Midsomer Murders race 'row' [Archive]

Hazell B

15th March 2011, 18:00

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 :p : )

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 :p :

MrJan

15th March 2011, 18:07

billiaml

15th March 2011, 18:14

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

15th March 2011, 18:23

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

15th March 2011, 18:23

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

Eki

15th March 2011, 18:24

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

15th March 2011, 18:34

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

15th March 2011, 18:35

Brown, Jon Brow

15th March 2011, 23:20

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

15th March 2011, 23:25

Eki

16th March 2011, 05:33

Yes and the old people would be miserable gits like our nextdoor neighbours....
You live next door to Victor Meldrew?

Tazio

16th March 2011, 07:00

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6LHEJ6RAAU4PriseyJbqR2Fo1mA_WF KhgIDA_NOlh9Vkp4ojw[
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?
The short answer is you are correct. However it is changing rapidly. I have a conspiracy theory that think tanks study demographics and make decisions that are based on the bottom line economics

Captain Kirk and uhura shared the first interracial kiss in a 1968 episode of Star Trek

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6LHEJ6RAAU4PriseyJbqR2Fo1mA_WF KhgIDA_NOlh9Vkp4ojw

However Captain Kirk demonstrated in the same season that he was an equal opportunity horn-dog as he was also into Green Aliens

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTN0RwHI12r8QVdDVk7sFYon8PzWB9uG iwA_OpzpodwXoNis_KQXQ

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjD7puMBIH9zC8HR4vVeY-TnsNr9Ghk1mMg0V23QPjftmnrmtkRg

Mark

16th March 2011, 07:58

I agree that having all white all the time probably isn't realistic, but tokenism isn't the answer either.

BDunnell

16th March 2011, 08:13

I agree that having all white all the time probably isn't realistic, but tokenism isn't the answer either.

I'm not sure that having a black character in Midsomer Murders would be tokenism, though. After all, it's not just white people who live in English villages.

Mark

16th March 2011, 08:16

I'm not sure that having a black character in Midsomer Murders would be tokenism, though. After all, it's not just white people who live in English villages.

True, but now they would be introducing a black character just for the sake of having one, and that's tokenism!

MrJan

16th March 2011, 08:19

I agree that having all white all the time probably isn't realistic, but tokenism isn't the answer either.

I love how South Park have a character called Token Black.

Of course it would be tokenism, Ben, to suddenly put a black character in purely off the back of all this fuss is exactly what tokenism is. And for the most part the English villages down this way are very much an all white afair.

Hazell B

16th March 2011, 08:36

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

Exactly - it's just a bunch of characatures anyhow. It's set in a time and place that don't, and never have, existed.
Adding coloured actors is adding realism, something that has no place in murderous Midsomer :p :

The impression I'm getting is that some hack went out looking for exactly this story, asking the right questions to get a decent set of nasty sounding quotes from somebody stupid enough to give them. And now the media are baying for blood ..... :mark:

One of my horses is named Midsomer Madness (Somer) after the show and a quote from my favourite play. Another is called India. Diverse enough? :D

MrJan

16th March 2011, 09:55

The impression I'm getting is that some hack went out looking for exactly this story, asking the right questions to get a decent set of nasty sounding quotes from somebody stupid enough to give them. And now the media are baying for blood ..... :mark:

It's funny how, amongst untold tragedies in Japan (just the nuclear thing alone would be terrifying, let alone along with the other disasters) and numerous uprisings and riotings in the middle east, the British media are making a huge fuss over some white guy saying that he doesn't see what would be added by bringing a black character into the TV programme he writes. The human race is ****ing ridiculous.

Dave B

16th March 2011, 12:40

It's funny how, amongst untold tragedies in Japan (just the nuclear thing alone would be terrifying, let alone along with the other disasters) and numerous uprisings and riotings in the middle east, the British media are making a huge fuss over some white guy saying that he doesn't see what would be added by bringing a black character into the TV programme he writes. The human race is ****ing ridiculous.

Not really - the media are still covering the Japanese situation as well, it's not binary.

