R2OK!

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

John Nettles is leaving the show after 13 years and more than 80 episodes as his character retires. The role will now go to cousin DCI John Barnaby, played by Neil Dudgeon, whose past roles include Life Of Riley and Common As Muck.

He made an appearance on Wednesday 10th February 2010 episode.

Number Six · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 438 Location: In the village

Strange that in 80 episodes they never mentioned another DCI Barnaby and wouldn't his cousin be roughly the same age?

Oh well. I suppose this is the end for Joyce as well. No more Midsomer jam making
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Mark Mayhew · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 2897

Is there anybody left in Midsomer?

MadeinSurrey · Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:05 am Post subject:

Toggy · Joined: 18 Aug 2008 Posts: 1239

It has a higher murder rate than the Bronx, why would anybody want to live there.
How come Mrs Barnaby always either knew one of the victims or the murderer, definitely something Dodgy about her Laughing

aviddiva · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:32 am Post subject: Midsomer Murders

I'm surprised it isn't twinned with Bon Temps in True Blood!
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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

I remember last year some report saying that the TV show had NEVER featured a non-white character/actor, and we soon found out the reason was - a racist producer! Shocked

Sorted!

http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/first--non-white--lead-character-for-midsomer-murders.html
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ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I think a more plausible explanation is that you don't tend to get many non white people in sleepy English villages - it's just a fact like it or not Smile

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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I'm sorry John I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one

I don't for one moment believe that Brian True- May is in any way racist

He's simply trying to reflect as accurately as he can a realistic version of life in a sleepy English village - although of course there aren't many where three murders occur in the space of a few hours Laughing

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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

He was quoted as saying he did not use black and Asian people in the series because ‘it wouldn’t be an English village with them’.

Well the village he lives in has been quoted as a population of 9,000, includes Chinese and Indian restaurants and a school with several Asian faces, don't know if that meant teachers or kids. And reports are that his gardener is not English.

So if he wanted to represent an English village he could have looked out of his window more often Razz

The more you deny his racism the more it becomes obvious. Wink

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ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Whilst I don't for one moment dispute what you say I'm still not sure I buy the suggestion that he is racist

I lived in Leicester for several years which is the only city in Britain where the ethnic foreign population exceeds the native British population and yet I have friends who live in a sleepy village only about ten miles away and I am sure I am right in saying there is not a single non white person living there

If that's the case within such a short distance of somewhere like Leicester I guess it would certainly be the case in other rural areas and the fact is that most ethnic minority people choose to live in large towns or cities probably because they latch on to the large populations of similar people who already live in such places which is quite natural in the circumstances

As far as I am concerned this whole thing is yet another example of the 'politically correct' brigade trying to create a problem using the excuse of alleged racism when in reality there is not a problem and I think it's sad to see people jumping on what to me is a very dubious bandwagon Sad

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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

The 'bandwagon' is being jumped upon not generally by black or other non European residents of Britain but rather by certain liberal white dogooders who seem to be constantly on 'racism' patrol looking how they can stir up racial tension in even the most innocent of situations such as a long running much loved TV series

And John on what evidence do you base your assertion that non white people do not watch the show?

The fact is that lots of white people watch 'Eastenders' where you expect to see a fair proportion of black characters quite simply because it is set in East London where there is a high proportion of non white residents but in a series set in a English rural country village if the producer is to give an accurate portrayal of the type of life there inevitably there are going to be few if any non white faces in evidence

It's horses for courses as they say and if the 'politically correct' brigade don't like MM then nobody is forcing them to watch the series and they have no right to destroy the thing for everybody else Rolling Eyes

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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

Number Six · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 438 Location: In the village

According to my Sunday paper Midsomer is about to feature it's first mixed race character. Be interesting to see the reaction.

This started me thinking. I live in a (what we call a village) between Brighton and Worthing. The only non white person I can remember seeing is the Chemist (really). The thing is, it never occurred to me to een think about it until the Midsomer arguement resurrected itself.
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19300 Location: Cheshire

That's very true Number Six. The majority of people wouldn't think about it unless as you say it's brought up by some so called 'do gooder'.

H
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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I can't see any problem with the producer describing the show as the 'Last Bastion of Englishness'

He's merely expressing his opinion to which he is entitled just like the rest of us are entitled to our own opinions and I think lots of people agree with him

It's nothing to do with race or culture - it's simply a matter of what is required to portray an accurate picture of English village life as it really is as against how the liberal doogooders would like it to be

The introduction of ethnic minority characters is exactly the same as if the producer choose to include a supermarket in the programme - neither represent a realistic view of what happens in the real world Rolling Eyes

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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

Oh but it IS about race and culture. The producer has implied that he wanted to represent an English village with just English people, devoid of any other culture. It was a deliberate policy. Yes there may be villages like that, there are many not like that. The producer made his choice, and it was his intention to avoid any non-English culture or persona.
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ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

There wasn't a 'choice' to be made John

The series had quite happily plodded along for upwards of ten years or more without any problems when some bright spark suddenly had the thought

'Oh dear, this is not politically correct, no non white characters, how terrible,we could be in trouble here with the race police'

and started banging on about an issue which ,as Helen said,had simply never even occured to most people thus creating a problem purely for its own sake

If the producer deems it desirable to continue the series without non white characters that is his choice just like it is Bob Shennan's choice to lumber us with the likes of Chris Evans and Alan Carr who most of us on here cannot abide and often complain about

The fact is just as I have the choice not to listen to R2 shows I dislike people have a choice not to watch Midsomer Murders and if they don't like it then don't watch it Rolling Eyes

In actual fact I don't tend to watch new episodes of the series anyway which has nothing to do with the introduction of biracial characters but rather because I don't think it's the same without John Nettles as Tom Barnaby and the characters who made up his family but I'm not moaning - after all on Sky there are around 200 other channels available
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essexlady · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 348 Location: Essex

Well I live in a village in rural Essex and at my grand-daughter's school there are quite a few children of non-white ethnicity - Asian, Turkish, Thai and Nigerian amongst others.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19300 Location: Cheshire

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Helen - one of the few advantages I find about getting older is that for some things (especially recent ones) my memory is not as good as it was a few years ago so I can enjoy a lot of the older episodes of MM without remembering the outcome or who the killer is Laughing

Funny though - I can usually remember things from before around 2000 even going back to my early childhood perfectly Smile

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John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

Blondehedgehog · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 286 Location: UK

Just noticed this thread so I thought I would add my 10 penny worth.....

I have watched M. M since the very first one. It is fantasy. OTT with the murders, but it reminded me of the village in England my parents brought me when I was nine years old. (till 9, I lived in Scotland)
The people and the buildings the customs, all took me back to my young days. I did not notice that there were no coloured faces...black brown or what ever......there were none in the village until I was about 15 years old. Then a childrens home opened and some Afro/ Carribbean children arrived.
I still enjoy MM even with a change of actor, and I object to all the PC people who insist there must be a 'token' coloured face in TV and radio productions.

I am not a racist either, I have Indonesian and Chinese daughters in law and have good relationships with them and the extended families that they have brought with them.

Long live MM.................
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19300 Location: Cheshire

I watched last nights and kept thinking about this thread.............

H
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I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005