Midsomer Murders is to have its first regular Asian character in its 18th series , four years after the drama 's producer said the programme 'would n't work ' with ethnic minority characters . Manjinder Virk will play pathologist Dr Kam Karimore in the ITV police drama . Although there have been Asian actors in cameo parts , this is the first significant role for an ethnic minority actor . In 2011 , executive producer Brian True-May described the show as the 'last bastion of Englishness ' because it had no black or Asian characters . Gwilym Lee , Manjinder Virk and Neil Dudgeon ( pictured left to right ) will star in the upcoming season of Midsomer Murders . He said the show 'would n't work ' if there was racial diversity among its cast . Mr True-May was suspended as a result of his comments and he later quit . The long-running crime drama is set in the quiet countryside village of Midsomer where DCI John Barnaby investigates a string of murders . Executive producer Jo Wright said Dr Karimore will cause DS Nelson , played by Gwilym Lee , 'trouble in more ways than one . ' Midsomer Murders began in 1997 and is watched by more than 6million viewers a week . True-May said at the time the programme just does n't 'have ethnic minorities involved . Because it would n't be the English village with them . It just would n't work . Executive producer Brian True-May ( left ) described the show as the 'last bastion of Englishness ' in 2011 because it had no black or Asian characters , pictured with John Nettles . 'Suddenly we might be in Slough . Ironically , Causton ( one of the main centres of population in the show ) is supposed to be Slough . 'And if you went into Slough you would n't see a white face there . We 're the last bastion of Englishness and I want to keep it that way . ' ITV said at the time that it was 'shocked and appalled ' at the sentiments .
ITV will play pathologist Dr Kam Karimore in Manjinder Virk police drama . It is the first significant role for an ethnic minority actor in the TV show . It is four years since a producer said it was 'the last bastion of Englishness ' Brian True-May said show 'would n't work ' with ethnic minority characters . His comments caused a race storm that left Manjinder Virk 'shocked and appalled '