Hazell B

16th March 2011, 12:44

There's a disaster in Japan, yes. But you're still here talking about Midsomer Murders, calling it ridiculous to be talking about it :confused:

Mark

16th March 2011, 12:44

Midsomer Murders is a disaster anyway :D

MrJan

16th March 2011, 12:48

Not really - the media are still covering the Japanese situation as well, it's not binary.

But still, you know what I mean. The fact that this story gets any coverage at all is stupid, the fact that it gets fairly decent coverage at this time is really stupid.

There's a disaster in Japan, yes. But you're still here talking about Midsomer Murders, calling it ridiculous to be talking about it :confused:

I never said that I wasn't ridiculous ;)

BDunnell

16th March 2011, 18:12

The fact that this story gets any coverage at all is stupid, the fact that it gets fairly decent coverage at this time is really stupid.

What else would you suggest the media doesn't cover, then?

Eki

16th March 2011, 18:47

Has anybody seen "Cosby Show" or "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"? I tried to remember if they had any white characters, but couldn't remember any.

Hazell B

16th March 2011, 19:33

Has anybody seen "Cosby Show" or "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"? I tried to remember if they had any white characters, but couldn't remember any.

It's years ago when Cosby was last on here, I think. Wasn't it the one that had a white character going out with a black one and made a real story of it? Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but one of the US comedy shows did (probably in the 80's) over a few episodes. Come to think, could have been Soap. I forget.

Daniel

16th March 2011, 20:04

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6LHEJ6RAAU4PriseyJbqR2Fo1mA_WF KhgIDA_NOlh9Vkp4ojw[
The short answer is you are correct. However it is changing rapidly. I have a conspiracy theory that think tanks study demographics and make decisions that are based on the bottom line economics

Captain Kirk and uhura shared the first interracial kiss in a 1968 episode of Star Trek

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6LHEJ6RAAU4PriseyJbqR2Fo1mA_WF KhgIDA_NOlh9Vkp4ojw

However Captain Kirk demonstrated in the same season that he was an equal opportunity horn-dog as he was also into Green Aliens

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTN0RwHI12r8QVdDVk7sFYon8PzWB9uG iwA_OpzpodwXoNis_KQXQ

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjD7puMBIH9zC8HR4vVeY-TnsNr9Ghk1mMg0V23QPjftmnrmtkRg
He sure knows how to kiss a woman though!

0VuIShM5kAQ

BDunnell

16th March 2011, 20:11

It's years ago when Cosby was last on here, I think. Wasn't it the one that had a white character going out with a black one and made a real story of it? Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but one of the US comedy shows did (probably in the 80's) over a few episodes. Come to think, could have been Soap. I forget.

Going back even further than that, The Dick Van Dyke Show was one of the first to introduce black characters and portray them in a regular light, something for which it received much criticism at the time.

Daniel

16th March 2011, 20:14

It seems to me that the only people that are probably bothered by there not being black people or asian people or japanese people in these shows are white people who want to be seen to not be racist.

Rollo

16th March 2011, 22:33

Captain Kirk and uhura shared the first interracial kiss in a 1968 episode of Star Trek

On US Television.

In the UK it was Emergency-Ward 10 which predates the Star Trek episode by four years:
http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/ward.htm
Nevertheless, although sedate by today's standard the series did set a landmark in 1964 and courted a considerable amount of controversy with its portrayal of an interracial relationship between surgeon Louise Mahler (Joan Hooley) and Doctor Giles Farmer (John White) which included the first ever on-screen interracial kiss.
http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/em102.jpg

The only reason I know this is because it was on Moyles' show and Rob DJ's Monday Night Pub Quiz.

When I say pub, you say quiz...
Pub.... QUIZ!
Pub.... QUIZ!

Tazio

16th March 2011, 23:08

On US Television.

Yes that is what I was referring to just in case their was some confusion.

Bezza

18th March 2011, 14:05

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.

I think he is being punished for being honest. I don't watch Midsomer, not my cup of tea anyway, but I don't see what is wrong with it being all-white. It is all cultural. No one is complaining anyway - until now, when loads of people want to jump on a bandwagon they hadn't even noticed! Silly.

It is a shame that our emergency services bow down to the PC pressure, having to meet "quotas" for the amount of women, homosexuals, blacks and asians. We are not all equal thesedays I'm afraid!

