Original version

BBC Four

BBC 4

Joan Washington

Alexandra Briscoe

How the Edwardians Spoke

Documentaries

Factual: History

BBC Four logo

06/05/2007

BBC Four - How the Edwardians Spoke

Documentary revealing the accents and dialects of ordinary Edwardians.

Documentary which uses the discovery of hundreds of recently-discovered sound recordings of British WW1 PoWs in Germany to reveal the accents and dialects of ordinary Edwardians.

Our understanding of Edwardian Britain is dominated by images from flickering footage and formal family portraits. But a remarkable discovery has been made which for the first time gives voice to the Edwardians. Hundreds of recordings have come to light which reveal the accents and dialects of British Prisoners of War held in German camps and recorded during World War One. This archive presents a unique glimpse into the way ordinary men spoke at the time.

Joan Washington, a voice coach and expert in British accents, sets out to tell the story of these recordings and piece together how the Edwardians spoke. She returns to the hometowns of some of the prisoners to meet their families and play them the recordings. Listening with an expert ear to the differences between the voices of the prisoners and their families, Joan explores how far all our accents have changed over the century.

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

How the Edwardians Spoke

Contributors

Genres

Formats

BBC Four

About BBC Four