UK and America are two countries separated by a common language, UK and US Q&A cont'd

[mathanxiety]

Started another one in case anyone wants to do it again...

We ALWAYS lock our doors even when we're home - but we live in NYC so didn't expect anything different.

And you'll be lucky to find anything more than a 2-bed in East Harlem (the not gentrified bit of Harlem!) for less than a $1,000,000 in Manhattan. This is a great property site for NYC
streeteasy.com/

Apologies if this was asked on the previous thread, but why do British series have to be re-made for American viewers when we watch American series. I'm thinking of Shameless, The Inbetweeners, The Office, Mistresses etc. Is it the accents, the cultural references, British actors?

The series don't have to be re-made; there are many British series that are shown in the original versions. Some are re-made; some aren't. It goes the other way, too. Law and Order was remade as Law and Order UK; same story lines, but changed for the UK.

Ah ok that makes me feel better. I am only aware of the remakes because they show them in the UK, I don't see the British shows that they air.

Thanks, Alice. I shall hopefully stop being puzzled now. Though I was watching a TV show this evening, when two cops went up to a house that had a screen door ... and rang the doorbell.

I wonder why we don't have screen doors in the UK. Presumably, screens are to allow some ventilation without letting in flying insects. They could be useful for the couple of weeks of high summer we get here.

I find it really disturbing when I go back to the UK that the doors and windows are all locked at night, with keys which are then hidden. Even if my front door is locked, I can just flip a switch and open it so get out if there's a fire. I hate being locked into a house now, although that's what I grew up with.

Quite often I don't even remember to shut the garage door, so the entire house is unlocked with easy acces for someone to drive up a truck and take as much as they want

PBS (public television) has always shown a lot of British shows, beginning years ago with Upstairs Downstairs and continuing with a lot of the comedies, which brought Hyacinth Bucket to American audiences. Downton Abbey is the big hit on PBS now.

But it was the addition of BBC America to cable several years ago which has really brought many more shows to us (Luther, Ripper Street, Broadchurch are some examples)

For a long time in the past, there was the belief that Americans wouldn't understand British shows or even British accents. David Attenborough refers to that in his book "Life on Air". The BBC wanted to sell his first big series to the States, but the networks they approached wouldn't buy it if they couldn't dub DA's voice with an American actor. Fortuitously, there was a clause in DA's contract that his permission was needed to sell that series; and he refused. Subsequently, the series was sold to PBS, albeit at a much lower price, but with DA's voice.

By the time of his second big series, the same issues arose; but by that time, DA's reputation was good in the USA, and the sales of his DVDs there were huge. The networks backed down and paid a proper price for broadcasting his series with his voice.

I found that story quite hilarious. After all, the USA is geographically huge, and probably has a greater variety of accents than any other country. So why would TV network executives think that audiences couldn't cope with a global nature programme being presented by a Brit?

I always think twice now when people say that TV is being dumbed down - the question being: by whom? I don't think it's the audience.

Very but I actually can't understand all British accents. I'm fine with most shows/movies I've seen, but I actually couldn't comprehend Shameless, I love the American version and tried a few times but couldn't understand a word. Inbetweeners I had to really concentrate and couldn't enjoy. I like to blame my Netflix sound quality but I think it's just me.

"They know how to throw a PAH-eee!" :o I love the original Shameless, don't like the US version so much.

I think the kind of accents Americans can understand is slowly changing. I said on the previous thread that for a long time the only accents we were exposed to is RP (I think that's what it's called) but not others...for instance in one of the Harry Potters, the one with the teacher who plays favorites among students from famous families? The one student says "Him and Dad don't get on. Probably because me Dad says potions are rubbish. Says the only potion worth having is a stiff one at the end of the day."

No one I was with in the theater understood that line, but could understand Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, etc.

I do get irritated with little changes. For instance I was reading an Alfie and Annie Rose book to my DC and it says "Mom". I know the original says " mum", why not keep it? It's nice for kids to see that there are differences in the world and they would all understand it.

