Should Pobol Y Cwm be reconised as a mainstream soap?

Simon RodgersSimon Rodgers Posts: 4,693
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I can't help but notice that whenever people talk about soaps, etc, Pobol Y Cwm never gets a mention. Not at award shows, soap guides, previews, magazines, etc.

Long ago it was a little known programme with only people in Wales getting to see it, but now S4C is available all over the UK (I'm sure you can watch it online too), isn't about time people recognised it as more mainstream?

The only difference is that it is in Welsh, but English subtitles are available so there isn't really much excuse.
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  • Mattyboii1995Mattyboii1995 Posts: 938
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    I think very few people would watch it to be honest, except obviously those who understand the language or are learning/interested in the language.
  • RearViewMirrorRearViewMirror Posts: 76
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    I don't watch Pobl y Cwm, but the fact that it's excluded from the BSAa and all the other awards is nothing short of ignorance.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,133
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    Why on earth would it considered mainstream when it is in Welsh :confused:

    :rolleyes:
  • phill363phill363 Posts: 24,311
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    no, it just meant to be a Welsh language soap to help promote the language as well as entertain people, maybe they should have a Cardiff based English language welsh soap shown nationally.
  • RearViewMirrorRearViewMirror Posts: 76
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    klendathu wrote: »
    Why on earth would it considered mainstream when it is in Welsh :confused:

    :rolleyes:

    Because Welsh is a first language of one of the constituent countries of the UK?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,306
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    No Im sorry but no way should it be. Tbh I think its a complete waste of time them making the soap.

    I have a lot of welsh friends and hardly any of them speak fluent welsh. The welsh language is dying. If this show was done in english it could establish a big following and put wales on the map and have to whole of UK watching wales every night. but they are spoiling it for themselves.

    The acting/writing might be great but as its in welsh and I cant be bothered to sit through subtitles for half an hour (because I watch soaps for fun not to educate myself with a foreign language) and I bet your bottom dollar most think the same so no no point no bother.

    Fair City on the other hand an Irish soap spoken in English should be and it should also be shown in the UK.
  • THOMOTHOMO Posts: 7,446
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    jackrew wrote: »
    No Im sorry but no way should it be. Tbh I think its a complete waste of time them making the soap.

    I have a lot of welsh friends and hardly any of them speak fluent welsh. The welsh language is dying. If this show was done in english it could establish a big following and put wales on the map and have to whole of UK watching wales every night. but they are spoiling it for themselves.

    The acting/writing might be great but as its in welsh and I cant be bothered to sit through subtitles for half an hour (because I watch soaps for fun not to educate myself with a foreign language) and I bet your bottom dollar most think the same so no no point no bother.

    Fair City on the other hand an Irish soap spoken in English should be and it should also be shown in the UK.
    I live in North East England and don't speak Welsh, but I watch it with the English subtitles switched on and I think it's a fantastic soap.
    Ian.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 12,982
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    jackrew wrote: »
    Fair City on the other hand an Irish soap spoken in English should be and it should also be shown in the UK.

    Fair City is shockingly bad.
  • Simon RodgersSimon Rodgers Posts: 4,693
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    THOMO wrote: »
    I live in North East England and don't speak Welsh, but I watch it with the English subtitles switched on and I think it's a fantastic soap.
    Ian.

    Thank you, that was the point I was trying to make. Yes it is in Welsh but English speakers can still follow it because of the subtitles. That's exactly what they are for!
  • Simon RodgersSimon Rodgers Posts: 4,693
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    I think very few people would watch it to be honest, except obviously those who understand the language or are learning/interested in the language.

    I did mention the subtitles available. Why would anyone watch anything that isn't in their language then?

    In some countries most stuff is English and they have most programmes subtitled as they can't afford to have a lot of dubbing done. A lot of people prefer that anyway.
  • Simon RodgersSimon Rodgers Posts: 4,693
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    jackrew wrote: »
    The acting/writing might be great but as its in welsh and I cant be bothered to sit through subtitles for half an hour (because I watch soaps for fun not to educate myself with a foreign language) and I bet your bottom dollar most think the same so no no point no bother.
    Actually a lot of UK audiences will watch subtitled material and they do not learn languages at the same time. They do find such titles entertaining so sitting through subtitles may suit you well if you gave it a chance.
    Fair City on the other hand an Irish soap spoken in English should be and it should also be shown in the UK.

    It's not a UK soap though, is it? Pobol Y Cym is!

    Slightly off topic, but why don't you contact the people who make Fair City and ask why it is not shown in the UK? Could be down to rights or something. Usually is.
  • actual_soapactual_soap Posts: 5,378
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    jackrew wrote: »
    No Im sorry but no way should it be. Tbh I think its a complete waste of time them making the soap.

    I have a lot of welsh friends and hardly any of them speak fluent welsh. The welsh language is dying. If this show was done in english it could establish a big following and put wales on the map and have to whole of UK watching wales every night. but they are spoiling it for themselves.

    The acting/writing might be great but as its in welsh and I cant be bothered to sit through subtitles for half an hour (because I watch soaps for fun not to educate myself with a foreign language) and I bet your bottom dollar most think the same so no no point no bother.

    Fair City on the other hand an Irish soap spoken in English should be and it should also be shown in the UK.

    Well I have a lot of Welsh friends who DO speak fluent Welsh. It's a brilliant show and is in no way a waste of time
  • UnlikelyHeroineUnlikelyHeroine Posts: 1,524
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    How do people watch S4C all around the UK - on Sky? Is it on BT Vision, for example? I have not noticed S4C or Pobol y Cwm on there.

