Broadchurch

TV Review: ‘Broadchurch’

Broadchurch

Broadchurch” is an 8-episode series on BBC America (Wednesdays, 10/9c) starring David Tennant as Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, a big city detective who relocates to the small town of Broadchurch after he lands in the middle of a scandal during a previous investigation.

Thinking he’s going to live out a quiet existence in this quaint little town, he soon finds himself in the middle of the murder investigation of Daniel Latimer, an 11-year-old boy.

He’s joined by Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman), his new subordinate, who recently came home from holiday to find her promotion snaked out from under her by Hardy. DS Miller has lived all her life in Broadchurch and knows the murder victim and his family. While Hardy is steely in his reserve toward the family and the town, Miller finds it hard to set aside her personal life from her job during this investigation.

The quiet town is soobroadchurchn overrun by the media frenzy surrounding the murder which threatens to pull the town apart.

I’m rather enjoying this new series because it’s been far too long since I’ve seen David Tennant in anything since he left “Doctor Who.”

In fact, Broadchurch is  a bit of a “Doctor Who” trifecta as not only does it star Tennant, but it also features  Arthur Darvill (Rory from “Doctor Who”) as the local vicar and David Bradley as a local shop owner.

Bradley is best known for his roles as Mr. Filch in the “Harry Potter” films and as Walder Frey on “Game of Thrones.” Bradley will star as the first “Doctor Who” in the TV movie “An Adventure in Time and Space,” which is a re-telling of the creation of the “Doctor Who” series.

While it’s a typical procedural crime drama, the series only runs eight episodes, and I find that I rather like that. It’s short and sweet. Just enough to reel you in, but not too much that you’ll get bored with it.

broadchurch3

Though “Broadchurch” was picked up for a second season, this particular crime will be solved by the end of the eighth episode. It was so popular in Britain that Fox has already picked up rights to make an American version of it.

I guess all they’ll have to do is change the quiet seaside town of Broadchurch to say a quiet seaside town in Maine. Cast some former sci-fi actors (Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, anyone?) and you’ve got yourself a bona fide hit. I just hope Fox doesn’t try to draw the eight-episode story arc into 24.

Questions already abound after watching the first episode. Is it the vicar? The dad? The shop owner? The friend? Or could it be that weird telephone repair guy who has communicated with the dead?

One thing’s for sure, I will be gripped to my television on Wednesday nights to watch this show.

Have you seen “Broadchurch”? What do you think of it?


Posted

in

,

by

Comments

9 responses to “TV Review: ‘Broadchurch’”

  1. Dori Avatar
    Dori

    I watched this series first on Dailymotion website. And I’m watching again as it is broadcast over the 8 weeks on BBCAmerica. Because it is more than just a procedural giving a chance for more character development, it’s a good watch even knowing how it ends. After watching the first episode, I am sure they have changed the ending for the US showing because its so obvus who the truly guilty person must be. Excellent show; i am just sorry there are people who don’t have access to the network. Excellent show.

    1. breanda frederick Avatar
      breanda frederick

      THEY CHANGED THE ENDING FOR AMERICANS????! Yes I am shouting. What are the producers thinking? They also changed the name of the first Harry Potter book when it came to this side of the pond. What do they think we are, a nation of morons? I’m not really sure I want the answer to that.

      1. K.L. Connie Wang Avatar

        I don’t think they changed the ending. That was a poster’s theory. I’m sure they kept it the same.

  2. K.L. Connie Wang Avatar

    I didn’t think it was that obvious and I doubt they changed the ending for American viewers, but who knows?!

    It’s a great show – strong writing, strong characters. Can’t wait to see what they are going to come up with Series 2!

  3. Blue Morpho Avatar
    Blue Morpho

    Hi,

    I’ve watched the show already and enjoyed it very much! I do miss Tennant a lot as well so I’ve tried to see what he’s done before. Really liked him in Casanova written by the excellent Russel T. Davies (resurrect-erer of Doctor Who) and enjoyed him in Single Father as well (although found the whole series a bit uneven) he is in Blackpool a strange series (and there is actually a shot of him standing in front of the Doctor Who museum in Blackpool a bit prophetic some would say )

    Anyway going back to Broadchurch I did not find it “obvious” who the murdered could be until the last 2 eps so…

    I found the series rather well made, solid cast, very charming sets… in good taste!

  4. […] watching and reviewing “Broadchurch” (Wed., 10/9c, BBC America), viewing “Low Winter Sun” was a bit of a […]

  5. Belle Wong Avatar

    I really enjoyed watching this first episode, too. It’s definitely nice to see David Tennant again. And I agree – after seeing the first episode, eight episodes does seem like the perfect number of episodes to me for a show like this!

  6. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    This series was one of the finest written stories I have seen in a very long time. Every episode keeping your head racing to figure out who could of done such a horrific thing to this child. With this being such a close nit community I could not for the life of me picture any of the suspects carrying out Danny’s death. Yes every one had a shady past but when they explained it you could understand why they acted the way they did. The story and the site where it was filmed on was amazing. All the actors were perfectly matched! But I have to tell you I never saw it coming. I still even after could not believe who it was. But the writer really touched many many tabo subjects. Hidden and forgotten heart break and broken familys secrets made public. And how just one seed of doubt planted in a crowed could grow with trying to pin Danny’s death on anyone who fit the profile. And just how anger can blind the most best thinkers there are. Again thank you for such an awesome series of one of the most best written who done it I have seen in such a very long time. I so enjoy the BBC. Prayers!

  7. […] and revamping them for U.S. audiences. It recently bought the rights to BBC’s “Broadchurch” and plans on remaking it just as it has done with “Rake,” an Australian series […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *