Midsomer Murders embroiled in race row

It's no secret that you don’t see many black or Asian faces on Midsomer Murders.
But a row has blown up after the co-creator of the series revealed the reason why - he deliberately keeps ethnic minority characters out of storylines.

Brian True-May, the ITV drama’s executive producer, found himself suspended after he said he did not use black or Asian people in the series because 'it wouldn’t be an English village with them'.

He described Midsomer Murders as the 'last bastion of Englishness' which relied on an 'English genteel eccentricity', claiming it 'wouldn’t work' if it suggested there was racial diversity in village life.

Other long running serials, including BBC Radio 4's The Archers, have been criticised over 'tokenism' when they have included ethnic characters.
Mr True-May told the Radio Times if he had more minority cast members 'we might be in Slough'.

Amid mounting fury from charities and campaigners, the production company behind the show – All3Media – suspended the TV executive. ITV said it was 'shocked and appalled' at his remarks.

Midsomer Murders, based on the books by Caroline Graham, was launched in 1997 and has featured 251 deaths, 222 of which were murders.

The series returns this week with a new star replacing actor John Nettles who played the central character, DCI Tom Barnaby.

Mr True-May said: 'When I talk to people and other nations they love John Nettles, but they also love the premise of the show.

'They love the perceived English genteel eccentricity. It’s not British, it's very English.

'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: 'I don't think we would all suddenly go, "A black gardener in Midsomer? You can't have that!" 'I think we'd all go, 'Great, fantastic".'

Fans of the show have also been coming out in support of True-May on forums across the internet.

On website digitalspy's chat room, one user called cloudfactory said it was 'ridiculous' he was suspended for 'saying something perfectly reasonable'.

Another called BlizzardUK said: 'I live in a village and have never seen any other colour than white here, and I believe that to be the same in the majority of villages. Surely if a show is based in a village in England then it should represent a typical English village?'

Mickmars said: 'The "hysterical take everything in the wrong context" brigade strike again. The guy has obviously been doing something right for all these years,the rating prove that!'

And ExPat added: 'Why should someone be sacked for deciding what roles are to be portrayed in his series? If he wanted only ethnic actors, would you be just as offended'

But kittycat30 said: 'The attitude that only englishness is white and so villages should be all white is racist IMO. No way is every village all white.'

That's what small typical english villages are like. It's not racist as such but he's a bit of a tit for saying it! Probably should have kept it to himself!

I can't think of anything more mind-numbingly boring that 'English culture' tbh.

Possible idea for an episode: A yardie travels up from london and floods Midsomer with high strength skunk, 2 dead. DCI Tom Barnaby faces his biggest challenge to date.