TV DVD: Broadchurch

Taking its cue from Scandinavian dramas The Killing and The Bridge (see review elsewhere here) this superior British drama had the whole nation talking during its TV run. Such was the furore that bookmakers were taking bets and national newspapers ran extensive features.

It follows the investigation into the murder of a young boy found dead on the beach of the picturesque town of the title.

Local policewoman Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) expects to be put in charge of the investigation but her superiors decide to bring in an outsider. Enter David Tennant (Dr Who, Fright Night) as the baggage-laden Detective Inspector Alec Hardy.

Hardy and Miller follow the evidence through a town filled with eclectic and multi-layered characters. Everyone seems to have at least one skeleton lurking in their cupboard and the murder enquiry uncovers them all.

There are secret affairs, previous offences and unlikely friendships which soon emerge and help or hinder the hunt for the culprit.

The entire cast are fantastic with Colman and Tennant quite simply stunning in their portrayal of two completely different police officers working towards the same goal. I did manage to guess the killer quite early on but that didn’t detract from the totally compelling story as it unfolds.

This 3 disc set contains all 8 episodes of this captivating police procedural drama which hopefully heralds a new era in British television.

Broadchurch is available on DVD in the UK from 20^th May 2013.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.