Midsummer Murders dubbed into French

[Renaud]

I am indebted to the TV set in a Campanile bedroom for showing Midsummer Murders dubbed into French. It works so perfectly it should be shown like this on UK television with English subtitles.

John Nettles, who always seems so embarrassed to be in the main role, shrugs away just as one imagines a fictional Gallic Inspector might and the actress who plays his wife seems suitably bewildered. The programme has always had a huge cast of British character actors, motivated solely by their pension funds and determined to overact as revenge against their agents. Julia Mackenzie and Sam Kelly seemed far happier with their French accents. The plots were always impenetrable, so no loss there and the direction so plodding it gives you time to work out what they might, just might, be saying.

At other times in other hotels I have caught glimpses of The Professionals dubbed in some Slavic language - it was perfect for the general fascist behaviour, Dallas in Spanish and a footie international between England and Norway with Arabic commentary by an ultra-excitable Egyptian.

I know that they attempted to dub ‘Alo ‘Alo in French, for the continental market, I would have liked to see that. What about The Office in Swedish? …

[PeterG]

Not being pedantic but it is Midsomer

[cassis]

No - it's Inspecteur Barnaby. [:D]

I heard he comes to France (Midsomer being twinned with "Honfleur") in the 2008-2009 series.

[Kitty]

One problem - all the crimes are solved by just three people - Inpector Barnaby, Sargeant Troy and the blond girl who does a bit of occasional telephoning.  In France, they would need at least 15 people, who would be standing around most of the time, saying 'non' to anything that they are asked to do.  Then, of course, at midi, they would have to go off for 4 hours to eat.

(Best time to commit a crime in France is at 12.30 when all the gendarmes are having lunch... [:D] )