The peace of a Dorset seaside resort is shattered by the discovery of the murdered body of an 11-year-old local boy on the beach. D.I. Alec Hardy (David Tennant) leads the investigation into Danny Latimer’s death. He is assisted by Officer Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman). Miller is resentful that she, a local girl with strong ties to the area (she even knows the victim’s family), has been passed over for the D.I. job in favour of Hardy, an outsider and a man who clearly has a dark cloud hanging over his past.
He is not the only one. The sleepy town is awash with secrets, which may or may not be linked to the murder. Why, for example, is Danny’s plumber father being so cagey as to his exact whereabouts on the fateful night? What is the local vicar up to? Why is local caravan resident Susan Wright (Pauline Quirke) behaving so suspiciously? Why is a London journalist taking such a strong interest in the case? What does the boy’s friend, Ellie’s own son, know about the crime? Is a local eccentric (Will Mellor) really receiving psychic messages from the dead boy? And, above all, who is behind the murder?
Proving decisively that Scandinavia does not hold a monopoly on producing gripping crime thrillers, Broadchurch is a hugely compelling drama that proves no less hard hitting for being set in a sunny English beach resort rather than a chilly Nordic environment. Tennant and Colman are both brilliant in the lead roles and are backed by an excellent supporting cast, mostly recognisable as veterans of UK telly.
The bonus features include a genuinely interesting making of documentary, which among other things, reveals how the final identity of the killer was kept secret from most of the cast and crew throughout the production. Broadchurch II is on its way.
Overall Verdict: One of the best British TV dramas of 2013. Hugely addictive.
Special Features:
Cast Biographies
Making Of Broadchurch Featurette
Reviewer: Chris Hallam