Midsomer Murders producer suspended over race row

Originally Posted by Hugh

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

Reading that quote i think that True May is talking about, for example,black gangs roaming the lanes commiting murder for drugs ,that would be ridiculous ,but why not a black barister doing his wife in for the insurance money or a muslim killing his brother so he can take control of the chain of 45 corner shops ...could happen

[downquark1]

Originally Posted by Chris

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).

I wonder normally agree, but sleepy English villages are also not know for high murder rates either.

[Sparkle]

This thread topic reminds me of that episode of Father Ted, when Father Ted gets branded a racist - I'd laugh if it weren't so serious.

Originally Posted by Sparkle

This thread topic reminds me of that episode of Father Ted, when Father Ted gets branded a racist - I'd laugh if it weren't so serious.

I know ,
people it's not real ,it's pretend ....corry on the other hand ..steriotypical asian with corner shop scruffy angry english man with a back street garage and as for eastenders where does one start

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by martyh

Reading that quote i think that True May is talking about, for example,black gangs roaming the lanes commiting murder for drugs ,that would be ridiculous ,but why not a black barister doing his wife in for the insurance money or a muslim killing his brother so he can take control of the chain of 45 corner shops ...could happen

Or a makeshift mosque where they go and discuss taking over the world

I think to just leave it as it is. there's nothing wrong with not being politically correct. infact it's a bonus to not be.

Originally Posted by Gary L

Or a makeshift mosque where they go and discuss taking over the world

I think to just leave it as it is. there's nothing wrong with not being politically correct. infact it's a bonus to not be.

does depend very much on the reasons for being non pc ,if it's just for the sake of common sense ok fine ,but if they are racialy motivated then not so fine

It's not about political correctness. It's quite simple:

There is no reason why there should be a ethnic minority character in Midsomer Murders. Yet there is no reason why there can't be.

Originally Posted by Damien

It's not about political correctness. It's quite simple:

There is no reason why there should be a ethnic minority character in Midsomer Murders. Yet there is no reason why there can't be.

quite right

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Damien

It's not about political correctness. It's quite simple:

There is no reason why there should be a ethnic minority character in Midsomer Murders. Yet there is no reason why there can't be.

But putting them in now would be false. we could accuse him of when he first started the show. he went out of his way to not include a non white because he's a racist.

he's not. it just went that way because it probably never crossed his mind about being PC and including them. and from choosing to cast them on purpose is no better than not in the first place. imho.

it's like literature with the council. they sometimes go out of their way to include on the front page an asian. and anything on the inside, a disabled person in a traditional wheelchair.

it's annoying in the way that these people are specially asked in what I imagine a "hello, you're different. can we take a picture of you so we can put you in our literature?"

how do they feel I wonder?

anyone read any good text story books lately?
(I don't mean the ones where they emphasise how big John is)
do they emphasise John being black. or is John just John?

[papa smurf]

i've got 54 midsomer murder dvd's
a politically incorrect gold mine- be worth a fortune one day

Originally Posted by Damien

It's not about political correctness. It's quite simple:

There is no reason why there should be a ethnic minority character in Midsomer Murders. Yet there is no reason why there can't be.

Sorry, but the race relations industry disagrees with you on that. This afternoon Judy Ling Wong, the UK Director of Black Environment Network, has told the BBC:

It's up to programmes like Midsomer Murders, she says, to be more responsible in using the power they have in shaping national identity.

(emphasis by me)

That's the bit that really gets my goat. To Wong, TV drama can't just be TV drama, but it should be using the 'power' it has over the audience to shape national identity. TV entertainment programmes are not there to do social engineering IMO, but it is clear that in her view, there should be a token ethnic minority presence in the fictional village of Midsomer, no matter how unrepresentative of a real Oxfordshire village that might make it, for the greater good of getting the crusty old rural racists that make up its audience more used to seeing black faces around the place.

instead of using white actors or ethnic actors ,why don't they just use actors

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by martyh

instead of using white actors or ethnic actors ,why don't they just use actors

Thespians .

Originally Posted by Chris

That's the bit that really gets my goat. To Wong, TV drama can't just be TV drama, but it should be using the 'power' it has over the audience to shape national identity. TV entertainment programmes are not there to do social engineering IMO, but it is clear that in her view, there should be a token ethnic minority presence in the fictional village of Midsomer, no matter how unrepresentative of a real Oxfordshire village that might make it, for the greater good of getting the crusty old rural racists that make up its audience more used to seeing black faces around the place.

I am not saying they should have a 'token ethnic minority'. No one is. I am saying that there is no reason why there cannot be a ethnic minority character in future. One who is there on merit.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Damien

I am not saying they should have a 'token ethnic minority'. No one is. I am saying that there is no reason why there cannot be a ethnic minority character in future. One who is there on merit.

if it aint broke don't fix it- i have 54 episodes and they were just fine imo.