Keeping the English countryside white

[sp1814]

Brian True-May the producer of long-running TV hit Midsomer Murders has been suspended after claiming part of the show's appeal was an absence of ethnic minorities

Could this be true? Are there people who will only watch a show if they can be guaranteed an 'all white' cast?

I can't believe that's true. I mean, Downton Abbey wouldn't exactly be realistic with a Muslim housemaid, but I've seen episodes of Poirot and Marple with black characters without feeling the need to switch channels.

Leaving aside this chap's right to air his views (and I disagree with his suspension), SHOULD there be programmes that exclude actors from ethnic minorities?

Should the ban be extended to other minorities (the disabled, gays etc)?

http://www.dailyrecor...ities-86908-22991244/

[Joolee1980]

LoftyLottie: why should true life be reflected? In the whole sphere of drama and fiction, as long as you can make it work, you can (ineed should) do whatever you like. In the programme in question, true life is not reflected straight off on the simple basis that small rural villages don't experience dozens of murders. All fans of that show know that, but they don't stop watching it. But I do realise that some people are more literal-minded when it comes to fiction, and are unable to completely suspend disbelief. Others it seems to me are somewhat selective about that.

I also think it's a shame that the casting of ethnic minority actors in some situations is automatically dismissed as "PC". In some cases, maybe it is. But it's a shame to just dismiss the idea that in other cases, the director and their team simply thought that person was the best of the bunch. It does happen, you know.

[Aqualung]

Good news the convenience store in Midsummer Worthy has bought by a Mr Singh.
Jamal and his family and his cousins and his gran and his nan and his half cousin will be in the next series.

[anotheoldgit]

LoftieLottie

/// (Heartbeat, Where the Heart is, etc. etc.) are popular with loads of people. And the two I mention have ethnic minority groups in them!!! ///

I once watched Heartbeat on a regular basis and I may be wrong but I cannot remember any ethnic minorities in it, I am not sure about Where the Heart is, because I didn't watch that.

Another rural countryside show, Last of the Summer Wine, had a Chinese chap in it, who was a plumber if I remember rightly.

[andy-hughes]

Aegist, or teen-aegist AOG?

My point - as Iam sure you understand - is that teenagers and old people tend to say out loud what is going through their heads, without first considering the content and the recipients. For teenagers, it is a lack of life experience and part of the maturation process, and for old people, it is a combination of senility in some cases, and a feeling of simply not caring any more what people think in others!

Of course it includes all ages - my point entirely - glad you agree with me!

[Aqualung]

This episode had a Chinese Take Away in it and one of the main stars of this episode is Sai-Kit Young

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0647497/

[TheOtherHalf]

Im sure Ive seen a black and white cat on there. Was it Jess :~)

[anotheoldgit]

Just had another glance at your headline sp, "Keeping the English countryside white".

Which reminded me of the time that a local council, put on free buses for ethnic minorities to take them into a national park.

The reason being that it had been noticed that the countryside did not seem to attract people from the ethnic minorities.

Now if that is not PC gone mad I don't know what is.

[sp1814]

modeller

You wrote:

"There have been several series about medieval England, the Tudors, and the Victorians. I can't recall any complaints about the lack of an ethnic mix"

That may be - but it would be historically inaccurate to depict (say) a Victorian town with a Punjabi shopkeeper.

But as I believe, Midsomer Murders is set in present day England...and is it not true that it's based around the outskirts of Slough, which itself has a real ethnic mix?

[sp1814]

Andy-hughes

Yu win the 'Best Post' award.

[andy-hughes]

AOG - was the free bus only for ethnic minorities - indiginous population exclusded - which is indeed PC gone cerebrally challenged (a-ho ho!)

Or was the bus for everyone to enjoy the ammenities, and an effort to encourage people who have not enjoyed the luxury of growing up with free green spaces to enjoy?

Sometimes one can analyse these things too deeply!

[Aqualung]

Jayne have changed my avatar but i think another user may have this picture as his avatar

[sp1814]

AOG

Free bus passes?

Not quite true as far as I can see:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4558809.stm

And I'm not sure what the harm in the scheme could be? Encouraging ethnic minorities into the countryside will increase the feeling of 'ownership' and pride in being British (and who knows - encourage assimilation).

No more harmful than some of the projects I've seen encouraging working class kids in the appreciation of ballet (completely failed) and classical music (largely successful).

[david51058]

If you go round the English countryside you will see that there are hardly any so called ethnic minorities living there. You will find that in general, Asians and Afro-caribeans prefer to live in urban areas close to towns and cities. Why that is, I have no idea. Then what happens is that these communites multiply due to the fact people like to live close to others with their own valuies and customs and then eventually the white people move away, to the country if they can, leaving these urbam areas mainly populated by ethnic minorities. This is what has happened in a lot of big towns and cities all over ther country. So to pretend that English villages have ethnic minorites living in them is just plain wrong.

[anotheoldgit]

Not quite sure of what you mean Andy.

First it is Teenagers that you accuse and then you go on and by also including 'old people' (who you unnecessarily insult by putting the blame on their senility).

Then to underline these generalisations by saying "Of course it includes all ages"

If it includes all ages why bother to pick out just teenagers and old people in the first place?

[seadogg]

We came off the hill and caught a boat back to Keswick. It was full of Pakistanis who chatted with us and were a pleasure to ride with. Did it matter a hoot if they were on a free trip?

[Joolee1980]

@david1058 "So to pretend that English villages have ethnic minorites living in them is just plain wrong"

My point exactly about selective suspension of disbelief. There's all sorts of 'pretending' that goes on in drama and fiction that never gets commented on. Why is this particular bit of pretending such an issue?

[trt]

Keep it as it is.
I wouldn't watch it if, I saw a Sikh in the local pub or a Muslim woman shopping in the corner shop wearing a Burka :-)

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// Or was the bus for everyone to enjoy the ammenities, and an effort to encourage people who have not enjoyed the luxury of growing up with free green spaces to enjoy? ///

I know exactly who these free buses were targeted at, because there was a huge rumpus at the time.

Much as it don't fit in with your own particular slant on things, one cannot get away from the fact merely by saying, "Sometimes one can analyse these things too deeply"

I like your explanation /// the luxury of growing up with free green spaces to enjoy? ///

Some of these ethnic minorities have come from much larger rural area than we could possibly find them in this country. But even in their own countries you don't see them toddling off on a bank holiday with their picnic hamper in tow.

[sp1814]

David

You wrote:

"If you go round the English countryside you will see that there are hardly any so called ethnic minorities living there."

You've kinda proved a point...you wrote "hardly any". You didn't write 'absolutely none in twenty years'.

And remember, we're not talking about Miss Marple set in the fifties, or Poirot set in the thirties (although both shows have featured black and Asian characters without upsetting it's audience or having Daily Mail readers cry 'political correctness gone mad'.

Actually having a ban in place just seems odd, doesn't it?