Nick Ahad: Reprehensible ‘Them’ and ‘Us’ mentality of Midsomer Murders

I’ve never watched Midsomer Murders (yes, we’re going there with this week’s Arts View).

Turns out, with good reason: it’s not made for “the likes of me”. Us ethnic minorities, see, are not only unwelcome in Midsomer, we’re not even invited to the screening parties.

I was unaware of the Midsomer Murders controversy until I had a call asking if I’d go on a BBC radio programme to comment on it. After politely declining, I had a root around the internet. I can now fill in the blanks for you before I lay in to the programme.

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In an interview with this week’s Radio Times, Midsomer co-creator and producer, Brian True-May, spouted a couple of opinions. These included the deluded idea that Midsomer Murders is the biggest drama success of all time behind Star Trek or The X-Files (the first clue that True-May may truly not be on this planet). Take that creators of The Wire, The West Wing, The Sopranos, Lost, Brideshead Revisited, State of Play.

True-May also coughed up these gems: “(Viewers) love the perceived English genteel eccentricity... We just don’t have ethnic minorities... it wouldn’t be the English village with them. We’re the last bastion of Englishness and I want to keep it that way.”

Now. A little part of me is inclined to simply stop writing there. The phrase “hoist by his own petard” springs to mind. Unfortunately however, the internet is awash with people claiming “hear, hear” and accusing those outraged by True-May’s neanderthal opinions of allowing political correctness to go mad. Some of you may share that opinion.

Here’s why they, and you, if you agree, are wrong.

It is the intent behind the producer’s comments that is the problem: we don’t want “them” in “our” show.

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The arbiters of our cultural life have a responsibility, like it or not, to help break boundaries. Yes, they ultimately want to create shows that people want to watch, but to ignore vast sections of the society we all make up they rob themselves – and ultimately all of us – of a rounded experience and possibly some great talent.

I myself have been the beneficiary of schemes run by theatres and the BBC to seek out ethnic minority talent. As long as Midsomer Murders is explicitly and intransigently made for “them” and not “us” these schemes need to exist. The ideal, of course, is to live in a world where they are unnecessary.

Unfortunately we are given to watch worlds like the one created by True-May where a weekly murder is not far-fetched, but a black detective is.

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