I wish they'd stop using Roman numerals on TV/film credits - AIBU?

[Defenbaker]

Very small annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but I wish TV and film companies would drop the habit of showing the copyright/production date in Roman numerals. I know that the digital TV guide often shows the year that a film was made, but on the occasion when it doesn't, it can be frustrating to wait for the credits to roll, only to find that the date appears as a row of Roman numerals which often flash by too quickly to convert them into Arabic ("ordinary") numerals.

The BBC is the main culprit, which is even more annoying as it's funded by tax payers through the TV licence. I know most of the Roman numerals, so I'm not completely phased by them, but they make things overly complicated and I think the use of them by a public service provider is somewhat archane in 21st century. In the early days of the BBC, most of its presenters and hierachy were products of the public school system, and had the benefit of a classical education, so their attitude may have been "well, anyone who's had a decent classical/public school education will understand them, and we're not bothered about the rest". Or maybe they just thought Roman numerals looked more elegant? Either way, I wish they'd switch over to "ordinary" Arabic numerals - AIBU?

You could look the movie up on IMDB if you need to know when it was made. Or Google it.

I like seeing the Roman numerals. You see them far less often these days. Makes me feel nostalgic for the 80s!

It doesn't bother me. I never watch live TV, always record things, so I just press pause and work them out. It's good exercise for my brain.

I think Roman numerals are taught in all school,
Certainly not just public schools. A lot of TVs now have a pause function, or you can just google it.

The BBC does it on purpose so you don’t realise it’s a repeat!

I love the Roman numerals. Was excited to see MM in January 2000!

Yes, steff13, that's easy enough to do, I would just prefer not to do that, and don't understand why they are still showing the year in a numbering style used in ancient Rome. One theory is that it's done deliberately, so that it's not immediately obvious how old a film or series is, but I'm not sure what advantage that gives the BBC.

I can't say I've ever looked at the production date on the credits. If I want to know when it was made I Google while I remember.

Oh dear, I rather like the juxtaposition of 21st century technology and Roman numerals - it links the ages wonderfully. Just imagine a citizen of the ancient Roman Empire turning up in your sitting room and seeing them on the screen.

@perditaprovokesenmity I love the picture your post has conjured up for me!

YANBU. They've had their day.
A quick Internet search didn't come up with anything definitive. I guess they came from a time when films were filmed plays, so you had Act II scene IV, for example and Roman numerals were widely used. But where else do you see them now? Old fashioned clocks and references to monarchs e.g Henry VIII. I can't think of any others.
Time to kill them off completely.

TheMarzipanDildo posted:

"The BBC does it on purpose so you don’t realise it’s a repeat!"

Years back maybe that was the thinking behind it, so it wouldn't be obvious how many repeats they were showing, but in these days of Google, they can't hoodwink people in the same way.

It seems from the vote that I'm in the minority though, so maybe I'll just have to accept that I'm a common pleb and be grateful that the BBC upholds this (slightly classist) tradition.

I love them. It’s fun to try to read them quickly.

I agree with you OP. The credits do flash by too quickly to figure out the date sometimes. I don't see why someone should have to google something that could be easily shown as numbers. Personally I think it is pretentious.

I know most of the Roman numerals, so I'm not completely phased by them, but they make things overly complicated and I think the use of them by a public service provider is somewhat archane in 21st century

They make things overly complicated?

I have no idea why all you people are reading numbers on TV programmes - is this something that's important to people?

Have I overlooked a huge part of TV-watching in some way?

@Purpleartichoke - a sort of mental agility test. ☺

@Thesepretzelsaremakingmethirst I must admit, MM does look pretty cool, better than 2000, that could be the exception to the rule, for me. ☺

@LonginesPrime When I'm watching an old film with DH, we often have conversations along the lines of "Oh, he was young in this film... it must be 20 years old" etc, then we compete to guess the exact year when it was made. Yes, our lives are that exciting [we are that sad].

I remember my mum making Roman numerals into a game for me and my brother . First to work out the date was the winner. I don't think we actually got a prize or a thing but it was a fun way of learning.

@Comfycomfyslippers Yes, "pretentious" is exactly the word, IMO. However, looking at the votes most people disagree, which surprises me a bit, but it's interesting to hear their reasons.

Without googling I'd have guessed it was a Reithian innovation - but I did google and read that the BBC didn't turn to Roman numerals until 1976.

There are a good few chat forums that have discussed this. They seem to concur that it was for purposes of obfuscation, as pp here have suggested.

And there I was, imagining some higher moral purpose ...

It is annoying, by the time I've worked it out it's gone and I can't double check I read it right!

we compete to guess the exact year when it was made

Ah, I see - games I can get behind!

That said, I always look things up on IMDB so it's never bothered me personally. But I do like seeing numbers in Roman numerals and working them out.

You don’t need to work out the whole number, just look at the last few Roman numerals. You will already have an idea of the decade.

So if it says MCMXCVIII, all you need to know is VIII is 8 to know that it was made in 1998.

They are taught in primary schools as part of the national curriculum so it's not an issue seeing them for most adults.

Just learn Roman numerals .

You can have another fun activity with DH in learning them, and then it eliminates your frustration too