alittlebitfrench Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Why do expats (mostly British) have a problem with French TV.As one poet said today on a certain forum 'French TV is a pile of poo'.hmmm...I don't think it is that bad personally...or any worse than the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Lack of language skills (not that they will admit that) and not understanding French humor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Sky news vs BFMBFM wins it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Who gets Sky for the news? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 [quote user="You can call me Betty"]Who gets Sky for the news?[/quote]It is free on my little apple box. I don't have sky. Most of the sky crap is on French TV for free. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I had french tv for my first 13 or 15 years, it was a long time ago so am hazy about when we got UK tv.Some programs, like Thalassa, I still watch regularly, as I have TV5 Monde via SKY. And I watch France 2's Journal de 20H most evenings starts at 19h30 in the UK.I must say that some french tv was OK, and that is down to how well one gets along with dubbing, because some american series (dubbed), I think I prefer in french. Watched enough of them over the years. ie I have only seen the amercian version of House of Cards in french, seen bits of it in english and prefer the french version by far. In general I was pleased when we took satellite all those years ago. Just how many times can one watch Le Vieux Fusil or La Soupe aux Choux or La Grand Vadrouille. But the truth is that tv was a great part of my learning french. One can listen, repeat the words out loud to the best of one's ability and learn new words. I would go as far as to say that french tv for anyone just moving to France was essential, as one gets all the types of french, including slang and even swearing, and ears can adapt without having to respond..... and with tv, one gets the sense of what is happening, even when not understanding every word...........and eventually I believe it enriches the vocabulary.Is it so bad........ which for me is........ would you like to watch it exclusively again........ and that would have to be a resounding NON, mais, it served me well over many years and for that I am grateful[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Oddly enough, we can't get French TV in France. We have an aerial, we have a TV, but all we get is snow. Mr Betty has no interest in fixing it because he wouldn't watch it anyway, as his French is minable. He was, however, up on the roof like a ferret up a rathole when the dish went Pete Tong and he couldn't watch the Tour de France on channel 4.There are some excellent things on French TV, but some of the better ones get shown by UK channels anyway. Engrenages got a good audience on the Beeb, and I liked that other thing that was on Channel 4 over the summer about the serial killer leaving dead bodies in show-homes. Les Témoins? There was also The Returned, which I didn't watch,Apart from that, I'm always in the wrong place or at the wrong time to watch French TV so I don't bother. I lived through a period of switching on at a time when there was always Questions pour un Champion or D&Co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Much of the variety and light entertainment stuff is cr*p I have to admit, and humour doesn't export very well.I rather used to like these though:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEwLnxOmW7M&html5=1there are some excellent and informed current-affairs discussions such as http://www.france5.fr/emissions/c-dans-l-airand an excellent cultural offer onhttp://concert.arte.tv/fr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 [quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Why do expats (mostly British) have a problem with French TV.As one poet said today on a certain forum 'French TV is a pile of poo'.hmmm...I don't think it is that bad personally...or any worse than the UK.[/quote] Who said that, or will this be another question you wont answer? By the way Brits who live in France are immigrants. Ex-Pats work in a country for a period of time for a company based in their home country and when their contract is up go home. [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 We are EU migrants (like the Poles, Romanians etc in the UK), immigrants come from outside th EU and a refugee is something different yet again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 And, for the record, migrants to the UK tend, for the most part, to watch TV in their own language, too. It's not a peculiarly British trait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="You can call me Betty"]And, for the record, migrants to the UK tend, for the most part, to watch TV in their own language, too. It's not a peculiarly British trait.[/quote] Very true, if you walk round Belsize Park nearly every house and flat as a Canal+ dish outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="You can call me Betty"]And, for the record, migrants to the UK tend, for the most part, to watch TV in their own language, too. It's not a peculiarly British trait.[/quote] Tiss a British trait to compare and criticise rather than embace or ignore. If you don't understand the programmes how do you know if it is good or bad ??????? I am not really sure what the British want as a TV programme on French telly. As far as I can tell France and the UK have the same format/type of programmes just tailored for their market. The only difference in France is that there are actually a couple of interesting/intellectual programmes in amongst the crà p. Can't say it is the same in the UK. I can even watch more snooker in France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="alittlebitfrench"] Tiss a British trait to compare and criticise rather than embace or ignore.If you don't understand the programmes how do you know if it is good or bad ??????? [/quote] Who says I don't understand or watch French TV. Don't make make sweeping statements about other people you don't know, especially when you don't know what they do/did for a living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="Quillan"]We are EU migrants (like the Poles, Romanians etc in the UK), immigrants come from outside th EU and a refugee is something different yet again.[/quote]When I moved to Canada many years ago from the UK, which when I last checked was in Europe, I was classed as an immigrant. why should Europeans of any nationality be any different, no matter which country they settle in? Your playing with words my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Why do expats (mostly British) have a problem with French TV.As one poet said today on a certain forum 'French TV is a pile of poo'.hmmm...I don't think it is that bad personally...or any worse than the UK.