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?

I still use them on my CV because the sixth form I went to was called 'Anytown VIth form'. I like them.

Even if they’re taught at school, most people probably can’t read them very quickly though, at least not bigger numbers.
Use in TV/films doesn’t bother me, though.

We used to have a Ladybird book about Henry VIII - a young dd always referred to him as Henry Vill (to rhyme with will) - we still call him that here.

We love playing guess the year too

Should we also be changing roman numeral clocks too?

No because they are easy to read. It's the was the date is just flashed up quick that makes the Romans numerals silly on TV.

Sorry, OP, I think YABU. I learnt Roman numerals in an inner city state primary school. Once you know them, there's no need to "convert", you simply read them as you would 'normal' numbers or the alphabet.

@jcurve

Totally agree and I went to a public school & was taught Latin. A pointless & elitist tradition that should be consigned to the dustbin.

If we can embrace producing movies & TV specifically for streaming over scheduled television then other bits of the industry can modernise.

teaching of Latin - a pointless and elitist tradition that should be consigned to the dustbin ??????? Just try putting the English language ( not only English, many other languages too) together without the Latin influence.You are back in my previously said "Yeah but, no but, yeah " level.

I also get irritated by the roman numerals. It's BBC that does it, ITV and most others don't. And the date is always at the end, in such tiny letters, and it doesn't stay on the screen long. I only watch documentaries, not sure whether these can be looked up like films?

Currently there are so many repeats, I often play the 'guess what year' like other posters have said.....

teaching of Latin - a pointless and elitist tradition that should be consigned to the dustbin ??????? Just try putting the English language ( not only English, many other languages too) together without the Latin influence.You are back in my previously said "Yeah but, no but, yeah " level.

Please point out where I said that being taught Latin was pointless?

Clearly your Latin education didn’t teach you comprehension, given I was responding to the OP’s comments that I agreed that using Roman numerals on movie and television credits is elitist and outdated.

@letmethinkaboutitfornow

Not even Roman numbers now? What’s next? 😱😱😱

Built by Welsh slaves. Stonehenge has to go!

Knock it down! Now!!

And Hadrian's Wall. Knock it down!

Jcurve The way your post is worded, it isn't clear that your second sentence is responding to the OP rather than following on from your first sentence.

I went to a public school & was taught Latin. A pointless & elitist tradition that should be consigned to the dustbin

It would have been clearer the other way round: [response to OP] 'A pointless & elitist tradition' [And I am saying that from the perspective of someone who was taught Roman numerals because] 'I went to a public school and was taught Latin.'

State educated and took Latin for 4 years. I disagree it's pointless. Helpful as I took sciences. Helpful too to work out what words mean in other languages as well as English. Helpful for pronunciation too.

I went to state comp and primary, as did/do my dcs. They’ve all learnt Roman numerals. I don’t think it’s classist. I think the assumption that children at state schools don’t learn Roman numerals is itself a somewhat classist view.

@jcurve

teaching of Latin - a pointless and elitist tradition that should be consigned to the dustbin ??????? Just try putting the English language ( not only English, many other languages too) together without the Latin influence.You are back in my previously said "Yeah but, no but, yeah " level.

Please point out where I said that being taught Latin was pointless?

Clearly your Latin education didn’t teach you comprehension, given I was responding to the OP’s comments that I agreed that using Roman numerals on movie and television credits is elitist and outdated.

You said it yourself " a pointless and elitist tradition that should be consigned to the dustbin" Your words, not mine.

I like them - my six year old learns them in school too. It really isn’t a big deal - google it if you don’t know the year.

I like the Roman numeral dates - seeing them occasionally reminds me which way round the D and the L are for 500 and 50. Afaik these letters don't really stand for anything obvious like the C and M do.

I learnt both Latin and Roman numerals at state school 🤷🏻‍♀️ They are hardly elitist.

What the actual 80s (BC)?

@ErrolTheDragon

I like the Roman numeral dates - seeing them occasionally reminds me which way round the D and the L are for 500 and 50. Afaik these letters don't really stand for anything obvious like the C and M do.

I don't think the letters actually stand for anything, but we can think of C = cent (100) and M= milli (1000)

Doesn't bother me. I like Roman numerals and use them myself when I make worksheets. Does that make me pretentious?

I learnt Latin at a state school until year 9 and I wish I took it at GCSE but chose art instead. It's actually very useful not just for learning other languages but also sciences and law.

It's really not very useful for sciences tbh - the Latin terms which are used are not particularly featured in school Latin AFAIK and are as easy to learn as any other specialist terminology. DH and I are scientists and he's still vaguely annoyed this line was trotted out when he was pretty much forced to drop biology and do Latin o-level.

My 8 year old (local state primary) knows Roman numerals - as does everyone I know. I can’t see the issue it’s not exactly complicated or requires One to have read classics at Oxbridge!

I am sure if this was to be abandoned, Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg would see the end of use of Latin in one small way as a step too far.

I Iike them too, my school had Roman numerals in its name and cracking Latin inscriptions is my party trick. It always used to impress DH that I could read tombstones or architectural inscriptions.