On holiday recently, flicking through the channels on the hotel TV, I came across an episode of Top Gear, overdubbed in German. This led me to ponder why we don't get programmes from other countries dubbed into English (other than a few documentary strands on Discovery's channels such as How It's Made which are re-edited with a new narration). Is it because:
a) Broadcasters don't think that the UK audience would want to watch something that's dubbed?
b) European telly is crap and there's nothing that we would want to see?
c) If something is good enough it's good enough to license the format and make an English version?
d) Some other reason
On holiday recently, flicking through the channels on the hotel TV, I came across an episode of Top Gear, overdubbed in German. This led me to ponder why we don't get programmes from other countries dubbed into English (other than a few documentary strands on Discovery's channels such as How It's Made which are re-edited with a new narration). Is it because:
a) Broadcasters don't think that the UK audience would want to watch something that's dubbed?
b) European telly is crap and there's nothing that we would want to see?
c) If something is good enough it's good enough to license the format and make an English version?
d) Some other reason
Because it's a crap thing to do, and looks (and sounds) awful ?
Give me English s/ts on foreign language progs anyday, has the side effect of subconsciously teaching you the language too.
Yes, just look how bad those dubbed adverts look and imagine that for an hour!
:-(
A former member
Back in the good old days there were plenty of dubbed shows on all channels. Not sure why its stop. I don't remember any dubbed comedies. Bbc four has broadcast a number of subtitled drama which have had good reviews.
Probably because there's more money to be made from producing and distributing their own versions of formats worldwide. We have a huge advantage with the English language because it's such an international language making it relatively cheap and easy to translate in other countries. Look at Homeland for example; no doubt the American version has sold far better globally than the original Israeli version.
Countries like France and Germany can get away with dubbing because their audiences are used to it and they saturate the schedules. Although we've had some dubbed shows in the past, British audiences have rejected it, presumably because they were always so few and far between that it was difficult to get used to and ended up looking cheap.
I don't think such programmes (reality/entertainment) are shared among countries were dubbing is commonplace either, so I'd say b) is the closest.
Serious documentaries and children's programmes are obviously completely different and are shared and re-dubbed a lot. Some goes for the occasional high-profile drama.
Only animation should be considered for dubbing. Subtitles is definately the way to go for live action. I think it's quite dismissive to suggest that all telly on the continent is crap in its entirety. I do think we should be more open minded about foreign language TV shows. I'm not necessary saying we should flood the schedules with them, but one or two would be nice. In fact, it's considered a key reason why Brits are much poorer at second languages than other Europeans; though, I'd suggest that English's status as effectively the worlds common tongue probably also has a lot to do with it.
Still, at least we're not as culturally anal as the US. They can't even stand English language programmes that don't originate from the US.
Only animation should be considered for dubbing. Subtitles is definately the way to go for live action.
Dubbing (or rather re-narration) also works for documentaries, and many European broadcasters produce quality documentaries (although the UK is still the leader in this field). As far as the dubbing of live action is concerned, I agree with the late (Europhile) journalist John Ardagh, who referred to this bizarre practice of replacing the voices of actors with other people's voices as "cultural barbarism."
By the way, while dubbing is widespread in large European countries, subtitling is common (and popular) is smaller ones. This map shows Europe's "subtitling countries" in red:
Only animation should be considered for dubbing. Subtitles is definately the way to go for live action.
Dubbing (or rather re-narration) also works for documentaries, and many European broadcasters produce quality documentaries (although the UK is still the leader in this field). As far as the dubbing of live action is concerned, I agree with the late (Europhile) journalist John Ardagh, who referred to this bizarre practice of replacing the voices of actors with other people's voices as "cultural barbarism."
I was in France recently. I had the bizarre experience of watching an episode of the BBC's 'Luther' dubbed into French. Fortunately Canal+ had had the foresight to provide English subtitles, selectable from the TV's menu, so I watched it using subtitles. Was fine, and in just an hour I'd picked up some extra French.
Only animation should be considered for dubbing. Subtitles is definately the way to go for live action.
Dubbing (or rather re-narration) also works for documentaries, and many European broadcasters produce quality documentaries (although the UK is still the leader in this field).
Good point.
As for dubbing, I saw a lot of it on Polish TV; mostly with British & American TV shows. The original sound isn't removed totally, just quietened down with some narrator talking over it. It's totally off putting as you can often still just about hear what's being said in English. Also, they'll often have just a single narrator. It's usually some monotone man who does all the voices, even the women. Sucks to be Polish.
I used to detest dubbed childrens programmes when I was a nipper - stuff like Heidi which the BBC resorted to every blinking summer holiday and seemed to have a neverending number of episodes. It appears to have been made by Swiss Television network SF1:
http://www.a-suivre.org/annuseries/img/series_menu/632.jpg
Also there were the infamous and equally epic cartoon series made by BRB Internacional/Nippon "Dogtanian" and "Around the World with Willy Fogg". I had always assumed these were initally Spanish but Wikipedia seems to suggest they were initially Japanese and dubbed first into Spanish and then English and subsequent languages. Regardless, the story goes that because both languages are rather fast in delivery, the pace in the english versions was bordering on brake-neck in order to keep up with the pictures. Certainly I seem to remember that coming across. "Mysterious Cities of Gold" was also Japanese in origin and again once dubbed into English seemed to have a fantastically fast pace (even though the series itself never seemed to come to a conclusion)