# Broadchurch (2013)

> When a young boy is murdered in a small coastal town, a grieving community and a media frenzy turn on each other while two detectives work to find the killer.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1343

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 24
- Episode runtime: 47 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Chris Chibnall
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Mark Bazeley, Lenny Henry, Sebastian Armesto, Oskar McNamara, Georgina Campbell
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2249364/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: bleak, intimate, atmospheric, tense, melancholic

## What critics say

Acclaimed for its gripping performances, tense whodunit structure and emotional weight, though some viewers find it formulaic as a police procedural.

## Synopsis

Broadchurch (2013-2017) is a British crime drama series created by Chris Chibnall for ITV1. Set in a small coastal town, the story opens with the murder of a young boy, and the investigation becomes a slow, painful search for the killer. Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant), a newly arrived outsider, is paired with local Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman), who knows nearly everyone in the town and is torn between loyalty and duty. Their working relationship is strained and sharpened by the pressures of a national press frenzy that digs into every family and every secret. Jodie Whittaker plays Beth Latimer, the boy's mother, whose grief anchors the drama. The engine of the series is the relentless pursuit of truth amid suspicion, with each episode peeling back another layer of the community's private lives. Across three seasons of eight episodes each, the show develops into a serialized investigation with case-based momentum and deepening emotional stakes. The tone is bleak, intimate and atmospheric, with a rain-soaked seaside palette and a quiet dread. Fans of Happy Valley, Shetland and The Killing will find resonance in its grounded, character-driven approach to crime.

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