbed into Irish, not onscreen interviews or actors.

Fair enough, voice over type programs or documentaries are fine - I thought you meant the Breaking Bad/Wire type shows that were mentioned in an earlier post. I think almost everyone would agree these shouldn't be dubbed.

darkdubh

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Fair enough, voice over type programs or documentaries are fine - I thought you meant the Breaking Bad/Wire type shows that were mentioned in an earlier post. I think almost everyone would agree these shouldn't be dubbed.

What's Irish for "It's science bitch!"?