It’s on my list. I watch everything with subtitles now!

I saw him on Today, the show looked excellent, I didn't realize it was on Prime! And yes, I've been known to turn on subtitles for some British shows. (Reminds of when I was in France, and a show from Quebec was on...with subtitles lol!)

I am convinced that modern Tvs have terrible sound quality because I often have a hard time hearing or understanding dialogue unless I turn the TV up so loud that background noise, music, etc. is deafening. The problem is significantly increased when people have accents. I have a terrible time watching anything w/ people who have accents lately (Sherlock, The Crown, etc.).

Have sound bars helped anyone with TV sound quality? I was considering one, but a friend who bought and had one installed was not happy. He had researched and tested many top rated, so was not doing anything on the cheap. Just wondered what others' experiences have been.

Beagles, we just bought a tv and it’s not your imagination. Now in order for the speakers to even fit in a tv, they’re not only very small but they are either facing down or towards the BACK of the tv. That allows manufacturers to make the panels thinner and lighter (saving on shipping costs) and forces buyers to by sound bars both of which adds to their bottom line.

I sometimes turn on subtitles for American movies and shows too! Too many mumblers, and I get tired of rewinding.

Beagles, I bought a new tv and the sound was so tinny I took it back. The salesman said most tvs are designed to be used with external speakers so the built-in ones are not as high-quality.

On the other hand, I can see what a neighbor is watching from 100 yards away.

oh, I'm looking forward to watching it

(I always watch everything with subtitles no matter the language. Even if I hear well, even if it s my native language-I love comparing how they translated it. Lol. If I understand. If foreign language I don't know-I love listening to it, trying to figure out new words if I can.)

Just added it to my watch list and will be sure to use the subtitles! We have external speakers and I still have trouble with dialogue in movies at times. Oddly it's never an issue (that I remember) with tv shows.

April, even when the movie is not in my native tongue and we have subtitles on, I turn on the volume. It helps me understand the subtitles better (and I like seeing how they translate, too, if I'm remotely familiar with the language) and to hear the emotion in the voices. (Did you ever see Woody Allen's "What's Up, Tiger Lily?", where he took a movie and redubbed it!)

And if I have to have the volume low because someone is sleeping or having a conversation in the next room, I turn on subtitles to "fill in" what I miss. Oh, and anything from Yorkshire gets subtitles automatically, unless DH is there to translate!

oh, I'll have volume on too lol. if nobody's asleep it'd be pretty loud as well

(no, I never watched "What's Up, Tiger Lily" even though I like Woody Allen. I'll find it. Thanks bpathome!)

I watched it. I thought it was excellent!

Yes, it's worth watching (a few explicit scenes, not nudity more dialogue based - for those who may be sensative).

Yes, use the subtitles. All our new televisions have horrible speakers.

Sound quality might well be a factor, but also bear in mind that upper class British people at that time, such as Jeremy Thorpe, learnt to speak without moving their lips and with a plum in their mouth. Hugh Grant sounds quite authentic for the time and has done a wonderful job with his portrayal of Thorpe imo.

Well, I'm British, so I understood what was said perfectly...

I guess I'm not upper class as I never learned to speak with fruit of any kind in my mouth :)

Once past that initial conversation between the two men at the table, the dialogue was much easier to understand.

That was fortunate because I don't know how to turn on subtitles for Amazon Prime! Turning on closed captioning for Verizon Fios did not work.

Penny, I lived in Sheffield for 6 years. For the first 6 months I barely understood what anyone was saying. It was a very working class bunch.

For those who like myself have a hard time understanding the Brits. I have a Roku 3, it has earphones that plug into the remote. The sound quality is Excellent!!! So much better then my TV. I can understand everything said with no problems at all. I prefer the earplugs to the TV speakers.

I am going to watch this show very soon. I really like Hugh Grant.

My friends needed subtitles when my dad spoke, lol. I am watching Stella on Hulu right now. Welsh. Took a few to feel caught up.

Hard Sun, another on Hulu, quite excellent, quite depressing. And British.

