Best S4C programmes for learners?

Welsh General / Questions
#61

I don’t watch a fantastic amount of S4C programmes to be honest (being more of a Radio Cymru person), but I’ve enjoyed the short series of programmes called “Dylan ar Daith”.

Dylan Iorwerth follows the footsteps of various 19th century Welsh travellers to various parts of the globe. I think there were 3 programmes in all, but one has expired. The 2 remaining ones should be around for a few weeks yet (as of 29/09/2017).

Subtitles available in Welsh and English. Sorry, UK only.

http://beta.s4c.cymru/clic/c_level2.shtml?programme_id=532330299

http://beta.s4c.cymru/clic/c_level2.shtml?programme_id=532330321

(Dylan also presents a discussion programme at 6pm on Mondays on Radio Cymru:

On a variety of topics: Welsh, national, and international).

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#62

I thought last week’s episode was the last in the series, but it seems there is one more (at least):

http://beta.s4c.cymru/clic/c_level2.shtml?programme_id=532330343

In Sardinia.

A treat for railway buffs (and others :slight_smile: ).

#63

I don’t think I have got around to mentioning Nigel Owens’ programme ‘Wyt Ti’n Gêm’. Funny and combines leg-pulling a celebrity and thanking someone who does something for the community. The programme moves around, so different areas are represented!

#64

Another person admired by many on the Forum is Ffion Dafis, Alwenna in R&R and also a star of the fictional version of the Senedd. she was in this week’s Nigel, Wyt Ti’ Gêm. Should be on iplayer, on line etc. Last in series!
Edit - Wrong, next week is last in series! @mikeellwood may be interested!

#65

There’s a new drama starting on S4C called Un Bore Llun next Sunday, with English subtitles.
Coming out in English next year I believe.

#66

I just watched the first episode of “Un Bore Mercher”. Luckily, it’s also available for people not in the UK via the international section of the S4C Clic webpage, and it has welsh and english subtitles. I watched the whole thing with welsh subtitles, and while I certainly didn’t understand every single word I was able to follow the story well enough. Short form verbs get their fair share of use, so if you’re unfamiliar with those you may be in for a rough ride.

People who know Y Gwyll will notice a few familiar faces, such as Mali Harries, Hannah Daniels and Aneirin Hughes, and people following the southern course will feel right at home.

Yn fy marn i (in my opinion) the pilot episode does a good job of building up enough “pull”, and I for one definitely want to see what’s going to happen next… Gawn ni weld (we will see)!

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Anyone want to discuss "Un Bore Mercher" (S4C)? - warning - might contain spoilers
#67

Thanks Hendrik. I had an idea there was another drama coming up, but I’d lost track of it, so thanks for the heads up.

2 people also from “Byw Celwydd” (Matthew Gravelle and Catherine Ayers), plus one other face only briefly seen.

Thought I caught a glimpse of “Iris” from “Rownd a Rownd”, but she was only on screen for a few seconds, and didn’t speak. Apart from that, non even a token Gog that I could hear for sure! Still, good for my wider education, no doubt. :slight_smile:

(unfortunately, Byw Celwydd was not shown internationally, I don’t think. Glad that this one is, and that it has Welsh subtitles. It looks very promising so far).

Oh, was Aneirin Hughes the dodgy police chief in Y Gwyll? Different hair style and smiled a lot, but could just about tell it was him. :slight_smile:

p.s. Do you, or does anyone, know where it’s filmed?

p.p.s ah, somewhere in Carmarthenshire, apparently:

http://www.s4c.cymru/en/drama/un-bore-mercher/

(and yet one more face from Byw Celwydd, on that page, I notice … :slight_smile: ).

p.p.p.s. fun fact I just read on Wikipedia:

[Matthew] Gravelle is married to Welsh actress Mali Harries. The couple have played each other’s on-screen spouse/partner in several TV shows.

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#68

The first series wasn’t, but the second one was. I’m really hoping the third one will be too. Really enjoyed it!

Looking forward to checking out “Un Bore Mercher”. Diolch for pointing it out, @Hendrik!

