BS: Deadwood Irish character

Subject: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 07:08 PM

I'm watching an American TV show called Deadwood, in the hopes of hearing a bit of oul' bluegrass or something (nothing but mouthwash language so far), and there's an "Irish" character with the weirdest accent I've ever heard. Anyone know who he is and what he's meant to be? First episode, I think.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 07:31 PM

Ah, solved it. The character seems to have been played by a Kentuckian, probably due to the well known shortage of good Irish actors, and he obviously didn't want to deprive any one part of Ireland (and even parts of England) of a chance at having its accent featured, so he generously used them all in turn.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: Cluin
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 09:51 PM

The only actor able to pull off that last particular trick (with any REAL knowledge) I've heard is Niall Toibin.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: The Shambles
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 02:05 AM

From my experience of visiting Deadwood - everyone was playing a part - so the producers did not really have to look too far.

When we arrived (very tired) at our hotel and before we could freshen-up - we had to watch a show laid on for us in the lobby where a large local lady dressed-up as Calamity Jane abused her poor partner with a 'bullwhip'. The whole place was a bit like a walk through a film set.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 05:07 AM

Have our American friends seen this series already? The hanging in the first ten minutes put me off somewhat.

I can see that its well written but hanging seems to hold a particular revulsion for me. Is there a lot more of that sort of scene?

who did the music?

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 05:24 AM

Damn! I intended watching that last Tuesday and forgot:-( I will try and catch the second tonight. Anyone want to fill me in on what happened in the first?

I am going to find it strange watching Ian McShane without thinking of antiques though...

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: Stu
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 06:34 AM

The accent put me right off. We laughed out loud - funniest thing we'd heard for ages. What happened at the audition? Didn't someone have the guts to tell them it was not an accurate accent?

If McShane's accent sounds as risible to the Americans as the Irish chap was to us in the Isles, it's a wonder anyone is still watching it.

Costumes are good though.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 06:56 AM

It seems very strange the way so many American actors find it impossible to learn how to do authentic accents. Though maybe its not their fault - perhaps they have to adjust their accents to fit some preconception of what audiences want. (The way that in "Frasier" they apparently imposed that weird "Manchester" accent on the actress playing Daphne, even thogh she's perfectly capable of doing a genuine Manchester accent).

Why would anyone expect to get bluegrass music in a drama set in the 1870s?

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 11:21 AM

Was bluegrass not in existence in the 1870s? Didn't know that.

I won't be watching it. It's too lilywhite - all the characters are white, as far as I've seen - and yes, I know lots of men wore moustaches then, but it's like Iraq in this series! The story is dull and slow, the script has tooth-on-edging historical inaccuracies in phrasing, the dull brown lighting so typical of American TV is a cliché, and there are few and stereotyped female characters. The whole thing reminds me of the games we used to have as children, making up cowboy stories as we went along and acting them out - no real sense of people in a gold rush staking their claims and working them, no sense of *real life*.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: GUEST,Ard Mhacha
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 02:04 PM

Renee Zellweger in "Bridget Jones" had the middle-class English accent off to perfection, I seen the film on TV not having heard of Renee Zellweger and I thought she was English, she was absolutely superb in the part.

Subject: RE: BS: Deadwood Irish character
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 03:25 PM

Renee Zellweger, I grant you. I suspect it's not that the actors can't do it, but that they aren't allowed to, by directors who think they know what American audiences will accept in the way of accents.