National Treasure. And NT: Kiri.

Thx for the recommendation-I look forward to watching.

sidenote-I almost always watch everything with non-American accents with subtitles turned on. I mostly watch Netflix/amazon prime on my iPad with headphones but for shows I record with my DVR and watch on TV, I find it much easier to follow if I have the subtitles on but I use them on my iPad also.

Louise, my DFIL learned to speak English in Glasgow of all places, and he was already 30. It took me 3 years to be able to understand him easily.

funny story: growing up, everyone I knew in my Grandmother's generation were immigrants, so I thought that when you get old, your hair loses its color, your skin loses its elasticity, and your tongue loses the ability to properly form words lol!

Lol bpath.

When we lived overseas my kids went to a British School. On the second day there, my then 5 year old tells me he can't understand anything the teacher is saying ... she was Scottish! It didn't take long for him to understand all the accents there!

Thanks for the heads up - we need some new programming. We often turn the subtitles on for British programs. It’s not the TV as this is with sound running through high end audiophile stereo system.

We are binge watching a British series Happy Valley on Netflix. I'm married to a Brit (they left Edinburgh for s. London when he was two) but I can still only understand every fifth word or so lol. Mostly I get the gist but am still bothersome with asking what was said. Last night husband got exasperated and loudly asked me if we were watching the same show. Of course he had no problem understanding. One good thing is that they don't mumble. I hate that.

I lived in London for years,married a Fifer (a particular sort of Scot) and I still have to pay attention to understand certain British accents. But most often worth it ;-)

A great show The Terror I watched with subtitles always! I would have missed so many important parts without the subtitles! There was the accents and on top of that loads of mumbling. However, it was a fantastic show.

Another great show that I needed subtitles was Peaky Blinders. Also one of my all time favorite shows!

I really really love Peaky Blinders. If I'd do a list of my favorite shows..it'd be on the list. Say, ten favorite shows.

and they did do a a great job with " A Very English Scandal".

(I watched "Happy Valley", "Broadchurch", "The Fall"..there are many British series I like a lot..and I especially love listening to accents. But yes, I much prefer to listen with subtitles..makes me feel so much better I am not alone.

Btw I loved "Bleak House" too. On a different note. Good acting.)

If i could get the subtitkes to work on Amazon Prime! its rificulous, ive tried everything. Netflix, Hulu, are all great, but this happens a lot with Orine. i go to CC, i sekect English, a popup screen comes up that confirms I chose English, and that’s it, there’s no way to exit that screen and start the movie. if you hit any arrow or back or enter keys, it goes back but it turns the captions Off again. Does it regardless of what im watching. yes renooted, i selected languages first, everything is cool but i cant exit the screen.

I watched a movie with Rebel Wilson the other night called "Isn't It Romantic." It was a spoof on romantic comedies, albeit not a very good one. Part of the appeal of the movie would have been the leading lady's sarcastic jokes about work, dating and her life. But honestly, I could not understand her most of the time, it's like she didn't want to extend the effort to enunciate. I've watched other Australian movies and programs before and had no problems.

My biggest problem with hearing is the sound seems to be uneven. To have it loud enough to hear some characters, others are too loud, and then the reverse. Regular tv with commercials is the worst. Unless you are constantly working the mute button, it's not fun. Fast paced comedies with a lot of word play are the worst. I love "Modern Family" but I can never seem to find the sweet spot in the volume for that one.

What is "A Very English Scandal" about? I like Hugh Grant as an actor, although maybe not a guy I'd love to have a pint with down the pub. He is quite "mannered" in his delivery, but many good actors have that feature, not necessarily bad but he sure was typecast for many years . . . I never liked most of the stammering twits he played in those romantic movies . . . He's the perfect character in that movie "Small Time Crooks" with Woody Allen and Tracey Ullman. Now there's a Brit I never have trouble understanding no matter what dialect she is using . . .

Interesting that this popped up again today. I started watching ”A Very English Scandal” last night. @l pinkmountain it is the somewhat fictionalized story of Jeremy Thorp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Thorpe