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Just found out there's a new 2-parter starting tonight at 21.00 (UK time) tonight.

I know that it's a bit 'Boy's Own' -ish, but it's always good old-fashioned fun seeing the gritty British hero knocking hell out of the Frenchies. I might invite my neighbour round to watch.

On reflection, maybe not.

Whatever, it might lead to a quiet interlude (just for a change) on the Forum between 21.00 and 00.00 tonight!

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As many of will by now know, it was actually set in India. There were a couple of the required Frenchies in it though - I'll bet that the baldy one (who is on the side of the bad guys) switches sides and helps out the hero, only to be skewered in the end by the really bad English guy.

BTW, any French person being played always has to have enough of an accent for you to know that he's French, but not so bad that you can't understand a word. I wonder what an Englishman (or Welsh etc) sounds like speaking French in a French TV drama?

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[quote user="Ian Horn"]

As many of will by now know, it was actually set in India. There were a couple of the required Frenchies in it though - I'll bet that the baldy one (who is on the side of the bad guys) switches sides and helps out the hero, only to be skewered in the end by the really bad English guy.

BTW, any French person being played always has to have enough of an accent for you to know that he's French, but not so bad that you can't understand a word. I wonder what an Englishman (or Welsh etc) sounds like speaking French in a French TV drama?

[/quote]

I have found that the Welsh and the Dutch have the best accents to adopt the french language.  Even though I've been here for 17 years even after the first two years many french people where surprised when they found out I was not a local.  I learned french when I came to live here and so I learned to speak with the regional accent which is rather strong.  If I am singing in Brittanny or Central France people will ask me where in 'le sud' I come from.

You will be missed this evening Ian[;-)]

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[quote user="Ian Horn"]

As many of will by now know, it was actually set in India. There were a couple of the required Frenchies in it though - I'll bet that the baldy one (who is on the side of the bad guys) switches sides and helps out the hero, only to be skewered in the end by the really bad English guy.

BTW, any French person being played always has to have enough of an accent for you to know that he's French, but not so bad that you can't understand a word. I wonder what an Englishman (or Welsh etc) sounds like speaking French in a French TV drama?

[/quote]

Imagine what that old BBC classic 'Allo 'Allo in French (or any other language for that matter) would sound like translated!

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[quote user="kipper"][quote user="Ian Horn"]

As many of will by now know, it was actually set in India. There were a couple of the required Frenchies in it though - I'll bet that the baldy one (who is on the side of the bad guys) switches sides and helps out the hero, only to be skewered in the end by the really bad English guy.

BTW, any French person being played always has to have enough of an accent for you to know that he's French, but not so bad that you can't understand a word. I wonder what an Englishman (or Welsh etc) sounds like speaking French in a French TV drama?

[/quote]

Imagine what that old BBC classic 'Allo 'Allo in French (or any other language for that matter) would sound like translated!
[/quote]

The great two are Dad's Army into German where they do not get the joke about Mainwarring being paravenue and give him a proper Prussien Accent while leaving John le Messurrier as an Oike. Or Faulty Towers in Spanish where Manual is from Mexico 

 

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I like Sharpe, but I am a bigger fan of some other books by Bernard Cornwell, especially the Lost Kingdom and the Warlord and Grail Quest series. He also wrote an excellent book about the building of Stonehenge. Amazing how such a prolific writer maintains a high standard, although he apparently employs a small army of researchers!

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Me too!  I think he's particularly good on battles, and I found his accounts of Waterloo in the Sharpe series, and Crecy in the Grail Quest series, very much more clear on the factual stuff than all of the  "proper" military histories I've tried.

Patrick

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No, I hadn't realised there was an Arthurian series.  I tried one or two of the American civil war ones but didn't find them so engaging.  Possibly not attracted as much to the main character as I was by Sharpe and Thomas the archer.

Patrick

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I've read quite a lot of the books you mention Dick.  I had the Sharpe series and when I met my hubby he suggested I read the others that he had.  I didn't think they'd be my cup of tea but I quite enjoyed them.
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I read AA Gill's ST critique of the Sharpe 2-parter and he was right. In short, it was an episode too far. Pity.

The Grail / Thomas the Archer trilogy was a really good read. How long before they make a drama / series out of it?  

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It would make a good movie, but too far removed from Lord of the Rings for the present time! Really chunky characters.

I thought that Gladiator Redux would be released by now - dunno what happened to that.

What Cornwell (or his researchers) seem able to do is really empathise with people in the historical situation - like the part where Arthur & Guinevere move into an abandoned Roman villa and wear togas because they remember Rome as being the fount of civilisation.

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