Mail fury as BBC gives acting job to black actor

The Mail has got itself into another BBC (non-) controversy tizzy, with a 'how dare they story?' about the new series of Robin Hood.

Yes, really. They are absolutely appalled that the (very fine) actor David Harewood has been cast as Friar Tuck. Because Friar Tuck has always been fat and hopeless, and this incarnation has him as a martial arts expert.

But mainly they are appalled because David Harewood is black. Or, as one of the commentators has quite unbelievably called him, a 'negro' (thanks Alan, El Paso, Texas).

And casting a black actor appears to symbolic of a 'cancer of Leftist political correctness' and 'typical BBC nonsense' according to just two of the many very angry comments.

The whole story seems to be taking a piece of fictional Saturday night family entertainment far too seriously. They claim the casting has 'sparked fury among professors who believe the portrayal is historically inaccurate'. Fury? Well they quote one professor from Exeter Uni, but she doesn't sound angry at all, just pointing out a black friar would have been very unlikely.

But since when has Robin Hood (the series) meant to be realistic. It's Robin Hood, after all.