’Broadchurch’s many fans have found fresh delight in the third series of the hit TV crime drama.
Following the first series of the coastal mystery that became such a phenomenon in 2013, the second series was generally considered a disappointment as it covered the same turf from a different angle.
Series 3, however, has been an undisputed triumph, as detectives Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller set about uncovering who attacked local woman Trish Winterman at the birthday party of her best friend. The novelty of the new mystery has pumped fresh blood into the serial, even with familiar faces popping up to remind us what came before.
This is a bittersweet moment then, for the show’s star David Tennant to confirm what writer Chris Chibnall has long hinted at, that this really will be the final outing for these much-loved characters.
David told ‘The Andrew Marr Show’ at the weekend that, to the best of his knowledge: “I think this really is the end.”
He went on: “Chris Chibnall has quite a big new job coming up. He’s going to be running a little show called ‘Doctor Who’, I don’t know if you know it, so he’s going to be quite busy. I think this is it.”
David, who played the Doctor himself for five years following Russell T Davies’ celebrated reboot, also said he struggled to discern just what it is about ‘Broadchurch’ that has captured the imagination:
“If you could isolate the elements that turn things into gold, you’d be an alchemist.
“Olivia (Colman, co-star) and I would both say it comes from the writing, the fact that Chris Chibnell writes these scripts and gives us wonderful characters to play.”
He added that, although he struggled with the secrecy around the scripts as an actor - everyone only being fed their words an episode at a time - it did actually help his portrayal of frustrated Alec Hardy:
“You can get quite grumpy about not knowing, but as a policeman it’s quite useful. If you’re an interview situation and you don’t know whether the character across the table from you is telling the truth, it’s quite helpful.”
‘Broadchurch’ continues tonight on ITV at 9pm.