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#69

Addendum to this fun fact… According to an article on cymrufyw a few days ago, this was actually the first time they appeared as each other’s spouse:


There, Mali Harries is quoted

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#70

Un Bore Mercher was filmed in English as well as Welsh, like Y Gwyll. Little snippet in Dal Ati Bore Da on Sunday. They seem to be aiming for the BBC Four Saturday evening, foreign series slot again. Eve Myles, who was a star of Torchwood, among other things, learned Welsh for this series and to be able to join her husband in speaking Cymraeg to their children!

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#71

Oh that’s interesting. I still don’t understand why BBC Four can’t show the full-on Welsh version. It seems that BBC Four viewers can tolerate French, Flemish, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, etc, etc, but a bit of 100% proof Cymraeg and they’d get a fit of the vapours I suppose.

Still at least it’s some Cymraeg on a national BBC channel, and hopefully the actors get paid double! :slight_smile:

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#72

I can just see double pay!!! Of course if it takes twice as long… but they probably take much less than filming two different series would! I totally agree with your sentiments about Welsh being treated differently than other languages!

#73

A bit of news for anyone interested - back in the summer I did a programme on Hedd Wyn with Ifor ap Glyn. We did a Welsh version for S4C and an English version for BBC Wales, although we did manage to slide quite a bit of Welsh into the English version! (For those interested in cynghanedd, Ifor does a little bit of basic explanation in it too!)

Anyway, the BBC Wales version has been taken up by BBC network (i.e. ‘promoted’ from ‘regional’ to ‘national’ - don’t get me started on those terms! :wink: ) and is going to be shown on BBC4 this Sunday, so for those who may have missed it on BBCW in August, here’s the billing:

Hedd Wyn: The Lost War Poet
Sunday 12th, November, 8:00pm - 9:00pm

Documentary in which Ifor ap Glyn reassesses the life and work of Welsh poet Hedd Wyn on the centenary of his death. Ifor’s journey takes him from Trawsfynydd, where Hedd Wyn was born and raised, to Liverpool, where he was trained to fight, and then onwards to France and Belgium, where he was killed in action on 31 July 1917. In 2013, Hedd Wyn’s home at Yr Ysgwrn was sold by his nephew Gerald Williams to the Snowdonia National Park Authority. 88-year-old Gerald wanted to preserve Hedd Wyn’s legacy for future generations. In France and Belgium, Ifor retraces the poet’s final weeks, days and minutes, a period during which he finished his successful poem Yr Arwr (The Hero). Featuring fascinating first-hand accounts, interviews recorded during the 60s and 70s with family and friends, and contemporary archive material from World War I.

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#74

In August this year I had the opportunity to visit Yr Ysgwrn twice - once with my wife’s relatives who live near Trawsfynydd and once on a mystery visit organised while I was doing Cwrs Uwch at Nant Gwrtheyrn. There was still something new to appreciate on the second trip. I highly recommend a visit there for a genuine Welsh language experience. It’s become a place of pilgrimage for the Cymru Cymraeg and while English can be accommodated it’s a great place to have commentary and tours in Welsh as well as Welsh chats. The staff are all Welsh speaking and very encouraging. Gerald, Hedd Wyn’s nephew, welcomes visitors at the entrance to the farm house. We also attended the opening night concert at the National Eisteddfod, which was again a celebration of Hedd Wyn and featured a massed choir, orchestra and the popular band, Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog.

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#75

There’s a piece by Giles Fraser in the Graun on Hedd Wyn today, too: Hedd Wyn: the shepherd poet whose story shows the stupidity of war

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#76

I take it the Welsh version went out on S4C some time ago?

#77

Yes, it went out in September.

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#78

Wasn’t it August when the Eisteddfod was remembering the Black Chair? Or was it separate from all those programs, in which case I might have missed it?!! I know they showed the movie and I watched that. I thought I watched Ifor ap Glyn too, but I may be wrong! I’ll watch the English one too, to be sure!

#79

The English version went out on BBCW on Aug 5th and the Welsh version went out on S4C on Sept 6th.
I watched the movie too, but can’t remember which version of our programme it went out nearest to!

Edit, actually I can, because I remember it happened to go out on the birthday of a friend who was in the movie, and that was at the end of July.

#80

Just watched the 2nd episode. Developing nicely, I’d say.
And yet another actor from Byw Celwydd, namely Richard Elfyn, the wiley Prif Weinidog, this time playing a DCI, although only a small appearance so far.