why do american tv programmes only have English people with really posh accents?

Answer 1

Because they would have trouble understanding regional dialects. They have to use a more upper class accent as it is basic,flat and un-altered to a large degree. that's why programmes we watch that are from the U.S don't tend to feature Americans with too heavily accented actors-we would struggle to understand/follow a proper southern drawl or a thick New York accent.

Answer 2

Because they really truly think all English paopel speak like that.
Mr favourite gripe is why, when there are so many American actors, do they insist on making English actors speak with fake American accents (for example, Mark whatever...that appeared in The Full Monty is now in Still standing pretending to be American).

Answer 3

If you look at the TV news casts you will find many more British or Canadian news people on American TV news cast much more so than American, American TV personalities do not have a good grasp of the grammar and fail to present a sound story, the older American news persons such as Walter Cronkite and other there was no one to take their place.
they have surveys that state People from different states can tell where another American is from because of the slang or twang, they have unilaterally agreed that the Canadian or British voices are easier and more believable
As most singers and musicians British and Canadian have two to one on new bands . check the actors out mostly Canadian and British.

Answer 4

Because generally they can't understand local accents, and also they usually don't know where that person comes from.
The only non-posh English accent on US TV I know of is the woman in Frasier.

Answer 5

Of late, the BBC appears have gone for a combination of heavy regional accents and poor grammar so perhaps their former employees have obtained employment abroad.

Answer 6

They don't always, the cleaning lady in Frazier has a northern accent, even though they say something stupid like she comes from London or somewhere else not northern.

Answer 7

It's the same with TV programs in EVERY language. They pick a dialect that is most understandable to the majority of people, and that's what they stick with.

In the US, they speak with a California accent.

It's the same with the Spanish dialect they use in TV programs in Mexico (they use the Mexico City variety), in Japan (the Tokyo dialect), etc. You get the point.

Answer 8

Dead Like Me has a cheecky cockney chappie.
But normally yes, as they have a hard time with accents.
Strange when you think they have such a range of accents:

"You got a perty mouth, bwoy" for example

Answer 9

Dougray Scott's accent in Desperate Housewives is a terrible posh english accent. He is scottish and sounds soooo sexy with his own accent. Do americans realise that Scotland is a country in its own right? or are they ignorant of this fact?

Answer 10

What about Daphne in Frasier?