to hate how British people are portrayed in American TV programmes?

[500DaysofAutumn]

I've just finished watching an episode of Desperate Housewives, and it the one where Ian who is English has his English parents come and visit him and Susan.

They have a barbeque and Ian's father says -

"So one puts one meat on top of the burning coal? How wonderfully primal"

.... erm ... we may not have hot weather all year round but I'm sure most of us in the UK know what a barbeque is.

Also Ian won a poker games with a hand of "sevens and knaves" to which Carlos replies "we call them JACKS!"

• I've never known Jacks as Knaves.
  

Don't even get me started on Emily from Friends.

(I know it's just fiction but still )

[MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne]

And of course, all British men are either gay or baddies.

I agree about Emily.

[deleted203]

They are all posh! That's what gets me! Have they never met anyone from the North before?

[anothershittynickname]

And (BTW ynbu) why in films do the Brits ALWAYS need the Americans to save their arses?!

Bollocks - we had an Empire ;-)

[Punkatheart]

They have - but apparently they sound like Daphne from Frasier - with the world's worst Manchester accent. When her brother comes to visit - he is cockney.

It's usually posh or cockney, with nothing inbetween.

[ShellyBoobs]

sowornout - hold on a minute. Are you trying to make out us Northerners aren't fuckin posh?

I'll have you know we're right posh up here.

[kiwimumof2boys]

What, you mean UK men are not all a bit 'quaint' and constantly tea drinking - and UK women aren't all total upper class snobs ??!!!
Whatever next. soon they'll be thinking there are NZers who aren't sheep farmers !
Emily off friends . . . arrgghh.
YANBU

[CoolaSchmoola]

The guy who played Mr Nigel Murray in Bones popped up in Big Bang this week - as a totally normal non-posh, non-cockney British bloke. He was neither in Bones either.

I like Bones and Big Bang.

[500DaysofAutumn]

The only British character I have truly loved was Charlie Pace in LOST. He was an awesome character and was from Manchester and didn't talk with a posh or cockney accent.

[500DaysofAutumn]

Oooh do you have any examples kim ??

I'm trying to think of a British sitcom etc that has American characters in it.

I can only think of Nancy in Peep Show and she comes across ok I guess.

[Name7]

Shh, don't flame me, but its the only thing that sp

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

Agree with Punkheart about Daphne. She had the broadest Lancashire accent.

If they ever film a London scene there's always a red bus or black cab in the background driving past Westminster or Tower Bridge just so we're convinced it's London!

Remember Three Men and a Baby, that was just as bad.

[Name7]

Spoiled the West Wing!! They were very patronising to the British, and not just the drunk Lord Whatshisface either!!

[Name7]

I hate posting on my phone!

[SPsFanjoIsAsComfyAsAOnesie]

I wonder the same thing! I find myself questioning if that's what I actually sound like!

[deleted203]

Shelly Then you must come from a posher bit of t'North than me, love . I'm from Scunthorpe originally. There isn't really a posh bit there....

[maddening]

Daphne is a nice character in frazier

[Name7]

Lord John Marbury! I wouldn't have slept if I hadn't remembered. When they were in the phone to our lady prime minister there was a great deal of eye rolling!

[SPsFanjoIsAsComfyAsAOnesie]

SoWorn Oi, what's all this about us lot up north not been posh?! I'm well posh me!

[DeepRedBetty]

I remember that episode of DH. Really squirmy.

British tv can be v. embarrassing and upsetting with stereotypes too though. I remember there was something on CBeebies a few years ago where there was a man wearing cricket whites and talking idiotic Tim Nice But Dim stuff in an exaggerated voice who was constantly being put down and laughed at, episode after episode. Now if your heritage is ethnic or religious minority, or you come from a non-standard family set-up (two mums or two dads), or you have a disability, the BBC wouldn't dream of taking the piss out of you in a kid's programme. So why is it acceptable for my accent and my dp's accent to be assumed to be solely for the use of idiots who trample the poor?

[Kytti]

Ey oop lasses, dun't tha know tha'all Northerners are like this? Eee bah gum, where's me whippet? Eeee, Ah'm off a walk in't snow t'find me chickens.

In the USA - Yorkshire means country bumpkin. And why is it if you want to portray someone as 'country and poor' they always have a Northern accent? (Or West Country. I also feel for them.)

[PureQuintessence]

But, how do you think Daphne and her brother from OOp North is portrayed in Frasier?

[SPsFanjoIsAsComfyAsAOnesie]

Kytti I read that in a deep voice

[TraineeBabyCatcher]

Emily pisses me off. I don't know a single English person like her.

[monsterchild]

didn't any of you ever watch the Jeffersons? their neighbor was English and he was pretty normal.