Midsomer Murders producer suspended over race row

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12741847

The producer of ITV1's Midsomer Murders has been suspended after saying the drama "wouldn't work" if there was racial diversity in the show.
Brian True-May, who co-created the series, told the Radio Times the long-running drama was a "last bastion of Englishness" and should stay that way.
Production company All3Media told the BBC Mr True-May had been suspended pending an internal investigation.
ITV said it was "shocked and appalled" by the producer's comments.

I think it is a storm in a tea cup situation myself..It's not an urban drama,and many English villages are barely multicultural in reality.
I'm also against tokenism in drama unless it's actually necessary to the plot and that an actor should get a part because he/she is a good actor not because of race.

What do you think?

[Sparkle]

Typical PC twaddle.
I'm sure most people would agree with the producers comments.

I've never really watched Midsomer Murders, but in my early youth I did watch "All Creatures Great and Small" and I don't think I'd have taken it too seriously if it were ethnically diverse, so to speak. Not due to intolerance, but because it would've been a load of PC bollox with little (if any) bearing on actual reality.

[BenMcr]

Thing I find amusing about this, is no-one gave too hoots over the 'lack' of ethnic minorities in the programme for the last 14 years

Then this person goes and puts his foot in his mouth and it's suddenly an 'outrage'

Sleepy English villages are not known for their non-White faces, let's be honest about this. I find it telling that the only argument raised against the 'whiteness' of Midsomer is the level of ethnic minority representation in the population generally, which very neatly (and I suspect deliberately) misses the point ... Ethnic minorities are more represented in some locations than others. Tv drama should not be obliged to fulfil some sort of patronising quota at the expense of realism.

The show's producer appears to have been made an example of for saying the unsayable, rather than for making a racist TV show for the last 14 years (which is clearly not what he was doing anyway).

Of course they are offensive and ridiculously absurd comments to make.

I think it's misleading to make this an issue of his program not having ethnically diverse characters, I don't think anyone has complained at their absence, but it's a curious policy to dismiss the suggestion altogether in the way he did. He suggested that the audience would have a problem with it: "I'm trying to make something that appeals to a certain audience, which seems to succeed. And I don't want to change it.".

The worst passage was were he inferred that the program was the last bastion of Englishness as a reason for not adding multi-ethnic characters. This clings in an old-fashioned and frankly racist view that being English means being white.

Nobody is saying that black people don't live in villages Damien. But the fact that far fewer of them do means that it is perfectly possible to make a show set in a village, not feature any non-White faces, and not be racist.

As usual, it seems the only problem here is that the hand-wringing set has found itself another Cause.

Originally Posted by Chris

Nobody is saying that black people don't live in villages Damien. But the fact that far fewer of them do means that it is perfectly possible to make a show set in a village, not feature any non-White faces, and not be racist.

No one is calling the show racist. The reaction has been to his comments where he referred to it as the 'last bastion of Englishness' and that the show wouldn't work with a black character.

It's hard to see why it wouldn't work nor why it would prevent it's 'Englishness'. I am guessing that he thinks his audience would not accept it given his comments about a 'certain audience'.

[Gary L]

I think if it was putting say a black person in there just for the sake of it is wrong. it's like he said. maybe he isn't politically correct.

and if real villagers watch the show, then they are funny people anyway

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Damien

Of course they are offensive and ridiculously absurd comments to make.

and why is that, please tell me what is so "offensive" about those comments.

they are the truth.

I live in a country village, and there is not one other black or brown face other than.....the stereotypical corner shop owner, who is Indian - I think.

I think it's misleading to make this an issue of his program not having ethnically diverse characters, I don't think anyone has complained at their absence, but it's a curious policy to dismiss the suggestion altogether in the way he did. He suggested that the audience would have a problem with it: "I'm trying to make something that appeals to a certain audience, which seems to succeed. And I don't want to change it.".

You can draw what conclusions you wish, I can see the road you wish to go down.

