First thing I want to say is that though I don't contribute much to threads about The Killing and Borgen, I do watch them as avidly as those who post on these threads. I mainly enjoy just reading the comments on them and as someone who used to complain about the lack of foreign language dramas on British tv, its a joy to see them not only being shown but actually being watched with decent viewing figures. As well as being commented on forums like this!
In response to your posts, I agree its a shame the Americans can't embrace sub-titled dramas currently like we do but we should be careful before criticising them too much as it wasn't that long ago our own networks were showing zero sub-titled dramas. Its great we're finally watching sub-titled dramas and this can only be good for us as this makes us more open-minded about other countries as we learn about them and their cultures, and the BBC and other UK networks might take a few pointers from Danish tv on how to improve our own drama output, just as the Danes learned from British -and American- tv in the past to improve their drama output.
Nonetheless we must remember that we went through a very long period of showing little if any sub-titled drama before BBC4 showed French drama The Spiral which slowly, but surely, started the increase in the channel's output from other European countries.
Perhaps some people will disagree with me and we probably did show the odd sub-titled drama here and there during the last twenty years or so but I don't think we've ever had it as good as we currently do with BBC4 and even some other channels showing sub-titled dramas.
I can't agree more.
In 1984 I went to see an ex-girlfriend in Geneva and was astounded to see that their TV was already multi-lingual. She could choose between three different languages (dubbed unfortunately - I prefer sub-titles so you hear the original drama as intended by the director.)
In 1984 I went to see an ex-girlfriend in Geneva and was astounded to see that their TV was already multi-lingual. She could choose between three different languages (dubbed unfortunately - I prefer sub-titles so you hear the original drama as intended by the director.)
Is that not because Switzerland is a multilingual country?
I watched the last two episodes of Borgen on Sunday evening and can only say that I found those two episodes the best, by far, of Borgen to date.
In fact, (and I have yet to see the much heralded TK1 yet), I think they have been the best episodes to date of the BBC4/Scandinavian dramas (I include the French Spiral in this too.)
Is that not because Switzerland is a multilingual country?
DOH - Yes.
But, they had the technology to do it - in the 1980s!!!
This was before we even had Channel 4 in the UK.
We only had three channels in the UK but, in Switzerland, they had loads more channels, and, for each channel, you could select your preferred language.
It was the technology that astounded me - not the geography!
... I prefer sub-titles so you hear the original drama as intended by the director.)
The downside of sub-titles can be that the dialogue is severely edited because of the limit of characters which can be legibly displayed on screen.
If someone speaks another language and watches subtitled translations, you find youself sitting there going "they've left X info out / that's not how they said that / they've missed the emphasis on..."
Sidse Babett Knudsen apparently expressed her concerns about that too, and asked that the reasons for the speedy disintegration of the marriage be given in S2.
Fingers crossed...
I wonder if they had done that storyline it if was the other way round, Phillip as PM and Brigitte as the stay at home wife??
In 1984 I went to see an ex-girlfriend in Geneva and was astounded to see that their TV was already multi-lingual. She could choose between three different languages (dubbed unfortunately - I prefer sub-titles so you hear the original drama as intended by the director.)
Fascinating. So viewers could change audio feed without changing the channel itself? Pretty impressive if that's the case. I suppose Switzerland had to innovate pretty quickly because of it being a more multi-lingual country than most. Still, its very impressive to have managed that in the analogue era. Didn't think they needed to though, I thought there were already tv channels in Switzerland by then for each of the three main languages spoken there? One in German, one in French and one in Italian?
Fascinating. So viewers could change audio feed without changing the channel itself? Pretty impressive if that's the case. I suppose Switzerland had to innovate pretty quickly because of it being a more multi-lingual country than most. Still, its very impressive to have managed that in the analogue era. Didn't think they needed to though, I thought there were already tv channels in Switzerland by then for each of the three main languages spoken there? One in German, one in French and one in Italian?
We would have similar if necessary, I believe Nicam offered an alternative language option, may have been used in Wales
The downside of sub-titles can be that the dialogue is severely edited because of the limit of characters which can be legibly displayed on screen.
If someone speaks another language and watches subtitled translations, you find youself sitting there going "they've left X info out / that's not how they said that / they've missed the emphasis on..."
I sometimes notice names aren't transcribed, and occasionally other words I've learnt.
It doesn't seem to change the gist, only the emphasis.
I think most if not all of the Swiss TV channels, in the old analogue days, also offered subtitles on teletext similar to what we had on page 888 mainly for the Deaf and hard of hearing?
Anyway, lovely Borgen's on tonight. Yay! Can't wait!
Despite the success of Borgan, The K etc, I think it's wrong to say our cozs across the pond couldn't cope with subtitles. There are many Brits who can't be bothered. My him indoors is willing to give most dramas a go but cannot get to grips with Scan-dramas and the sub titles. However, I have got him into Mentalbaldie. Maybe it's the sunny Sicilian scapes .I think I'd miss subtitles and I've got to the point where I enjoy hearing Danish and Italian and now just like Eddy, I am of course, fluent in Danish;):D
Comments
I can't agree more.
In 1984 I went to see an ex-girlfriend in Geneva and was astounded to see that their TV was already multi-lingual. She could choose between three different languages (dubbed unfortunately - I prefer sub-titles so you hear the original drama as intended by the director.)
Is that not because Switzerland is a multilingual country?
In fact, (and I have yet to see the much heralded TK1 yet), I think they have been the best episodes to date of the BBC4/Scandinavian dramas (I include the French Spiral in this too.)
DOH - Yes.
But, they had the technology to do it - in the 1980s!!!
This was before we even had Channel 4 in the UK.
We only had three channels in the UK but, in Switzerland, they had loads more channels, and, for each channel, you could select your preferred language.
It was the technology that astounded me - not the geography!
If someone speaks another language and watches subtitled translations, you find youself sitting there going "they've left X info out / that's not how they said that / they've missed the emphasis on..."
I wonder if they had done that storyline it if was the other way round, Phillip as PM and Brigitte as the stay at home wife??
We would have similar if necessary, I believe Nicam offered an alternative language option, may have been used in Wales
I sometimes notice names aren't transcribed, and occasionally other words I've learnt.
It doesn't seem to change the gist, only the emphasis.
Anyway, lovely Borgen's on tonight. Yay! Can't wait!
How long before Katrine quits this job too?
Fingers crossed, i bet she does better coffee too
Yes perfect french, she took her education at Theatre de L'Ombre in Paris 1987 - 1990
Yes it is very good, if you like films about ww2