Should Pobol Y Cwm be reconised as a mainstream soap?

Simon Rodgers · 10-02-2013, 11:48

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.

Mattyboii1995 · 10-02-2013, 11:50

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.

RearViewMirror · 10-02-2013, 11:56

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.

klendathu · 10-02-2013, 12:08

Why on earth would it considered mainstream when it is in Welsh

phill363 · 10-02-2013, 12:20

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.

RearViewMirror · 10-02-2013, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by klendathu

Why on earth would it considered mainstream when it is in Welsh

Because Welsh is a first language of one of the constituent countries of the UK?

jackrew · 10-02-2013, 16:38

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.

THOMO · 10-02-2013, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrew

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.

Citadel · 10-02-2013, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrew

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 Rodgers · 10-02-2013, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by THOMO

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 Rodgers · 10-02-2013, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mattyboii1995

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 Rodgers · 10-02-2013, 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrew

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.

Quote:

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_soap · 10-02-2013, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrew

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

UnlikelyHeroine · 10-02-2013, 18:19

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.

pegasus2 · 10-02-2013, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by RearViewMirror

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.

THOMO · 10-02-2013, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnlikelyHeroine

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.

UnlikelyHeroine · 10-02-2013, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by THOMO

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.

THOMO · 10-02-2013, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnlikelyHeroine

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.

Glendarroch · 10-02-2013, 21:17

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.

Pyramidbread · 10-02-2013, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Rodgers

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.

dublintvfan · 10-02-2013, 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrew

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

Glendarroch · 10-02-2013, 22:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by dublintvfan

Oh i can imagine the ratings, it would be cancelled within a week its awful, Where use to how bad it is over here

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

WelshHoll · 10-02-2013, 22:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by pegasus2

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.

Charlie-xxx · 10-02-2013, 22:39

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.

unclekevo · 10-02-2013, 22:47

River City, Pobyl Y Cwm, Ros Na Run and Fair City could all be included in Inside Soap Awards for the Best Regional Soap!

10-02-2013, 11:48	#1
Simon Rodgers Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 3,232	Should Pobol Y Cwm be reconised as a mainstream soap? 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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10-02-2013, 11:50	#2
Mattyboii1995 Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 488	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.

10-02-2013, 11:56	#3
RearViewMirror Inactive Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 57	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.

10-02-2013, 12:08	#4
klendathu Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Watching TV Services: Freeview Posts: 5,131	Why on earth would it considered mainstream when it is in Welsh

10-02-2013, 12:20	#5
phill363 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Birkenhead Services: Virgin Media, Tivo & BB Posts: 10,606	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.

10-02-2013, 16:38	#7
jackrew Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ramsay Street!! Services: Neighbours! Posts: 5,913	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.

10-02-2013, 18:19	#14
UnlikelyHeroine Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 978	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.

10-02-2013, 21:17	#19
Glendarroch Forum Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Central Scotland Posts: 2,202	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.

10-02-2013, 22:39	#24
Charlie-xxx Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 64	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.

10-02-2013, 22:47	#25
unclekevo Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Magherafelt, Co. Derry Services: CBB Winner, Treyc Cohen Appreciation, Louis Walsh Throwing Posts: 17,035	River City, Pobyl Y Cwm, Ros Na Run and Fair City could all be included in Inside Soap Awards for the Best Regional Soap!

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