Midsomer Murders race 'row'

[Hazell B]

Brian True-May, producer of ITV's Midsomer Murders, has been hauled over the coals for saying he's never thought about putting coloured actors in the show. He went on the say that he doesn't see the point in adding them in future as it's not, in his view, warranted.

I'm all for having a bit of everything, no matter what the colour, orientation or disability, in shows, but I still can't see what he's said wrong in this case. Midsomer Murders doesn't need to change. The target viewer, on average, probably hasn't even noticed a colour mix is missing (I hadn't). There isn't a colour mix living in my street, now I think about it .... so should I start a petition to get Rhoda and Brian at number 45 thrown out so a West African family can move in? Of course not! (Anyhow, I like Rhoda and Brian : )

Does it matter that no black faces appear in Midsomer? Does it matter what colour the Sex and the City women are? Should Channel 4 Racing start employing Columbian pundits?

I'm at the stage where seeing a trailer for some US show, even with the sound off I just know the black guy will be playing the President. That's fine, but adding coloured faces to Midsomer just for the sake of it now somebody has noticed strikes me as half way to being potty.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just off to brush up on my DJ skills before my Asian Network interview :

[MrJan]

I didn't really read into it but, as a country bumpkin, I can understand why there is no need for a black character (Devon is an unbelievably white county). All depends on what he said and how he said it, as I haven't paid attention I don't really want to comment further.

[billiaml]

I thought that silliness was mainly on this side of the pond! I suppose any argument by the show's producers that the racial mix on the show is roughly the same as the color mix in the real Devon County would fall on deaf ears, too.

[Daniel]

I think it's more about what he said that anything, personally I like Hazell doubt that many people noticed and I think it was obviously a question aimed at getting an answer which it did.....

[Dave B]

Hmm, because other than that the programme is just SO realistic....

[Eki]

I've noticed that in British TV shows there often are mixed-race couples but in American TV shows it's not so common and the couples are usually of the same race. Am I just imagining, or is my observation really true?

[BDunnell]

I didn't really read into it but, as a country bumpkin, I can understand why there is no need for a black character (Devon is an unbelievably white county). All depends on what he said and how he said it, as I haven't paid attention I don't really want to comment further.

The main thrust of what he said was thus:

"We just don't have ethnic minorities involved, because it wouldn't be the English village with them. It just wouldn't work."

Bit of a stupid way of putting it, in my opinion. I too am intrigued by the notion that somehow the inclusion of black characters would render it an unrealistic portrayal of the English village, whereas the high murder rate and appalling failure of the police to prevent this is somehow realistic. But I digress. This wouldn't have been an issue had he not mentioned it. Perhaps he wants a column in the Daily Mail.

[Daniel]

The main thrust of what he said was thus:

"We just don't have ethnic minorities involved, because it wouldn't be the English village with them. It just wouldn't work."

Bit of a stupid way of putting it, in my opinion. I too am intrigued by the notion that somehow the inclusion of black characters would render it an unrealistic portrayal of the English village, whereas the high murder rate and appalling failure of the police to prevent this is somehow realistic.

I agree, it was a dumb way of putting it and most probably it was the answer that the interviewer was fishing for......

[Brown, Jon Brow]

I think the British rural lifestyle is very inaccurately portrade on TV.


If they wanted to be more realistic then the village shop and post office would have closed down, as would the doctors. Also, half of the homes in the village would be empty during the winter.

[Daniel]

I think the British rural lifestyle is very inaccurately portrade on TV.


If they wanted to be more realistic then the village shop and post office would have closed down, as would the doctors. Also, half of the homes in the village would be empty during the winter.

Yes and the old people would be miserable gits like our nextdoor neighbours....