# Question re Brit show "Time Team": accents

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** documentary-bio\
**Created:** [March 27, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460 "2005-03-27T14:49:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460/1 "2005-03-27T14:49:03Z")

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_Time Team_ is shown in the U.S. on the History Channel as “History Explorer” or something like that. This series is hosted by Tony Robinson, and features weekly archaeological digs in locations in England. It’s an interesting show, and I catch it whenever I see that it’s on.

My question: one of the archaeologists, Phil Harding, has the darndest accent I ever heard. I’ve never heard anything approaching it, and I can’t place it at all. Does anyone here watch the show and can identify this accent?

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460/2 "2005-03-27T14:58:02Z")

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West Country - the far south-western chunk of England. (I can’t place it more precisely, and I can’t find any biographical information.) He’s famous enough for the accent to feature in at least one well-known impressionist’s repertoire.

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**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460/3 "2005-03-27T14:59:50Z")

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He’s from [Wiltshire](http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/press/farley_school_pr01.html).

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460/4 "2005-03-27T15:02:11Z")

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…aha, Wiltshire (according to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Harding)…)

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**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460/5 "2005-03-27T15:22:08Z")

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Professor Mick Aston. BA (Birmingham) FSA MIFA ( The one with the striped sweaters and all the white hair ) has a very pronounced Black Country accent.

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**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-brit-show-time-team-accents/296460/6 "2005-03-28T00:29:59Z")

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Thanks, everyone. mr. brown and I were leaning towards northern England, but I see we were way off. Very interesting.