CanadaJimmy

If you really enjoy the sports and culture in the UK then I don't think it makes sense to leave. I never liked football (or really any sports for that matter) and I've never been a big TV person. The only UK TV show I ever really cared about was Top Gear, and that essentially ended in 2018. Though I do enjoy some UK comedies.

I can never tell when you're being serious or not, that must actually take effort rather than lack of engagement to remain so detached, lol.

Shard

What about American TV ?

dbd33

I haven't done it deliberately. I used to see Canadian sports and some news on TVs in pubs but covid has cut off that source. I only drive on weekends now and there's football on the BBC so I listen to that. I talk to people all day, it's work but of course people chat socially as well. They talk about dogs and cricket and the weather and Trump and their home countries and who is the greatest dancehall act of all time but nothing one would call culturally Canadian. Even when we went as a team to the ice hockey the non-work conversation was about cars and the merits of living in Bristol vs. Switzerland.

I expect if you live in Regina you get more Canadiana.

dbd33

I don't know enough about it to be able to differentiate. When I last had a TV, in the 1990s, we'd watch Jeopardy with Alex Trebek. I suppose that was both Canadian and American at once.

Shard

Do you not have a TV ? Not even for Netflix ?

BristolUK

This is a bit like 'working from home' - not only does one not need to live where the work is, one doesn't even need to live where the virtual life/sports is taking place.
On Saturday, back in England, I'd be sitting down to watch the 6N rugby on a cold winter's day on the TV and tomorrow I shall be sitting down to watch the 6N rugby on a cold winter's day on TV. Due to the staggered kick off times these days at least part of a match is on at the same as it was 20 years ago.

I always gave priority to movies over TV but things have changed. TV is the new movies.

dbd33

No, I guess I last had a TV maybe 20 years ago. More recently than a wired phone or an 8 track but not recently. TV is crap in Canada, it's all adverts.

I guess when the kids were in school it was important not to have one, they needed to study, to beat the Asian kids. Once they grew up, the idea of TV had passed. It's like smoking, if you start as a kid it seems normal. if you step away, it seems weird.

Shard

I've had periods sans TV but lately I'm quite enjoying having one as the picture quality is just so good (and not even an expensive TV). I agree that there's very little in terms of programming on, but there's often good films and plenty of "live" music performances on YouTube. I suppose you can watch such content on your laptop if need be or are you heading full Mennonite.

Tirytory

See in Wales, the rugby was such a big event, we would either be at a game or out in the pub watching it with friends. When it was the Wales v England game (wife v husband) my parents would have the kids overnight.

Today the Wales v Ireland game is on at 9.30am and I’m going to ignore all social media until such time as hockey/chores are done and I can settle down to watch it, which will clash apparently with the English game that is on live at a respectable time🙄..

The kids love it though, other sports leave me cold (well Swimming has grown on me) but rugby has heart or hwyl I think.

old.sparkles

Not Wales / Ireland but previous Wales / England game

Souvy

Try watching Quebec TV. The adverts are the best bits.

Docterror

Tirytory What did you finally end up doing? Did you go back to UK?

brits1

I personally do not agree with this comment, I have visited and lived in places I have been away from for long periods of time and never really noticed much difference, maybe more traffic more building (most countries) but really nothing that I noticed really had changed and if it something had changed than after a while I did not really notice, we also use to visit the uk for long periods and yes at first we were the centre of attention so to speak but in the back of everyone’s minds we were not there to stay so you could not really blame everyone for getting on with their own lives.