Poldark : Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September


Poldark fans complain about Captain McNeil's 'abysmal' Scottish accent By Rupert Hawksley on 20 September 2016 at 9:37AM for www.telegraph.co.uk

Aidan Turner will no doubt be relieved to discover that fans of BBC One drama Poldark have found something other than his muscles to worry about.

Following Sunday night's episode, some viewers have been complaining about the "excruciating" Scottish accent of Bristol-born actor Henry Garrett. The 35-year-old plays Captain McNeil, a Scottish soldier who served in the American War of Independence alongside his friend Ross Poldark. Garrett, who has also had brief roles in Peaky Blinders and New Tricks, made a cameo appearance in Series One of the drama, but returned on Sunday night to accusations that his "comedy" Scottish accent was "abysmal".

Loose Women panelist Kaye Adams wrote on social media: "This is weird. I can't understand the Scottish accent on Poldark. I thought I was Scottish."

One viewer added: "The actor's attempt at a Scottish accent is beyond excruciating." And another simply asked: "What accent does Captain McNeil have?"

Fortunately for Turner, producers did not expect him to affect a Cornish accent for the series. "Poldark is a Cornish character," the 33-year-old said in a recent interview. "But the family was wealthy and well respected, and Ross would have gone to public school, so he probably wouldn’t have had a Cornish accent. “It made more sense not to have it. And I’m sure it made my life easier."

There was further bad news for Poldark fans this week when it emerged that ITV's Sunday night drama, Victoria, starring Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes, won the ratings war again, attracting 5.4 million viewers.

In comparison, only 4.9 million viewers tuned in to Poldark.



As a twelve year old, my mother's father and his parents came to live in the US from the western hills of Loch Lomond, Scotland. His accent was clear and distinct until he died at 75 and his hair still sandy red. Although McNeil has the correct color hair, I think his unlikely accent is from the northern highlands of Bristol.

Stranger things have happened. Surely. Possibly. One just never knows . . . .



A Checkered Life speaks of myriad diverse adventures being the rewards of endless curiosity.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Lol!

The Scottish accent is extremely difficult to reproduce if you're not from North of the Border. As someone from Brighton (South coast), I wouldn't attempt it. And there are so many variations. Glaswegian is impenetrable!





If there aren't any skeletons in a man's closet, there's probably a Bertha in his attic.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

SG, I remember being in a pub in Glasgow many years ago and we were all ordering lunch. The lovely waitress spoke to me, apparently she was asking me a question and had to repeat herself a few times because I couldn't understand a word. I recall someone translated for me, but she could have been speaking Outer Mongolian for all I knew 😁. During the same holiday, the chef at our hotel asked my sister how she wanted her eggs cooked - she thought he was asking if she wanted eggs so she kept saying "yes" and he kept asking how she wanted said eggs cooked 😂 In the end, I had to tell her what he was asking and she felt so embarrassed 😊.

We've since spent a lot of time in Scotland and our Scottish 'ears' must have improved because we've had no problems.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September


The Scottish accent is extremely difficult to reproduce if you're not from North of the Border.

Why couldn't they get a good Scottish actor for the role, then?

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September


Why couldn't they get a good Scottish actor for the role, then?

Two different Star Trek actors have portrayed the character of Montgomery Scott, an engineer from Scotland who is nicknamed Scotty and speaks with a Scottish accent, and neither of them was Scottish! (One Canadian, one English.)

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

True, Joseph!

Simon Pegg, in the Star Trek rebooted series has a closer connection in that his wife and her family are from Glasgow. In one interview that if his accent slips, his in-laws have a chat with him.

My mother's grandparents were from Glasgow also, and my grandfather was born there, however they move north to the hills west of Loch Lomond when he was a wee bairn, so his accent was more of that neighborhood from playing and going to school with the locals.

My mother and I lived with my grandfather and grandmother in Pennsylvania for my first 3.5 years. My father was in the military and we moved constantly after the war (II) was over, so until I was about 10ish, I thought that I was Scottish 1st, and American 2nd.





A Checkered Life speaks of myriad diverse adventures being the rewards of endless curiosity.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September


Two different Star Trek actors have portrayed the character of Montgomery Scott...and neither of them was Scottish!

I don't recall the older Scotty, but Simon Pegg does a decent job with his accent.

Usually I have no issues with the various accents of the UK. But I think casting director should pay more attention to this. They should have cast an actor who could do a passably good Scottish accent.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Hello, Helen!

James Doohan was the Canadian actor who played Scotty in all of the original Star Trek TV shows from 1966 - 1968, and then in all the the ST films with the original cast. As Chief Engineer, he never got "the girl" in any episode because he was married to the Enterprise, who was his Darlin' Lassie. He loved her Warp Core and all the other parts that kept her faithfully flying through the Alpha Quadrant.