I agree Yank, I grew up reading American books. All it takes is for someone to say, oh thats how the spell mum in America.

I don't know that line from Harry Potter. What accent was it, other English people?

I get not understanding Shameless, but I didn't think the accents in Inbetweeners were too broad.

RP is received pronunciation or BBC English as it's sometimes called. How Hugh Grant talks.

Like I said before, we are always being told that stuff has to be 'dumbed down' for Americans. Like the title of the film The Madness of King George.
I think the film and TV companies have a very dim view of the American public.

That said I find some of Orange is the New Black very hard to follow.

Not trying to be controversial but interested in the sting connection between religion and being elected in American politics.

richarddawkins.net/2014/08/atheist-politicians-may-run-the-uk-but-they-remain-closeted-in-the-us/

So much so this happened.

www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/08/29/florida-mayor-kicks-atheist-out-of-city-commission-meeting-after-he-doesnt-stand-for-the-invocation-or-pledge/

(I personally find the use of religion at all the remembrance events in the UK makes me uncomfortable. I don't feel these should be represented by any one religion even if it is the most popular in a country. There are many other religions and also non believers all or none should be represented - Sorry didn't mean to digress, that is a whole other thread.)

I don't feel these should be represented by any one religion even if it is the most popular in a country

I agree with you, however we do not have separation of church and state and until we do official stuff like remembrance will have a C of E bent to it.

There haven't been nearly enough questions from the Americans, come on chaps, there must be some stuff you want to know.

A lot of series from the UK (Luther etc) stream on Netflix now too.

That's the thing, we'll never understand it if not exposed to it. My dad read me all of James Herriot as a kid, and I read a lot of other English books growing up and was aware of different idioms and things like that, so when I hear it it's easier for me to understand because I'm not trying to puzzle out the words AND the accent.

I can understand thick Cajun accents too and lots of others. I have a good ear for languages as long as it's English. :o I failed French though and barely squealed by in German. :(

Apologies if this was asked on the previous thread, but why do British series have to be re-made for American viewers when we watch American series.

Generally, most people just don't like British humor over here. It's a bit slow paced. Not really my thing to be honest.

But I have liked Sherlock, which is a British show. :)

Squeaked!

Yes I agree re atheists and politics. I'm not an atheist but would vote for one if she/he was the right person for the job, of course.

Hmmmmm questions...I know our policy of a pap smear every year is seen as madness over there; how often are you supposed to go?

I love all humor, British included. :) Jeeves and Wooster is a big favorite or mine and Keeping Up Appearances. My grandpa, God rest his soul, was a redneck, US version of Onslow. I miss him every day.

Smears were once every 3 years once you start having sexy, I believe this has changed to once every 5 years over a certain age (25??) or more often if you have ever had anything show up on a previous smear.

How does health care work for under 18's? Do they have to have a private policy too?

Cheerful - I think it's every 3 years here.

I actually like the humour of the programmes here better in the UK. I find some of the US shows a bit blah in comparison, so rarely watch them. With a few exceptions, of course, but that may be just nostalgia.

I've also found that when there's a big show going on, that EVERYONE is at least generally familiar with it, which isn't always the case in the US. Like GBBO or I'm a Celebrity or X Factor or BB. Everyone doesn't watch it, but they are generally familiar with it at least.

Squeaked - sure you don't mean squeezed?

We have smears every three years unless they find something, then you get it checked and then recalls are every six months until you get a clear one.

(all for free of course )

As cheerful yank says, smears every year but now I'm 40, I've been told every 3 years (I think). In singapore it was every year, in France every 2 years following 2 consecutive clear tests.... Varies.

I had my annual exam with my gynecologist in May, and he said the guideline now is one every two years if the previous one was normal. Since mine last year was normal, I didn't have one this year. He still did a pelvic and breast exam. It made me a bit uncomfortable not having one this year; I've had one every year since I was 16.

Why would you need a pelvic exam every year ?