The television series Detective Touré as an example of non-racialised characters in public television and their effective social responsibility

Abstract

Introduction: The protagonists of audiovisual fictions should reflect the multiracial society in which they are produced, avoiding the racialisation of the characters. In this sense, the series Detective Touré (2024), produced by the Spanish and Basque public television channels, has become a milestone in the Spanish audiovisual industry by making a character of colour as the protagonist. Methodology: The series Detective Touré is analysed, as well as the evolution of the presence of non-Caucasian actors in feature films nominated for the Goya Awards since its inception. Results: The series studied exemplifies the long way to go for the audiovisual to integrate all the ethnic groups that make up the Spanish citizens, as well as showing the scarce recognition and inclusion of representative characters in Spanish cinema. Discussion: Audiovisual production, particularly that generated by public television, must avoid simplifying the discourse on the immigrant population in order to comply with the law and its Corporate Social Responsibility objectives. Conclusions: Innovative proposals such as the series Detective Touré have an impact on the necessary evolution of the design of audiovisual characters to reflect the Spanish social reality, showing the existing historical shortcomings in this regard.