The producer of Midsummer Murders has said that the part of the show's appeal is the absence of ethnic minorities and that the series wouldn't work if there was any racial diversity in the village life. He has been suspended for the comments he made however it rises the question whether ethnic diversity should be represented or whether the creators should be allowed the choice to exclude ethnically diverse characters.
Since 9/11 political issues are frequently involved when we see certain ethnic groups represented. Religion is a key signifier here. Religious figures being negatively represented and secular (non-religious) figures are treated more positively. The most negative stereotype of Muslim, Asian/Middle Eastern characters is similar to the old stereotype of the Northern Irish. (violent/backwards/deeply religious/fanatical)
More sympathetic representations may focus on issues of social class and status however working class black youths are commonly stereotyped as criminal, a stereotype that is spreading to Asian youths too.
With black youths in particular there is often a representation of heavily Americanised characters through language, dress and musical tastes for example. There may also be white racist characters to deal with.
Are different ethnic groups represented as having more in common than they do differences?
Sometimes ethnic groups are grouped together to make it easier to identify as a larger group e.g. black/Asian/white groups may be grouped together when representing teenagers
However sometimes TV dramas will use the stereotypical differences between ethnic groups to help the audience identify the group/character and their part in the story in a short amount of time.
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