On the other he might just have been referring to an audience that like the biscuit tin version of the sleepy quint essential english village life.

The worst passage was were he inferred that the program was the last bastion of Englishness as a reason for not adding multi-ethnic characters. This clings in an old-fashioned and frankly racist view that being English means being white.

No it's not, again draw whatever twisted, chip on the shoulder, view you want.

Last time I drove through the villages of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire I didn't see to many mosques.

---------- Post added at 15:38 ---------- Previous post was at 15:36 ----------

Originally Posted by Damien

No one is calling the show racist. The reaction has been to his comments where he referred to it as the 'last bastion of Englishness' and that the show wouldn't work with a black character.

It's hard to see why it wouldn't work nor why it would prevent it's 'Englishness'. I am guessing that he thinks his audience would not accept it given his comments about a 'certain audience'.

If you want to find "racism", look hard enough and I'm sue you'll find it every where and every time you try.

Knock yourself out.

Originally Posted by Pierre

and why is that, please tell me what is so "offensive" about those comments.

I already did:

Originally Posted by Damien

The worst passage was were he inferred that the program was the last bastion of Englishness as a reason for not adding multi-ethnic characters. This clings in an old-fashioned and frankly racist view that being English means being white.

Originally Posted by Pierre

No it's not, again draw whatever twisted, chip on the shoulder, view you want.

Well I need to see the entire transcript but the articles allege that he is feels it is inappropriate for there to be multi-ethnic characters in the show because it's the 'last bastion of Englishness' as well as it's not common to see multi-ethnic village communities.

While I don't have an issue with the argument that such villages are not common I do have an issue that those villages would somehow not be English. That it would somehow undermine his perception of the show as 'last bastion of Englishness'.

Unless he was misquoted I can't see how you can draw any other conclusion that he meant anything else.

As for the 'chip on my shoulder' I think that is unfair. I am simply expressing a view you disagree with. Would rather you debate that view and the points I raise instead of raising assertions about me which, I believe, are untrue. Your post comes across a lot more aggressive than mine did after all.

Last time I drove through the villages of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire I didn't see to many mosques.

Not everyone who isn't white is a Muslim. Muslims in villages would be much less common than, say, Black Britons.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Damien

Well I need to see the entire transcript but the articles allege that he is feels it is inappropriate for there to be multi-ethnic characters in the show because it's the 'last bastion of Englishness' as well as it's not common to see multi-ethnic village communities.

While I don't have an issue with the argument that such villages are not common I do have an issue that those villages would somehow not be English.

You're drawing that conclusion for yourself, you have no idea what he really meant.

He may be referring to, as mentioned earlier, the picture postcard/biscuit tin version of an English village. Cricket on the village green, tea and sandwiches.

To much of the world that is the image conjured up when you mention English village, all he is doing is manufacturing that last bastion of Englishness.

Unless he was misquoted I can't see how you can draw any other conclusion than he meant anything else.

Well I've just drawn another conclusion from it.

As for the 'chip on my shoulder' I think that is unfair. I am simply expressing a view you disagree with. Would rather you debate that view and the points I raise instead of raising assertions about me which, I believe, are untrue. Your post comes across a lot more aggressive than mine did after all.

I say that because you are starting your assumptions from the position of he's racist because of either your background or beliefs, I don't think you are starting from an objective position

Not everyone who isn't white is a Muslim. Muslims in villages would be much less common than, say, Black Britons.

I don't know the percentages but as I recall ethnic minorities are still very much the minority in this country.

Given that most minoritieslive in cities, and in some areas they are actually the majority, I can safely assume that as you move out of the city and into the villages the minority is extremely minor - to non-existent.

I live in West Yorkshire nr Halifax. Halifax has a very large ethnic community, as soon as you come out of town where those communities are, and it into the surrounding villages, you don't see hardly any black or brown faces.

Just a fact, nothing else.

