The award-winning British crime drama is unlike any other police procedural you’ve ever seen
One of Britain’s most beloved drama series of all time has just landed on Netflix. This crime thriller scooped three Baftas and has been hailed as one of the finest to ever appear on our screens.
Broadchurch is a police drama which opens with the murder of 11 year old Danny Latimer who is discovered dead at the foot of the cliffs.
The death shatters the tight-knit Dorset community, and DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) must team up with newcomer Alec Hardy (David Tennant) – despite him having stolen the DI role she’d been lined up for – to attempt to crack the heartbreaking murder.
What emerges is a gripping tale of deception, mistrust and the dark secrets lurking beneath a small town’s surface.
Unlike other police dramas, this programme isn’t about high-speed car pursuits and sprinting through tower blocks wielding guns.
Rather, it’s about the profound imperfections we all harbour, the silent moments of anguish that accompany unthinkable loss and the perils of trial by public opinion.
Writing for the Express, Spare Time reporter Vita Molyneux said: “It has one of the best twists I have ever seen – and I watch a lot of television. The series is truly an unforgettable experience, and the performances are phenomenal.”
“There’s not a single weak spot in the cast, and even though it is now more than 10 years old, it is still as gripping as the first time I watched it.”
Vita is not alone in her admiration for this programme. Broadchurch holds a 92% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating with an 8.3 rating out of 10 on IMDB.
One viewer wrote on IMDB: “This is ‘Shakespeare writes a detective story’. It was beautifully done. In no way has he [writer Chris Chibnall] 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.”
Another said: “The locations are gorgeous and so atmospheric, and the series is beautifully photographed, fluid and brooding. The music is both haunting and tragic.
“Standing out also is the writing. It’s rare to find on television recently to have a series so intelligently written and be so layered and meaty. While the pacing is deliberate in places, a lot happens to keep one gripped and ensure that the tension and mystery never slips.”
