# Picard - French or British?????? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354 "2004-09-14T02:51:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/1 "2004-09-14T02:51:31Z")
In Star Trek TNG, Captain Picard has a French name and yet he speaks with an English accent. Why can’t his character actually be French if he’s supposed to be from France? ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/2 "2004-09-14T03:14:10Z")
Oh, c’mon - it’s a “universal society!!” And, Sean Connery played King Arthur - surely it’s not less plausible, a French starship captain speaking with a British accent, than a British king speaking with a Scottish brogue?? ---
**Author:** ![violacrane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/3 "2004-09-14T03:17:06Z")
He speaks English with an English accent and French with a French one. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/4 "2004-09-14T03:27:25Z")
Faster than light travel, mind reading, aliens speaking English = plausible. French guy speaking with a English accent = WTF? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/5 "2004-09-14T03:48:46Z")
I recall Patrick Stewart being asked this very question on a talk show once, many years ago. He replied that Picard is French, and speaks impeccable English. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/6 "2004-09-14T04:01:51Z")
He had a British tutor teach him English. If his British accent bothers you, why don’t all the aliens’ American accents annoy you? A Klingon with an accent from a planet several light years distant seems a bit less plausible than a Frenchman speaking in an accent of a country only thirty miles off its coast. ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/7 "2004-09-14T04:29:17Z")
This is simply my own rationalization of this… As far as Picard speaking with a British accent - I pretty much second what’s already been said. British tutor. Global society. As far as the American accents - I think the production can claim simplicity’s sake on that one. I believe the ‘reality’ of the Trek universe is that the aliens are all speaking their native tongue and what we hear is the translation courtesy of the UT. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/8 "2004-09-14T05:50:22Z")
I don’t think Jean-Luc had a tutor in his home, because his brother Robert speaks English with a French accent. I think Jean-Luc went to some prestigious school in England, maybe a Junior Starfleet program of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/9 "2004-09-14T05:54:54Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > In Star Trek TNG, Captain Picard has a French name and yet he speaks with an English accent. Why can’t his character actually be French if he’s supposed to be from France? According to past SDMB threads about this, the ‘real-life’ answer is that they decided the Patrick Stewart’s French accent was bad or distracting or some such. The character is definitely French; the script says so and he visits his family’s home in France at least once. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/10 "2004-09-14T07:38:20Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > According to past SDMB threads about this, the ‘real-life’ answer is that they decided the Patrick Stewart’s French accent was bad or distracting or some such. The character is definitely French; the script says so and he visits his family’s home in France at least once. Wow, really? I heard that they wrote the part to be a Frenchman, but they really liked Stewart, and simply didn’t want to rewrite the character. I hadn’t heard that he ever actually attempted to play it with a French accent. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/11 "2004-09-14T07:40:53Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Wow, really? I heard that they wrote the part to be a Frenchman, but they really liked Stewart, and simply didn’t want to rewrite the character. I hadn’t heard that he ever actually attempted to play it with a French accent. I’d have to search around here to find the thread. Actually, since I know it won’t crash in 45 minutes, that might not be so tough. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/12 "2004-09-14T07:41:40Z")
That is what happened. They intended the character to be French all along but one of the producers, I can’t remember which, saw a Stewart stage performance and fell in love with him and gave him the role despite the obvious British accent which, as far as I know, they never tried to mask. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/13 "2004-09-14T07:42:52Z")
Y’know what would’ve been great? If he played it with an Inspector Clouseau accent: “I will be in my ready rheeum.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/14 "2004-09-14T07:48:16Z")
[Here’s one post to that effect, there may be others.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5130278&postcount=80) > [@GuanoLad](#): > > He did an interview with Michael Parkinson earlier this year, and actually said that at first he tried a French accent, like they were planning, but it just wasn’t working for the character, so they canned it. I don’t think that’s Patrick Stewart’s fault (though why they didn’t rename his character to Captain John Packard I don’t know). **Aesiron** ’s explanation also makes sense. I can tell you it would’ve happened that way if I was an ST producer, too. > [@blower](#): > > Y’know what would’ve been great? If he played it with an Inspector Clouseau accent: “I will be in my ready rheeum.” That would’ve been spectacular. “Wat are yeu deuing here, Kyuu? I em trying to inspect ze poole!” ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/15 "2004-09-14T07:50:54Z")
> [@Robert Justman](#): > > [Patrick Stewart] came out with the lady and they were – proceeded to do some Shakespeare. And he read his first line and I went crazy. I turned to my wife I said I think I’ve found our new captain. > **[BBC Two - Star Trek](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9j6)** > > Classic science fiction series following the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise ---
**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 14, 2004, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/16 "2004-09-14T07:54:09Z")
I stand by my theory that Picard has been speaking French all along, and we only hear it as English due to the Universal Translator (which he reprogrammed to give him a British accent). ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/17 "2004-09-14T07:57:04Z")
That doesn’t work because there were times in the show where he would utter a French phrase that was not translated for us. Merde, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/18 "2004-09-14T08:02:14Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > That doesn’t work because there were times in the show where he would utter a French phrase that was not translated for us. Merde, for example. A Wizard did it. ---
**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 14, 2004, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/19 "2004-09-14T08:15:18Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > That doesn’t work because there were times in the show where he would utter a French phrase that was not translated for us. Merde, for example. The UT programming does not accept four letter words. Haven’t you noticed? Do you really think all those Klingons aren’t actually cursing their mouths off? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354/20 "2004-09-14T08:24:37Z")
> [@DirkGntly](#): > > Oh, c’mon - it’s a “universal society!!” And, Sean Connery played King Arthur - surely it’s not less plausible, a French starship captain speaking with a British accent, than a British king speaking with a Scottish brogue?? [obligatory nitpick]Scotland is part of Britain. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picard-french-or-british/264354.md?page=2)