# Peaky Blinders, subtitles needed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594 "2019-09-20T23:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Teddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Teddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teddie)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/1 "2019-09-20T23:42:49Z")
As a Brit, who is Welsh, brought up on UK tv which consists of all the UK accents watching British tv is obviously not a problem with regards to strong UK accents. I remember in the 90’s many US friends had issues watching TrainSpotting due to the Scottish dialect. Another great film Twin Town my mates abroad used subtitles as it was heavy on the Welsh dialect. Peaky Blinders has a strong Birmingham (Brummie) accent throughout. Is it heavy going on the US ear? ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/2 "2019-09-20T23:53:29Z")
I watched it with subtitles/close captioning. I’m a fan of British tv and subscribe to Acorn, a streaming service of UK shows. I watch everything with the close captioning on. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/3 "2019-09-21T00:36:04Z")
I studied at Selly Oak for a year so that helped, but I don’t think most Americans have an issue. My mom can’t understand it, but she has trouble with most accents. The Brummie isn’t any more challenging for most Americans than say Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Brad Pitt’s Mickey in Snatch was supposed to be difficult for everyone but I think even there we generally get it. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/4 "2019-09-21T02:54:41Z")
I understand it just fine unless they speak in Romani. ---
**Author:** ![Stowed\_Bob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stowed_bob/32/3312_2.png) [@Stowed\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stowed_Bob)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/5 "2019-09-22T00:04:37Z")
I watched all those shows without subtitles, but that doesn’t mean I was able to follow everything they said. My main problem with subtitles is that I get tunnel vision with the words and miss everything being acted out, so I’ll accept being confused over missing out on what the camera’s gazing at. > [@Teddie](#): > > Another great film Twin Town my mates abroad used subtitles as it was heavy on the Welsh dialect. I must object to Twin Town being a great movie. It was an endless parade of maliciousness from the Twins without any comeuppance. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/6 "2019-09-22T08:52:51Z")
I almost always have the cc on regardless, but if I hadn’t, I’d have turned it on for this. I wouldn’t have missed following the show without it, but there were times when I went back to check a specific word or phrase. Might have been more due to John’s mumbling or Arthur’s mysteriously stronger accent. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/7 "2019-09-22T10:00:09Z")
Hell, I can’t even watch\* Bake-Off\* without subtitles because of some of the accents. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/8 "2019-09-22T14:48:33Z")
I haven’t watched it but I’m sure I would need cc. I needed it for Ripper Street. The accents weren’t tough but the combination of accent and the attempt at old speech patterns made it difficult for my brain to keep up with it. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/9 "2019-09-22T23:06:03Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Hell, I can’t even watch\* Bake-Off\* without subtitles because of some of the accents. Ha! Us, too. And English people mumble. At lot. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/10 "2019-09-23T00:26:17Z")
As an American I’m almost embarrassed by how quick they are to put up subtitles on the news if someone is speaking excellent English with an accent. But I am thrown at times by a UK show when they use words or phrases I don’t know. I just have to let it pass by and hope it wasn’t something important. Peaky Blinders? Is that a name? An insult? An eye disease? A window treatment? A penalty given during a cricket match? All of the above? ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/11 "2019-09-23T02:03:59Z")
I (Bostonian Yankee) need subtitles turned on for _Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope_, from Ireland, with love but without mercy to the outlanders. There was a Ken Loach film, I think it was _Sweet Sixteen_ that had in-theatre subs in Britain and America. We may not always agree on things, but nobody understands the Scots. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/12 "2019-09-23T12:14:02Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > As an American I’m almost embarrassed by how quick they are to put up subtitles on the news if someone is speaking excellent English with an accent. > > But I am thrown at times by a UK show when they use words or phrases I don’t know. I just have to let it pass by and hope it wasn’t something important. > Peaky Blinders? Is that a name? An insult? An eye disease? A window treatment? A penalty given during a cricket match? All of the above? No one knew what ‘Peaky Blinders’ was until the TV show came out. Turns out it was the name of a real Birmingham-based criminal gang in the late 19th century, but they were hardly famous. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/13 "2019-09-23T12:18:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Hell, I can’t even watch\* Bake-Off\* without subtitles because of some of the accents. I used to be good with British accents, but I’ve started having to use CC when watching Doctor Who. It’s frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/14 "2019-09-23T12:19:34Z")
> [@Teddie](#): > > Peaky Blinders has a strong Birmingham (Brummie) accent throughout. Is it heavy going on the US ear? I’d disagree with this. I’ve lived in and around Birmingham for 25 years. Nobody from Birmingham speaks this way. They are speaking like actors think Birmingham accents sound like. Usually based on a comedy character by Timothy Spall from the 80s. And often all over the place. I’d say term it “Comedy actor Birmingham accents”. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/15 "2019-09-23T17:17:37Z")
I watch everything with subtitles if I can help it. They don’t detract any for me; reading doesn’t require any real effort. I’d say the accents in Peaky Blinders are all easy to understand **except** the scenes involving Tom Hardy’s character. Often a great actor, but his accenting in multiple roles is often hard. He’s still not too hard though ([spoiler free scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDwoUFbZalw)). ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peaky-blinders-subtitles-needed/840594/16 "2019-09-25T17:39:48Z")
Everyone I know who’s watched Peaky Blinders needed to have subtitles on to understand them. I’m in Texas. I wish there was a subtitle option that was like how they do for foreign movies, and just show you the words, and not assume that you’re deaf and can’t hear anything. I find it distracting when the subtitles say “[Dogs barking in distance]” or “[Spooky music begins playing]” or “[Door creaking]”. Just give me the words. Sure, have an option for all the sounds for deaf people, but also have a separate choice for those of us who just want to check on words. Also, I saw an option somewhere, can’t recall where, that would show subtitles only when you hit the button to back up 10 seconds. That’s a good idea.