[/quote]Has anything you have written on this forum not been a load of tedious pish?Im not sure if you are a poor quality troll or if you really are as you portray yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 How would I know if a program was good or bad if I couldn't understand.Two things, for many years my non french speaking parents in law used to come to stay with us for a month at a time, and they watched tv. In fact some things they quite enjoyed, (obviously not discussion programs).For me, well, it doesn't take that long to start understanding bit by bit when living in France without french to start with. TV programs are not that hard to watch. Sometimes I admit, it felt like hard work, but I remember clearly watching the news one day and Yves Mourousi rabbited on and on and on for 20 minutes and said nothing.......! My husband who got to grips with it all quickly was also watching and I commented that the man had gone on, saying nothing and had I misunderstood...... and he said, I hadn't ....... and on that day I felt like I had really got to grips with french. I had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="NickP"][quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tiss a British trait to compare and criticise rather than embace or ignore.If you don't understand the programmes how do you know if it is good or bad ??????? [/quote] Who says I don't understand or watch French TV. Don't make make sweeping statements about other people you don't know, especially when you don't know what they do/did for a living. [/quote]Nobody says you don't understand. I read your original post and it made me laugh. Ha ha. It was funny. I thought it would be fun to turn it into a thread of its own to annoy Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 A lot of the game show formats are the same on French and UK TV which is quite good as Mrs Q and myself often watch them as it helps with our French language skills. A lot of other stuff is mainly American TV shows and some English ones as well. In the UK we watch the same US shows of course. I think the UK does better documentries but then they seem to be mainly the BBC who seels them on to the French anyway. Local/Reginal French TV (and newspapers) are excellent for keeping up with whats going on around you. Recntly we had a potoatoes festival (I kid you not)but we went thinking it would be a big laugh, actually I didn't know you could cook potatoes so many ways and have to admit I learn quite a bit by going. Would never have known about it if it were not for local TV. Canal+ is heavily involved also in the film industry and often works with the likes of Film 4. I watched the French series "Resistance" recently which was very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="NickP"][quote user="Quillan"]We are EU migrants (like the Poles, Romanians etc in the UK), immigrants come from outside th EU and a refugee is something different yet again.[/quote]When I moved to Canada many years ago from the UK, which when I last checked was in Europe, I was classed as an immigrant. why should Europeans of any nationality be any different, no matter which country they settle in? Your playing with words my friend.[/quote] Not really, movement between one EU member state and another is migration, movement, like yours from the UK to Canada is immigration. Thats the EU definition under the "Freedom to live and work in the EU" rules. If you moved from a non EU country into a country within the EU you would be an immigrant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="Quillan"]Not really, movement between one EU member state and another is migration, movement, like yours from the UK to Canada is immigration. Thats the EU definition under the "Freedom to live and work in the EU" rules. If you moved from a non EU country into a country within the EU you would be an immigrant.[/quote]From The New Collins Concise Dictionary : Immigrant, a person who immigratesImmigrate, to come to a place or country of which one is not a native in order to settle there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 [quote user="NickP"][quote user="Quillan"]Not really, movement between one EU member state and another is migration, movement, like yours from the UK to Canada is immigration. Thats the EU definition under the "Freedom to live and work in the EU" rules. If you moved from a non EU country into a country within the EU you would be an immigrant.[/quote]From The New Collins Concise Dictionary : Immigrant, a person who immigratesImmigrate, to come to a place or country of which one is not a native in order to settle there.[/quote] From the same dictionary: Migrant - a person or animal that moves from one region, place, or country to another. From the Oxford English Dictionary: Migrant - A person who moves from one place to another in order to find work. Now read the EU version - http://ec.europa.eu/justice/policies/citizenship/docs/guide_free_movement_low.pdf In EU terms, of which the UK is a member they use the Oxford version because an EU citizen has the right to migrate to another EU member state to live and work, the work bit is very important. As stated it does not give an EU citizen the right to move to another member state and live there as an inactive and use the health and social benefits system unless they are working and contributing. It is a choice for each member state to accept this ruling into their own legislation, the UK (under Tony Blair) decided not to. If you cast your mind back you may remember that France did add it to their won legislation and there was much debate about inactive Brits living in France at the time who were in danger of losing their healthcare. Indeed one of those who was very active in ensuring that the ruling was not applied retrospectivly was a member of this forum. It is also why you must either have an S1, work and pay taxes or take private health insurance to live in France now. In EU terms it is very simple to separate migrant, immigrant and refugee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Well, its completely out of character for threads on this forum to degenerate into pedantry over grammer, I must say.eh....cant find the "sarcastic wanker" smiley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I don't see 'expat' in much of that [:D]One man's pedantry is another man's desire for accuracy.Desirable in the professions but less so in commerce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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