I actually think Damien is correct ,the setting may be in a English village but it isn't set 40-50 yrs ago like Heartbeat or The Darling Buds of May ,it is set in a modern English village so including some well off Black Britains would be realistic imo .i don't think Brian True-May was being deliberately racist just naive and out of touch with reality,and catering for the whims of a certain demographic of society who wouldn't accept ethnic actors being cast in the program says a lot about him and the group he is catering to

---------- Post added at 16:16 ---------- Previous post was at 16:10 ----------

Originally Posted by Pierre

You're drawing that conclusion for yourself, you have no idea what he really meant.

He may be referring to, as mentioned earlier, the picture postcard/biscuit tin version of an English village. Cricket on the village green, tea and sandwiches.

To much of the world that is the image conjured up when you mention English village, all he is doing is manufacturing that last bastion of Englishness.



Well I've just drawn another conclusion from it.



I say that because you are starting your assumptions from the position of he's racist because of either your background or beliefs, I don't think you are starting from an objective position


I don't know the percentages but as I recall ethnic minorities are still very much the minority in this country.

Given that most minoritieslive in cities, and in some areas they are actually the majority, I can safely assume that as you move out of the city and into the villages the minority is extremely minor - to non-existent.

I live in West Yorkshire nr Halifax. Halifax has a very large ethnic community, as soon as you come out of town where those communities are, and it into the surrounding villages, you don't see hardly any black or brown faces.

Just a fact, nothing else.

I think you're making the mistake of comparing the show to reality ,it is fiction ,so in that vein some fictional black characters living in a English village will be just as realistic as the 225 murders that have happened there

Originally Posted by Pierre

You're drawing that conclusion for yourself, you have no idea what he really meant.

Well of course I don't. No one does. Since we're discussing what he actually said then that is my impression of what he meant given the content of what he said. I never truly know what someone is thinking, I have to judge by their words and actions.

Originally Posted by Pierre

He may be referring to, as mentioned earlier, the picture postcard/biscuit tin version of an English village. Cricket on the village green, tea and sandwiches.

To much of the world that is the image conjured up when you mention English village, all he is doing is manufacturing that last bastion of Englishness.

But adding a black character doesn't detract from it's Englishness, which is what he implies. I am suggesting that such a statement, presuming he wasn't misquoted, is racist. Why? Because it would mean that they are somehow less British.

I say that because you are starting your assumptions from the position of he's racist because of either your background or beliefs, I don't think you are starting from an objective position

You have no idea about my background or beliefs. That said all of us are influenced by our beliefs, including you, and as such none of us are truly 'objective'. However that doesn't mean we have a chip on our shoulder or that our views are less valid.

Given that most minoritieslive in cities, and in some areas they are actually the majority, I can safely assume that as you move out of the city and into the villages the minority is extremely minor - to non-existent.

They live in cities for a multiple of reasons. Wealth, Recent Immigration, to be near to existing communities. However there are plenty of Black British Britions who are wealthy and have never immigrated to this country. They would be in the same social-economic group as those White people who live in villages.

Just a fact, nothing else.

And I am not disputing that it is a fact white people make up the majority of the rural population. I am disputing the idea that other ethnicities would detract from the Englishness of a village.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by martyh

I think you're making the mistake of comparing the show to reality ,it is fiction

Couldn't have said it better myself.

To fully quote the producer, from the OP link....

Mr True-May told the magazine: "We are a cosmopolitan society in this country, but if you watch Midsomer you wouldn't think so.

"I've never been picked up on that, but quite honestly I wouldn't want to change it," he said.

Of his all-white portrayal of rural life in Britain's murder capital he said: "Maybe I'm not politically correct."

The programme - which has run for 14 series - appealed to a "certain audience", he said.

Mr True-May added: "We just don't have ethnic minorities involved. Because it wouldn't be the English village with them. It just wouldn't work."

Asked why "Englishness" could not include other races who are well represented in modern society, he said: "Well, it should do, and maybe I'm not politically correct.

"I'm trying to make something that appeals to a certain audience, which seems to succeed. And I don't want to change it."