19 tropes that film and TV get wrong about the UK
Someone named u/TakeOffYourMask took to u/AskUK with a question.
What tropes/aspects of UK life and culture depicted in British tv and film don’t actually exist?
They added –
Do old people really obsess over allotments? Does every idyllic village hold raffles to repair a church roof? Do places outside of London and the Midlands really not exist?
In answer to those examples – yes, mostly and ‘What’s the Midlands?’
Kidding.
These were the most credible responses.
1.
Octobod
Via
2.
The biggest trope I know of in British TV (but probably not exclusive to ours) is the one where people with jobs are just able to go about during the day and do random personal activities without losing their job or are least getting told off for skiving off work.
Trick-comedian-9174
3.
Moonrakernw
Via
4.
Depictions of the school run are very civilised in comparison to the actual chaos of mad driving/parking/pedestrian behaviour.
Florae128
5.
People using those toast racks. Like they’re always in TV and films, but I don’t know anyone who even owns one in real life!
Adultangstisreal
6.
Teachers arriving at school at the same time as their pupils.
GreatDrams23
7.
Expanding-waistline
Via
8.
Cockney/posh are the only 2 accents we have. It’s not like every 10 miles the accent and word for bread changes, or anything.
Fredlar
9.
No-one has a real job like call-centre inbound complaints manager or SEND classroom assistant. They all have the kind of jobs kids think adults do like – doctor, shopkeeper, builder, policewoman.
theotherquantumjim
10.
We don’t all have a roast dinner every Sunday.
Surprise_pudding
11.
Everyone also seems to drive some quirky classic car that’s somehow in immaculate condition (unless they’re meant to be poor, then it has some superficial damage but is still mechanically pristine).
montague-withnail
12.
Big Ben and the London Eye aren’t visible from most of London.
Afinkawan
13.
The concept of the entire street/square/village making daily visits to the pub.
How the fuck are these people affording this?
The_Falling_Leaf
14.
Lofty345
Via
15.
Those scenes in gritty, Northern dramas where the main character stands on the beach, brooding and staring out to sea isn’t true to life.
I myself will brood pretty much anywhere.
ajtct98
16.
Picturesque spots or locations being nice quiet places where locals hang out. In real life they’re incredibly busy and touristy, highly commercialised and often require buying an entry ticket just to get in.
glaziben
17.
That no matter which part of Britain said program is supposedly depicting the traffic consists almost entirely of London style black cabs and buses interspersed with Rolls Royces.
Puzzled-Ad-8187
18.
I wanna see an episode of Casualty where the guy just sits in the waiting room for 16 hours.
2baked2curious
19.
Walking into a pub, ordering a pint, the bartender knowing which “pint” you want out of the minimum half dozen available.
TheSecretIsMarmite
BONUS
American PBS viewers don’t want to watch a show about a guy called Gary who lives in a Barratt estate.
The UK is a nation of eccentric sleuths who live in castles or converted windmills.
Cannaewulnaewidnae
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Source r/AskUK Image Screengrab