Mal Fletcher comments

It may be that this producer even believes in TV programmes as a mechanism for 'soft' social engineering. To introduce black characters into Midsommer Murders, he says, would 'look out of place.'

Perhaps he thinks that by reinforcing stereotypes he can help maintain exclusion zones.

Whatever his motives it is entirely appropriate that Mr May has been moved aside.

The wider issue, though, is how much of this social engineering goes on in TV production and how much of it is tolerated by the broadcasters for purely financial reasons?

I think that a lot more of this 'soft' social engineering goes on in TV production than insiders would care to admit.

It's obvious that drama producers often tackle very contentious social issues in the hope of boosting their audience numbers. Just as often, though, they do so to influence public debate on a particular ethical, political or moral issue.

We are living in a narrative age. It is much easier to sell an idea or worldview if it is wrapped in a compelling story with relatable characters than if it is presented as a polemic argument.

Arguably, the digital media revolution is further weakening the appeal of the polemic. A senior British judge argued recently that young adults are no longer well suited to jury duty. It's not that they're lacking in intelligence, he said.

The problem is that they can't follow the case notes from beginning to end during a long trial. Their concentration and comprehension skills are dulled by multi-tasking with digital media.

Those of us who grew with TV and movies are well acquainted with the power of visual narrative. This power is magnified further for the Millennial, under-30 generation, whose media is much more immersive.

They've been raised on highly interactive gaming experiences and always-on digital devices providing rich media 24/7.

Some research has suggested that narrative enrichment has become one of the defining values of the Millennial generation. Young adults will buy into a vision or project provided that their involvement will mean they can enrich the story they tell about themselves.

Before they lock into a project, they want to know that it will improve their skills and provide an enriching experience that speaks to their sense of altruism and civic concern.

This is one of the major reasons for the increase of volunteerism among younger people in the past decade or so. Millennials are not driven purely by financial or narrow careerist concerns; they're often inclined to value story enrichment above material gain.