This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents  (Read 697 times)

Ian Warner

  • Craziest mofo in RPGs!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1344
    • http://shadow-world.blog.co.uk
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« on: January 09, 2011, 09:54:49 AM »
Been watching the BBC's latest foriegn set cop show Zen.

Something that irritates me. Only 2 actors in the entire episode attempted to sound or act Italian. Everyone else was just acting as if it was set in Sheffield.

I suppose its a catch 22. Do you put on an accent and adopt mannerism and offend the natives or just play the character as if he's from Sheffield and offend the viewer's sensibilities?

Answers on a postcard.
Directing Editor of Kittiwake Classics

Tahmoh

  • Sarcastic Wanker.
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1352
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2011, 10:30:30 AM »
Yeah thats part of the reason im gonna leave the rest for iplayer or reruns, the shows not bad but the accents break immersion for what would be an otherwise perfectly fine detective show set in italy.  I could accept the main character sounding different as they mention numerous times that he is venician so a wonky accent would work in his case but when two thirds of your cast sound like they're from yorkshire or ireland its abit of a problem.

One Horse Town

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 10203
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2011, 08:03:22 PM »
Sean Connery's managed a decent career by not bothering to affect accents.

Tahmoh

  • Sarcastic Wanker.
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1352
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2011, 09:13:14 PM »
Well the second episode seemed to be abit better with not many british accents other than the couple of regulars, plot was'nt to bad either though they really should work on making it abit more of a mystery as its pretty predictable.

Ian Warner

  • Craziest mofo in RPGs!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1344
    • http://shadow-world.blog.co.uk
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2011, 08:04:38 AM »
Quote from: One Horse Town;431667
Sean Connery's managed a decent career by not bothering to affect accents.


Yes but Sean Connery only had to play Irishmen and Englishmen so it wasn't as much of stretch as Itallians from Sheffield.
Directing Editor of Kittiwake Classics

Tahmoh

  • Sarcastic Wanker.
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1352
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2011, 11:19:30 AM »
Maybe to other italians the venician accent sounds like a sheffield one though? :)

Ian Warner

  • Craziest mofo in RPGs!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1344
    • http://shadow-world.blog.co.uk
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2011, 01:30:54 PM »
Yeah I did that when I was in Arabian Nights. I was playing Baba Mustafa the old shopkeeper. On the first rehearsal I put on this ridiculous leprechaun voice and the conversation went a bit like this.

Me: (Reading my line in ridiculous accent) He came to the shop of the old crook Baba Mustafa.

Sullivan: (Head of drama) Ian what the fuck are you doing?

Me: Well nobody in the play is putting on an Arabian accent.

Sullivan: True.

Me: And there are accents within Arabic.

Sullivan: Also true.

Me: Well if the standard Arabian accent is translated into roughly North London Baba Mustafa sound Irish.

Sullivan: (Facepalm)

Anyway Zen himself has a very BBC accent. It's everyone else who has the dodgy Northern tones.
Directing Editor of Kittiwake Classics

One Horse Town

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 10203
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2011, 06:39:29 PM »
Quote from: Ian Warner;431905
Yes but Sean Connery only had to play Irishmen and Englishmen so it wasn't as much of stretch as Itallians from Sheffield.


One word - Highlander.

Tahmoh

  • Sarcastic Wanker.
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1352
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2011, 06:45:19 PM »
his character was originally egytian though so you can hardly call that italian also being immortal he obviously had time to develop his scottish accent whilst waiting for connor to show up :)

Koltar

  • Openly GURPS Loving
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8328
Zen- Italians with Yorkshire Accents
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2011, 08:12:27 PM »
Think the newer "Doctor Who" covered this in 2005:

MOM Character: "But he's got a Northern accent!"

Daughter Character: " Lots of Placesw have a North!"


- Ed C.
The return of 'You can't take the Sky From me!'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUn-eN8mkDw&feature=rec-fresh+div

This is what a really cool FANTASY RPG should be like :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WnjVUBDbs

Still here, still alive, at least Seven years now...