For many British viewers, the distinctly Northern feel to Sunday night's Doctor Who ("Eat my salad, 'alloween!") was a welcome revelation.

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But it seems that some watching elsewhere struggled to understand the Yorkshire accents in the series opener, which was set in Sheffield and starred Jodie Whittaker in the title role, speaking in her native twang.

The warning signs were there when American subtitlers recently struggled to decipher Whittaker's accent during her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and misspelt her home town Huddersfield.

And on Sunday, some viewers tuning in to watch the Thirteenth Doctor were forced to resort to the subtitles.

"I haven’t watched British television in a while so I had to turn the subtitles on," one viewer joked on Twitter.

"Loved the show, but my American hubby kept asking me what she was saying," another viewer noted. "Guess we'll be adding in the subtitles."

But for some Yorkshire residents, the strong accents were a point of pride.

Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on Sunday 14 October at 6:55pm

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This article was originally published on 8 October 2018

Authors

Flora CarrDrama Writer, RadioTimes.com
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