Broadchurch: Season 1

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 30 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 316 Ratings

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8.2

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8.2	User Score Universal acclaim based on 316 Ratings

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Broadchurch

Now Playing: Broadchurch

Season Details & Credits

BBC America | ITV | Season Premiere Date: August 7, 2013

Starring: Pauline Quirke, David Tennant, Olivia Colman

Summary: Recently transferred Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) takes the lead of the investigation into the death of 11-year-old Danny Latimer (Oskar McNamara) in the fictional Dorset town of Broadchurch over local Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman).

Creator: Chris Chibnall

Genre(s): Drama, Suspense

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E8. Episode 8
Air Date: September 25, 2013
tbd
S1:E7. Episode 7
Air Date: September 18, 2013
tbd
S1:E6. Episode 6
Air Date: September 11, 2013

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Ellen Gray

Aug 6, 2013

As always, execution matters. Broadchurch's is practically note-perfect. Read full review

100

Maureen Ryan

Aug 6, 2013

Broadchurch manages to be both a finely crafted piece of suspenseful entertainment and also an emotionally resonant examination of grief, loss and moral confusion. Read full review

100

Tim Goodman

Aug 7, 2013

In an embarrassment of riches, this series is littered with numerous quality acting performances. It's just a thing of beauty all the way around. Read full review

Melissa Maerz

Aug 2, 2013

Broadchurch is a gripping portrait of small-town paranoia. Read full review

Mary McNamara

Aug 7, 2013

A dozen characters, played by the inevitably glorious assortment of British actors, crisscross in an astonishingly fluid game of cat's cradle, bringing this small town miraculously to life but never straying too far, or too absurdly, from the narrative through line. Read full review

Emily Nussbaum

Aug 5, 2013

Broadchurch is beautifully crafted: well filmed, well cast, well scored, atmospheric without being a drag. It also has a striking mixture of cruel insight and sentimental warmth that elevates it above cheaper concoctions. Read full review

Matt Zoller Seitz

Aug 7, 2013

Broadchurch excels at showing the awkward moments between the briskly delivered plot points, and the small details of voice and gesture that define communities in mourning (or guilty panic), and it has the good sense not to overdo anything.... And yet there's something fundamentally unsatisfying about the whole thing, as smart and intricately structured as it is--and it has nothing whatsoever to do with any writing or acting or filmmaking issues, and everything to do with the fact that we've just been to this particular narrative well too many times in 2013. Read full review

SEE ALL 30 REVIEWS

User Score

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8.2

User Reviews

nagya

Aug 10, 2013

A drama of the finest quality. It grants the audience unique insights into the lives of the characters whilst reminding us that we can never really know who they are or how they really feel.

An outstanding achievement from the actors, writers, cinematographers and everyone in between.

6 of 7 users found this helpful61

Shaggy85

Dec 20, 2014

I just started watching Broadchurch last night on Netflix, David Tennant is ever so amazing as he was in Doctor Who. Along side with Olivia Colman, they make the perfect duo for a terrific British Crime Drama. Thank you BBC for yet another amazing Crime Drama! You never fail to impress me. (:

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Ravens1294

Oct 11, 2014

This was a great and I wish I saw it earlier. This was way better than The Killing. The story is laid out perfectly and it goes along smoothly. Each episode is very intense and extremely emotional. The writing and direction are top notch. I'm really glad the season was only 8 episodes. NoThis was a great and I wish I saw it earlier. This was way better than The Killing. The story is laid out perfectly and it goes along smoothly. Each episode is very intense and extremely emotional. The writing and direction are top notch. I'm really glad the season was only 8 episodes. No filler whatsoever. As the story went darker and sadder, the viewer is just moved emotionally. You feel for the family, the town, the people. It's that emotional of a show. The show is simple, yet complex. Character development is fantastic and the characters are enjoyable to watch. David Tennant is just amazing in the show. His acting is incredible. The rest of the cast is also fantastic. The style and direction of each episode reflects the show perfectly. I fell in love with the show with the first episode and it was amazing for the whole season. It did not stumble like some shows near the end of the season. One of the best things about the show was the use of beautiful beach shots and haunting score. Most shows do not sure the score to their advantage. The dark and absorbing score allowed certain scenes to have more intensity. It was beautiful to hear. The show was amazing from start to finish. The writers developed an interesting and intense story. They also brought real emotions to the viewers. All in all, one of the best shows of 2013.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Fitzpaula

Aug 14, 2013

I enjoyed this show a lot. Especially in the beginning it really draws you in and establishes a very dark and threatening atmosphere. Unlike many whodunits it does not just focus on the, well, whodunit, but takes a close look at the people inhabiting this curious place. Even if the solutionI enjoyed this show a lot. Especially in the beginning it really draws you in and establishes a very dark and threatening atmosphere. Unlike many whodunits it does not just focus on the, well, whodunit, but takes a close look at the people inhabiting this curious place. Even if the solution of the case is not as surprising as it's probably supposed to be, it still hits you and leaves you with a bitter aftertaste.
Also to be commended is of course the amazing cast, not just the two leads with their wonderfully crooked chemistry, but also all the smaller characters roaming the streets of Broadchurch.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

floppysound

Apr 16, 2016

Anything that takes time to be cured and later be prepared, braised, savored and then consumed. This would be the series for you. The best dramas are always the ones you'd easily connect to. You'd probably be guessing who, why and what did they do to commit the crime in every episode. If youAnything that takes time to be cured and later be prepared, braised, savored and then consumed. This would be the series for you. The best dramas are always the ones you'd easily connect to. You'd probably be guessing who, why and what did they do to commit the crime in every episode. If you are intrigued with what you are reading so far, this would be a series worth spending time watching.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Black_glasses

Jan 13, 2016

A fresh,new thrilling series with what at first seems like a simple plot bur later it turns out to be one of the finest english series from the recent series. All the Actors have played their part very well and the Cinematography ist stunning.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Pucifer

Mar 23, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pedophilia is of course not funny but the British obsession with it is indeed a joke. In the outwardly charming hamlet of Broadchurch, everybody is a closet pedophile, a suspected pedophile, or married to a pedophile. This is not an exaggeration. The series ends on a jarring and offensively religious-sanctimonious note, which I probably should have seen coming given the inclusion of the especially annoying clairvoyant character who pops in every so often bearing messages from the dead child. And what is up with that anti-abortion propaganda? We are told that an unwanted pregnancy is God giving you not what you want, but what you need. Rubbish.… Expand

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

SEE ALL 56 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

84

Series Overview
Season 3

85
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: June 28, 2017
Season 2

73
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: March 4, 2015
Season 1

91
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: August 7, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E8. Episode 8
  Air Date: September 25, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E7. Episode 7
  Air Date: September 18, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E6. Episode 6
  Air Date: September 11, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E5. Episode 5
  Air Date: September 4, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E4. Episode 4
  Air Date: August 28, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E3. Episode 3
  Air Date: August 21, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E2. Episode 2
  Air Date: August 14, 2013
- tbd
  S1:E1. Episode 1
  Air Date: August 7, 2013