BDunnell

18th March 2011, 14:15

I don't watch Midsomer, not my cup of tea anyway, but I don't see what is wrong with it being all-white.

Nor do I — it had never crossed my mind. But the way he put it was stupid. He seemed to suggest that the portrayal of the presence of black people in English villages would somehow be inappropriate, which is nonsense.

It is a shame that our emergency services bow down to the PC pressure, having to meet "quotas" for the amount of women, homosexuals, blacks and asians. We are not all equal thesedays I'm afraid!

Er, what?

Dave B

18th March 2011, 14:21

It is a shame that our emergency services bow down to the PC pressure, having to meet "quotas" for the amount of women, homosexuals, blacks and asians. We are not all equal thesedays I'm afraid!
Firstly I wasn't aware that ITV is an emergency service. As for the rest of it... :s

GridGirl

18th March 2011, 14:38

The whole situation has been blown up out of proportion. The guy never said that he hadn't ever put black or asian people in the show. It has never be a 100% white cast including extra's but merely that it was highly skewed towards being an all white cast.

I watched an episode of Countryfile sometime during the last month or so and they featured a charity thats purpose was to get more black and asian people into the countryside by taking them out hiking as part of organised group walks. Most of the guys there said they loved hiking but didn't have the skills and know how to just get out of the city and do it on their own. I've have tried to look the episode up on the bbc website but there is no specific mention of it in the descriptions of the each espisode this year. Obviously the feature wasn't directly linked to black or asian people living in the countryside or some tv show where your highly likely to be murdered but essentially it was hinting at the lack of participation in the countryside by some demographics.

Tazio

18th March 2011, 15:29

Has anybody seen "Cosby Show" or "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"? I tried to remember if they had any white characters, but couldn't remember any.Wasn't Cosby's brother-in-law a white henpecked doctor maried to Felicia Rashhads.', Characters sister?
Nope that was the Jeffersons

Daniel

18th March 2011, 16:05

I think he is being punished for being honest. I don't watch Midsomer, not my cup of tea anyway, but I don't see what is wrong with it being all-white. It is all cultural. No one is complaining anyway - until now, when loads of people want to jump on a bandwagon they hadn't even noticed! Silly.

It is a shame that our emergency services bow down to the PC pressure, having to meet "quotas" for the amount of women, homosexuals, blacks and asians. We are not all equal thesedays I'm afraid!

Having a Charlie Sheen moment are we Bezza? :confused:

BDunnell

18th March 2011, 16:43

Sorry I haven't contributed to this thread for a few hours. I have been out spending the vast amounts of state benefits I receive as a homosexual, after which I went to the doctors' to get some preferential medical treatment.

Daniel

18th March 2011, 16:43

BDunnell

18th March 2011, 16:48

It's a pity you're not lesbian, black and Asian, you'd be on easy street then!

Yeah, then I could have demanded 100 gold bars from my local council — AND BEEN GIVEN THEM. It's political correctness gawn mad, I tell you.

Daniel

18th March 2011, 16:49

Yeah, then I could have demanded 100 gold bars from my local council — AND BEEN GIVEN THEM. It's political correctness gawn mad, I tell you.

and why?!?!?!?! LIBERAL GUILT I tells ya!

BDunnell

18th March 2011, 16:51

and why?!?!?!?! LIBERAL GUILT I tells ya!

Why? You don't need to ask why. I read that if councils refuse to give 100 gold bars to a homosexual, they now have to fire a white, straight employee. That's the kind of world we live in. You couldn't make it up.

Dave B

18th March 2011, 16:56

You may think you're being flippant, but expect a copyright claim from Melanie Phillips for plagiarising her work :p

Bezza

18th March 2011, 17:11

Yeah, then I could have demanded 100 gold bars from my local council — AND BEEN GIVEN THEM. It's political correctness gawn mad, I tell you.

Hilarious banter. :rolleyes:

If you ever applied for the police like I have you will understand where I am coming from.

BDunnell

18th March 2011, 17:15

Hilarious banter. :rolleyes:

If you ever applied for the police like I have you will understand where I am coming from.

If you have never experienced any positive discrimination in your life, you will understand where I am coming from. Stop feeling victimised — you seem to suffer an awful lot from this — and get on with your life.