Jimmy died in 2005. Most people thought that he was a genuine Scot from the highlands and loved him very much. He was certainly a sweetheart with the fans. Before he died, he shared the story of his final battle in WWII from which he almost did not return alive.

"The sea was rough," Doohan recalled of his landing on Juno Beach at Normandy on 6 June 1944, "D-Day".

"We were more afraid of drowning than (we were of) the Germans." The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs, the AP story continued. At 11:30 that night, Doohan -- a pilot and captain in the Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment -- was machine-gunned, taking six hits. One bullet blew off his middle right finger, four struck his leg and one hit him in the chest. A silver cigarette case stopped the bullet to the chest.






A Checkered Life speaks of myriad diverse adventures being the rewards of endless curiosity.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Are you kidding? Henry Garrett is gorgeous! And a really good actor. And to my ear, which is half-Scottish though all American, he sounds fine to me although sometimes I need subtitles to figure out what he's saying. But I thought he was a great choice. Besides, there isn't just one Scottish accent, is there? I mean some people are easier to understand than others. Isn't it true that even villages have their own accents? Who's to say his is wrong? He sounds cute to me.


"How was the war, sir?"
"As any war, ma'am, a waste of good men." (Poldark)

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

I feel badly for the poor actor.

As it is, sometimes I need the closed captioning just to make out what Jud and Prudie say, lol.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

I have it on for all of them, especially those Jud and Prudie, too. But I've heard Aidan slip a few times into his Irish accent.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

I didn't think it was all that bad. I mean, it was obvious to me that he wasn't really a Scot but I've heard worse. It wasn't bad enough to distract me from the story.

Unlike Tom Hardy's Welsh accent in "Locke." Dear Lord...

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Do you think that a poorly executed accent (English, Scots, Welch, or Irish) worse to hear if you are born in one of the UK countries?





A Checkered Life speaks of myriad diverse adventures being the rewards of endless curiosity.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

I'm more fussy with regional accent. I'm from the Black Country and its a hard accent to do as it usually comes out as a Brummie accent when an actor does it.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Hi, LittleSue.

Is Black Country in or outside of the Birmingham city limits. Some of areas of the UK have had a lot of screen time on TV so that people from other countries get to know the area. Some shows have mined an entire region, such at the Morse/Lewis/Endeavor series; we have seen and heard of most that Oxfordshire offers. It is the same with other programs, even out to the Shetland Islands.

Is Peaky Blinders the only show made about the Black Country / Birmingham region?





A Checkered Life speaks of myriad diverse adventures being the rewards of endless curiosity.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Oh, I love Shetland. Great program.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Hi, RM2002!

I also love the Shetland Mysteries on TV and have all of the books. DI Jimmy Perez is a truly fascinating detective. Emotionally, he is much more like a social worker. Douglas Henshall is excellent as Jimmy. Wow, talk about a surprise when he took his fiancee home to meet his family. It reminded me of a different, but similar situation in the DI Thomas Lynley series. Very different men; both so well written.

As a result of the TV series, Ann Cleeves had a beautiful book - mostly photos with great stories about the islands - published on October 22, 2015. After reading, I have wondered why the Shetlands belong to the UK when they celebrate and live a Nordic life style.

I was so enchanted by the Islands and how unique they were that I did a large painting of Whiteness Voe at twilight. Two other painting are in process. It is an unusual part of the UK, being part of Scotland, but off the coast of Norway.




A Checkered Life speaks of myriad diverse adventures being the rewards of endless curiosity.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Black Country not part of Birmingham, seperate areas, Black Country consists of the Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall boroughs. Think at the moment Peaky Blinders is the only show set around Birmimngham although Doctors, a day time soap is too.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

There's quite a lot of Brummies that I find waaayyy cool, such as the Black Sabbath "Gang" (Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, & Ozzy); and, a coupla Zepps (Robert Plant & Bonzo Bonham). If I'm ever fortunate to travel to the UK, Birmingham's definitely on my itinerary.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Robert Plant not a Brummie he a Black Country lad. Its an area just off Brum and must never get them mixed up, lol

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

My apologies; and Aston's (The Sabbs) NOT Birmingham, right? Good; I hope that I've corrected it all. Then, Birmingham has incorrectly placed its honours upon Dr. Anthony F. Iommi, Hon.Ph.D., University of Coventry.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Aston is under Birmingham, The Sabbath a 'Brummie' Band. You did very well for someone not in the Country to name where they come from.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

Plus, 'twoulda been bonnie nice, to see Henry wearing a kilt!

If ever a biopic were done about the legendary Naturalist, John Muir, Henry could be a decent prospect.

Re: Problems with McNeil's accent has been reported since September

I'm hoping he'll be back. I seem to remember he had a continuing role in Oldark, and I even seem to remember he wore a kilt at some point, but I could be wrong. It's been a lot of years.


"How was the war, sir?"
"As any war—a waste of good men." (Poldark)
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