Even the Wombles have noticed now

[Overread]

Badass Wombles of Central Park - MSN Video

(that link should work - if not just run the vid for the wombles)
I think this speaks for itself - we have lost our media industry. Myself I would also say that the 1% (possibly not totally accurate ) of shows are not exactly the best as companies like the BBC are no longer making things in-house and to standard, but are contracting out to smaller production studios. Whilst this does allow more diveristy it seems to me just to be promoting bad acting and soaps

[PTeppic]

Who makes Dr.Who and Torchwood?

Also, just because things are going to smaller houses, doesn't necessarily drop the standard - praise still seems to be coming in for many of the serial and one-off dramas still being screened, as highlighted in recent events such as the TV BAFTAs.

[Vladd67]

There is so much American dialogue on children's programmes these day I have to keep correcting my 3 year old and it's not as though she watches a great deal.

[Overread]

The hard part is that its in everything - gone are the days where only a strong british accent got in the news seat - so its hard for kids to draw a line between the two.

[Wiglaf]

Of course they don't have British accents, they are in Central Park in New York City in the U.S. . The question is why British television is producing the ____? And why they have to put Womba-ma-callits here? We have no such things here and have never heard of them. You can't blame us for this one. I don't think you lost your television; your television producers lost their minds.

[Wybren]

Its interesting this, because most of the shows Zach watches here are kids shows filmed in the UK. Bob the Builder, Rory the race car, Bill and Ben, Noddy, Thomas, Titch, Sali Mali etc... The only ones from the USA are Sesame St and Elmo. We get some Canadian Stuff and some Aussie stuff but it is mostly from the UK.

[Vladd67]

Wiglaf take a day off will you, it wasn't a real episode of the wombles it was an exaggeration to illustrate the point about most children programmes being imports from the States.

[Dave]

I think Michael Winner should have appeared there with a "Calm down, it's only an advert!"

But I don't think American English is the problem anyway, but rather a kind of babytalk goobledegook, such as that spoken in 'Tellytubbies', 'Fimbles' and 'In the Night Garden'.

[pyan]

"Tellytubbies" started in 1997 though, Dave...and I don't hear many 12-year-old kids walking around speaking like Tinky-Winky or La-La....

[Overread]

True pyan, but I have noticed that the older cartoons and shows gave kids the benefit of the doubt and treated them as semi intelligent creatures - most modern shows are dumping that in favour of an ever dimmer and simpler view.

[Wiglaf]

Originally Posted by Vladd67

Wiglaf take a day off will you, it wasn't a real episode of the wombles it was an exaggeration to illustrate the point about most children programmes being imports from the States.

I only made it through about 3 seconds actually; I couldn't take anymore.
What American imports do you have? We have an insane ammount of Canadian(requires looking at the credits to determine), Australian, and UK programs. U.S. programs are easiest to spot by the frequent insertion of Spanish which makes them unique.
While we may export our fair share, I think that some programs intentionally try to reduce national accents for marketing purposes. I also still think it is insanity for British TV to not make TV for the home market British. Virtually all "American" animation, with the exception of some computer animation, is actually produced in Japan. Yet, we still insert American voices. So if a program is produced in Canada (more likely since we don't produce most non-news shows for us here) why wouldn't British television specify a certain level of "Britishness" in the final product?
I believe the root cause is the overwheming size of the North American market; perhaps Australian and British television is trying to seem less Australian or British so that they can compete more effectively with the Canadians for the North American market particularly the U.S. as it is the largest portion and the Canadians should have a lock on their own market.

[The Ace]

Loved it. Mind you, Bill and Ben were banned in our house after my brother started talking like them.

[PTeppic]

Originally Posted by Wiglaf

I think that some programs intentionally try to reduce national accents for marketing purposes.

Apparently people of every nation who hear Pingu claim he's "speaking" their language, though he doesn't speak any.

[Wiglaf]

Originally Posted by PTeppic

Apparently people of every nation who hear Pingu claim he's "speaking" their language, though he doesn't speak any.

It seemed like jibberish to me, however, I forced myself to watch the whole thing and it seems to be a litany of terms. Are they supposedly late 80s U.S.?
You all could move here; more than 1% of our children's shows are from the UK.
I am now curious to know where children's shows do come from? If we don't make them and you supposedly don't make them, it would be interesting to find out who does.

What is a womble? They look like foxes in sheep suits.

[Vladd67]

Check this out for The Wombles