Oh dear. Brian True-May should really have stopped digging when interviewed for the Radio Times. http://www.radiotimes.com/blogs/1215-midsomer-murders-producer-brian-true-may-no-ethnic-minorities-suspended/
It's bad enough that no ethnic characters have been included in Midsomer Murders in its 80 odd episodes but to them claim that the all white cast was because he wanted to keep the show English shows his ignorance of what is English. Claiming that the show was successful in appealing to a certain audience may well be the case but if that audience is the BNP or EDL does it need to be shown on prime time television.
One of the actors, Jason Hughes' comments were a bit clumsy when stating that the show would not have been any the worse if there was a black gardener in one episode. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12741847
I understand what he was trying to say in that there have not even been any ethnic background characters but it does sound like tokenism to have a black character portrayed as the manual labouring hired hand of a rich white person.
   It is quite staggering to think that out of 250 or so deaths not a single victim, perpetrator, witness or investigator was black. It would seem that Midomer was bucking the national trend for sending white people to jail when a disproportionate number of black people end up there. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/oct/11/black-prison-population-increase-england