‘Cucumber’ creator Russell T Davies: ‘TV is shockingly white’

Russell T Davies has argued that television is “shockingly white”.

During a press screening for Davies’ new gay-themed Channel 4 drama Cucumber last week (January 15), a producer explained that they had cast the highly anticipated show “colourblind”.

In the latest issue of Attitude, the Queer As Folk creator talks about Cucumber’s casting process and admits that he thinks it’s about time TV becomes more interracial.

“I think television should full-stop become more interracial,” says Davies. “It’s shockingly white, to this day. And I realise I’ve done very white dramas in the past – look at Queer As Folk. I would cast it differently now. It’s very easy as a middle class white male to cast everything as middle class and white.”

“You need to watch, the world around you is changing. So it is deliberate, but at the same time you just want to get the best actor. Cyril came in and he was absolutely perfect, and Fisayo was absolutely perfect as the young lad playing Dean, You’re just looking for good actors in the end,” he adds.

You can see the cast of Cucumber and Banana in the new issue of Attitude, where Freddie he teases that his bisexual character – confusingly also called Freddie – has been “hard-wired to f**k” – click here to find out more.

If you want to learn a little more about the cast and take a look at them on the shoot, watch our exclusive behind-the-scenes video here.

You can read our full interview with Freddie – as well as the rest of the cast of Cucumber and its sister show Banana – in the new issue of Attitude,  available to download to your mobile, iPad or tablet device now at Pocketmags.com/Attitude.

The issue will be out in shops this Wednesday (January 7) and you can also have it delivered directly to your door at newsstand.co.uk.

Cucumber starts Thursday January 22 on Channel 4 at 9pm, followed by Banana on E4 at 10pm and Tofu on 4OD.