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Original poster

Historical drama

107 replies

Banananew · 01/01/2026 19:11

Genuine question
Why do production companies use people of colour in dramas set in historically times? We were watching a program earlier set in the 1960's and there were a number of characters of colour. It was set in a very rural part of the country that my parents were from. This really would have been unusual/unlikely. So why does this happen?
I am not bothered as it doesn't particularly matter, but why?

OP posts:
cardibach · 02/01/2026 11:47

tobee · 01/01/2026 20:25

But there was huge amounts of prejudice in the 1960s and people of colour were heavily discriminated against in many, many ways.

Surely people know there were “no blacks, no Irish and no dogs” signs up in boarding houses? And many other things.

Does colour blind casting say that it's ok to pretend that discrimination didn't happen? To erase the injustice of the time by people in 2026 who believe in retconning the past because they "know better"?

Its not unremarkable at all.

Edited

No, because colour blind casting isn’t suggesting those people were black, just that in the modern day it doesn’t matter if they are played by someone black. Because we can be blind to colour in terms of the casting.

TesChique · 01/01/2026 20:27

Because Anne Boleyn was actually black and if you disagree youre cancelled.

tobee · 01/01/2026 20:25

But there was huge amounts of prejudice in the 1960s and people of colour were heavily discriminated against in many, many ways.

Surely people know there were “no blacks, no Irish and no dogs” signs up in boarding houses? And many other things.

Does colour blind casting say that it's ok to pretend that discrimination didn't happen? To erase the injustice of the time by people in 2026 who believe in retconning the past because they "know better"?

Its not unremarkable at all.

cardibach · 01/01/2026 20:08

Colour blind casting is a (totally unremarkable) thing. But lots of places did have significant populations of colour 8n the 1960s. And in lots of earlier years too.

missmollygreen · 01/01/2026 20:06

I guess it depends whether you see them as actors, or actors of colour?

I hear Tom Holland can't actually climb buildings, maybe he should not play Spiderman!

crumpetswithcheeze · 01/01/2026 20:05

Because reality upsets some people and that can’t happen. Instead we pretend reality is different, to appease the snowflakes.

ApolloandDaphne · 01/01/2026 19:58

I'm more appalled that you think something set in the 1960's is a historical drama. I was born in 1962. It seems like no time ago and I'm hardly Methuselah!