    EDIT: Wikipedia says it is on Sky and Virgin Media, but not Freeview outside of Wales. I wouldn't underestimate how many people pretty much still just watch the main terrestrial channels. Sad to say I wouldn't go out of my way to put S4C on even if I could access it anyway (which in London with BT Vision, it seems I can't).

    As others have said, the soap is still going because it fulfills a language requirement. One problem is that I can't have it on in the background like I do with EastEnders for example because i need to watch the subtitles. Now I'll make the effort to keep an eye on words on-screen for Das Boot or The Killing or Three Colours: Red or something, but not for a soap! My understanding is that only half of Wales's population - about a million people - speak Welsh well enough to understand this programme without subtitles. That makes it inaccessible for many casual viewers even more so than something like River City.
  • pegasus2pegasus2 Posts: 5,293
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    Because Welsh is a first language of one of the constituent countries of the UK?

    No, it is not the first language . Only 20% of people in Wales speak Welsh, and they live predominately in North Wales. S4C is a ridiculous channel, forced on us by the pc brigade, it should be closed down as no one actually watches it, as has been proven.
  • THOMOTHOMO Posts: 7,446
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    How do people watch S4C all around the UK - on Sky? Is it on BT Vision, for example? I have not noticed S4C or Pobol y Cwm on there.

    EDIT: Wikipedia says it is on Sky and Virgin Media, but not Freeview outside of Wales. I wouldn't underestimate how many people pretty much still just watch the main terrestrial channels. Sad to say I wouldn't go out of my way to put S4C on even if I could access it anyway (which in London with BT Vision, it seems I can't).

    As others have said, the soap is still going because it fulfills a language requirement. One problem is that I can't have it on in the background like I do with EastEnders for example because i need to watch the subtitles. Now I'll make the effort to keep an eye on words on-screen for Das Boot or The Killing or Three Colours: Red or something, but not for a soap! My understanding is that only half of Wales's population - about a million people - speak Welsh well enough to understand this programme without subtitles. That makes it inaccessible for many casual viewers even more so than something like River City.

    S4C is on Sky channel 134 nationwide in the UK and you have a choice of English or Welsh subtitles.
    Ian.
  • UnlikelyHeroineUnlikelyHeroine Posts: 1,524
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    THOMO wrote: »
    S4C is on Sky channel 134 nationwide in the UK and you have a choice of English or Welsh subtitles.
    Ian.

    As I said in my post, I don't have Sky. A lot of people don't.
  • THOMOTHOMO Posts: 7,446
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    As I said in my post, I don't have Sky. A lot of people don't.
    I'm not sure, but I think it's available nationwide on Freesat, although I could be wrong. Maybe someone can confirm if it is.
    Ian.
  • GlendarrochGlendarroch Posts: 20,489
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    I think the language could be an issue - I know I don't like watching subtitled programmes, simply because I have to focus entirely on the programme and can't get on with other things. At the same time, I do think that there is an argument for the BBC to show some of its' regional' programmes nationally, like the excellent River City. But I'm not sure how well Welsh language or Gaelic programming (and there are some very good Gaelic programmes on BBC Alba) would go down outwith the areas they are shown in at the moment - the languages just aren't widespread enough. I don't think they could justify this. They don't even show many Gaelic programmes, on BBC main channels in Scotland, it has its own dedicated Channel.
  • PyramidbreadPyramidbread Posts: 10,440
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    The only difference is that it is in Welsh, but English subtitles are available so there isn't really much excuse.

    No, the real difference is its on S4C not C4, and it's not going to be a mainstream soap when its not in English. It's made for Welsh people, not English, Scottish and Northern Irish people. Soaps like Corrie, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and EastEnders all use an universal language that every constituent country in the United Kingdom will understand.
  • dublintvfandublintvfan Posts: 5,074
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    jackrew wrote: »
    Fair City on the other hand an Irish soap spoken in English should be and it should also be shown in the UK.

    Oh i can imagine the ratings, it would be cancelled within a week its awful, Where use to how bad it is over here :D
  • GlendarrochGlendarroch Posts: 20,489
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    Oh i can imagine the ratings, it would be cancelled within a week its awful, Where use to how bad it is over here :D

    I'm going to have to check out Fair City on youtube now - is it really bad? I love a bit of car crash telly:D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 327
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    pegasus2 wrote: »
    S4C is a ridiculous channel, forced on us by the pc brigade, it should be closed down as no one actually watches it, as has been proven.

    Ummm....I watch it. I'm a fluent Welsh speaker and I actually watch S4C more than I watch English television. I understand I may be in a small number but you can't say NO ONE watches it.

    I'm glad it isn't considered "mainstream". I don't watch English soaps (can't stand them) but I'd hate to get storyline spoilers months and months in advance like Eastenders et al.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 72
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    The welsh language is dying out and I think it's a good idea to try and promote it in different ways such as soaps. English subtitles for those who don't understand welsh. To say its not considered a soap unless its in English is complete ignorance.
  • unclekevounclekevo Posts: 20,749
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    River City, Pobyl Y Cwm, Ros Na Run and Fair City could all be included in Inside Soap Awards for the Best Regional Soap!
  • GlendarrochGlendarroch Posts: 20,489
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    The welsh language is dying out and I think it's a good idea to try and promote it in different ways such as soaps. English subtitles for those who don't understand welsh. To say its not considered a soap unless its in English is complete ignorance.

    I don't think anyone meant that it is not a soap. I for one don't like watching subtitled programmes for the reason I stated above, and am not interested in learning Welsh, so I probably wouldn't watch it. I might watch a Welsh soap in English, with occasional Welsh lines, if I enjoyed the programme.
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