Broadchurch

I enjoy British crime dramas. I find the pacing and depth of characterization is more engaging than the better American shows and there is often more emphasis on "mystery". Meanwhile I find the Americans are more innovative and the plots seldom have the holes that sometimes mar British crime stories. Broadchurch is a marvel. I have never seen a TV drama that explores the emotions of so many characters so convincingly. Crimes are traumatizing. Broadchurch gets this perfectly. Nor have I have ever seen a crime drama that packs a visual punch in so many scenes. The Dorset coast is a character in Broadchurch. It plays its role as effectively as any of the brilliant actors in this piece. And that brings up the acting. You won't find a weak performance and some are unforgettable. There were times when I was reminded of how exciting it was watch Sopranos for the first time. Broadchurch may even have the same kind of influence on future television filmmakers. It transcends comparisons between the US and the UK. It's a new standard and an instant classic.

Broadchurch is a fantastic and refreshing British crime-drama. The 8 part series can be complemented on its beautiful cinematography, compelling acting (particularly the performance of Olivia Colman) and a story that grips you. While the story can be somewhat depressing the depth of the characters and the well constructed plot makes it hard not to watch the series in one sitting. Furthermore, unlike other television shows centered on crime, Broadchurch leaves some subtle clues through out the later episodes, which allows viewers to indulge in guessing the killer. The only criticism is that some of the younger actors/actresses give flawed performances, but this is to be expected. I would highly recommend watching this show.

The only reason why I'm not giving it a 10/10 is because I have to leave a little room for humbleness. However, without a doubt, one of the best TV dramas that I have ever seen. It blends human frailty, melodramatic egos among professionals, frigid and temperamental relationships among small town residents, child anxieties, and mistrust, in a very artful way. It also shows the very real side of how people are often confused and blameworthy against everyone especially with the most flimsy of evidence.

I probably could come up with more adjectives, and penetrating analysis, but perhaps it is better for those who haven't seen, to see. It left me in tears at the end. I think about my own children, my own family, and it left me with a strange feeling of uncertainty and doubt. It will take me a long time to shake that.

Very good story-telling!

I have been loving the emotional depth of this show! So often families of murder victims exist merely to give clues for the eventual solution but in Broadchurch we are exposed to the grief of a bereft and torn family.

I have never paid much attention to Olivia Coleman before but what an amazing actress! She will be added to my list of actors to follow from now on! She plays Ellie Miller a local detective who is not only charged with investigating the murder but who also knows personally the various suspects and players in the drama. An interesting mix and a fruitful tension!

I am very glad for her character because Miller's superior, DI ALec Hardy (David Tennant), is very much the clichéd grumpy dysfunctional detective we have all seen in a hundred other cop dramas. Having said that he plays his role well. If we must have this trope then Tennant brings some new life to it which is a tribute to his screen presence.

The setting is small town Dorset(Southern England). The village setting with its entangled relationships is fertile soil for the twists and tangles of the story.

After 6 episodes I am very much involved with the characters from the town of Broadchurch and am hoping the producers of this show will let it come to the end of its story arc in the scheduled 8 episodes.

I can't say too much how much I enjoyed this series. Unlike most murder dramas, this story isn't about autopsies and gunfights. It's about human nature. It's about the tragedy of the murder of a child. It's about the court of public opinion, the sinister nature of irresponsible journalism, the failures, frailties and flaws of our fellow human beings. This is 'Shakespeare writes a detective story'.

Chris Chibnall has now gone to the top of my list as a writer. It was beautifully done. In no way has he broken the cardinal rule of show, don't tell. Nor has he made the horrible mistake of creating any perfect character. All of them, from youngest to oldest, are wonderfully imperfect human beings, and with no character is this more obvious than our protagonist, DI Alec Hardy, masterfully played by David Tennant as the world-weary detective with secrets of his own and a shadowy past. He is so wonderfully written by Chibnall and executed by Tennant that we find ourselves won over by a character that on the surface is quite unlikable. Tennant's performance has, IMO, overshadowed his role in Doctor Who with this work. He has proved before that he's far more than the Tenth Doctor. With his Hardy, he made me forget about all other roles.

Olivia Colman, too, is wonderful. Her character enjoys a growth that's wonderful to behold. Colman is as good as any actress out there. I've seen her before, but with her Ellie Miller, she has captured me completely.

In fact not a single actor or actress was badly chosen. From eldest to youngest and male and female, all of them turned in sterling performances. Even the dog! I was especially pleased with Arthur Darvill. Young Adam Wilson, who played Tom Miller, was quite impressive as well.

This series is what TV should look like. This is what The Killing should have looked like. This is TV at it's finest. The story arc was magnificent, centered, not on procedurals and junk science-based CSI (actual CSI is nothing like what's shown on TV) but on the tragedy of it, and how that tragedy bled into the lives of the people of Broadchurch, itself, even the ones investigating it. The dialog was wonderful, especially the banter between Hardy and Miller, whose polar-opposite natures should have been cliché, yet were pulled off masterfully by Colman and Tennant. Hardy's subplot was simply divine. We find out why he is so world-weary, yet, in the end are still left with the mystery of him, and know he is Broadchurch's greatest mystery still. Little touches, like the 'love thy neighbor' signs add further richness and poignancy and lend the tale yet more humanity. Rich in character development, beautifully photographed, the series ended in a perfect denouement. And the best part is we are left wanting more, which is the mark of a truly great story.