Broadchurch

BAFTA will be hosting a preview screening of David Tennant's new ITV1 drama, Broadchurch, on Tuesday 19th February 2013 at 6.45pm at the Princess Anne Theatre, BAFTA.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Chris Chibnall and James Strong and some cast members who are yet to be confirmed.


A new eight part ensemble drama series, Broadchurch will explore what happens to a small community when it suddenly becomes the focus of a major event and is subjected to the full glare of the media spotlight.
Bloodied and dirty, Danny Price has been found dead on an idyllic beach, surrounded by rocks and a jutting cliff-face from where he may have fallen. David Tennant takes the role of DI Alec Hardy; an out-of-town, newly promoted police detective who takes the job local girl DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) believes should have been hers. Ellie has to find reserves of patience and toughness to negotiate a professional relationship with the difficult and unyielding Hardy. Yet as the drama progresses, Hardy’s own secrets are laid bare.
Cast members also include Vicky McClure, Arthur Darvil, Pauline Quirke, Andrew Buchan, Jodie Whittaker and Will Mellor

Visit the BAFTA site here to book your tickets.
Thanks to our friends at BAFTA.

A new eight part ensemble drama series, Broadchurch will explore what happens to a small community when it suddenly becomes the focus of a major event and is subjected to the full glare of the media spotlight.
Bloodied and dirty, Danny Price has been found dead on an idyllic beach, surrounded by rocks and a jutting cliff-face from where he may have fallen. David Tennant takes the role of DI Alec Hardy; an out-of-town, newly promoted police detective who takes the job local girl DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) believes should have been hers. Ellie has to find reserves of patience and toughness to negotiate a professional relationship with the difficult and unyielding Hardy. Yet as the drama progresses, Hardy’s own secrets are laid bare.
Cast members also include Vicky McClure, Arthur Darvil, Pauline Quirke, Andrew Buchan, Jodie Whittaker and Will Mellor

Visit the BAFTA site here to book your tickets.
Thanks to our friends at BAFTA.

Watch out for some extra special publicity for the new ITV series Broadchurch coming your way in the form of moving posters.

David Tennant revealed to the audience at the Four Doctors' talk at Project Motor Mouth on Saturday that he and co-star Olivia Colman had gone for some publicity photos for the eight part crime drama only to be told that they were also to be filmed. He described how the pair of them were repeatedly filmed walking in straight lines along the sand while a vast number of people precisely timed the three second clip. The sequence was to be used in animated billboards, something that utterly amazed David.

"Harry Potter has finally arrived!" he exclaimed, referring to the moving photos and paintings that routinely occur in the world of wizards.

Broadchurch is due to start on ITV in the next few weeks: "Very soon," said David, "Maybe as soon as next month"

Read more about Broadchurch here

Broadchurch actress Olivia Colman has been talking to the Belfast Telegraph about how emotional she felt during the filming of the new drama and about how much she enjoyed working with David Tennant
Olivia plays Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller who is investigating the murder of a boy found on a beach.


She says:


She added: "It's quite upsetting. But it was lovely. I worked with David

Tennant, who is the nicest man in the world, so that was a joy working with

somebody so lovely."

Read the full article on The Belfast Telegraph's site here.

Jan
30
Bridport Arts Centre Hosts Broadchurch Screening




On Wednesday 6th February, Bridport Arts Centre will be hosting a charity screening of episode one of Broadchurch starring David Tennant, Olivia Colman and Arthur Darvill. The crime drama was partially shot in the Dorset town.

Bridport Arts Centre say:
On Wednesday 6 February 2013 at 7.30pm, Bridport Arts Centre will have a sneak preview of the first episode of Broadchurch. This new ITV series starts at the end of February, so this is a unique opportunity to see it and hear about the making of it.

Local author Chris Chibnall wrote and created this new drama. The director James Strong and the producer, Richard Stokes will join him for a Q&A following the screening. Entry is free but seats must be reserved by calling the box office on 01308 424204.

Donations towards Cancer Research and Bridport Arts Centre can be made after the screening.

The screening is not suitable for children under 16.

Click here for more details and to book online

Find out more about Broadchurch here

Many thanks to eides for noticing this

Daybreak presenter and showbiz editor Richard Arnold tweeted earlier this afternoon to say that he'd been interviewing David Tennant and Olivia Colman to promote their new ITV1 drama Broadchurch.
He said:
"New ITV1 drama Broadchurch coming soon. Great stuff. Cracking afternoon with stars David Tennant and Olivia Colman"

Visit our Broadchurch section here for more info.

The first episode of the new ITV drama series Broadchurch had its world première screening tonight at Bridport Arts Centre. A number of audience members took to Twitter soon afterwards to share their positive reactions to the drama and the cast:


@BridNewsAnne Oooh - just seen the first episode of Broadchurch starring West Bay. Triffic!

@Norburtonhall Broadchurch preview was excellent. Can't wait to see episode 2. Luckily on TV there's only 1 week between programmes...

@acbarrett No spoilers, but #Broadchurch episode one is brilliant. Strong, emotional performances from an impressive cast brought tears to my eyes.

@Lepussaliens Just got back from @BridportArts and the world premier public screening of#Broadchurch due on #itv in a few weeks. Worth looking out for!

@grossbloke Blimey! Just seen #broadchurch ep1.... A return to proper 'edge of the seat' british drama. Cant wait for the rest. Well done @ChrisChibnall



The screening was also attended by writer Chris Chibnall, director James Strong and producer Richard Stokes, who took part in a Q&A session afterwards. Chris Chibnall, talking about the casting of David Tennant in the lead role of DI Alec Hardy said "He's the best at what he does. Astounding"

Broadchurch is an eight part series which explores what happens to a small seaside town when it becomes the focus of media and police scrutiny following the suspicious death of a child. David Tennant and Olivia Colman star with Arthur Darvill, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan and Vicky McClure. The series is expected to begin on ITV in late February / March.

The ITV Press Office have released cast and storyline information about their new eight part crime drama Broadchurch. The series, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman begins on ITV in late February or March - exact broadcast details have yet to be announced. Read more below:

Broadchurch


Broadchurch is a new drama series by Kudos Film and Television for ITV. The star-studded cast includes David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Andrew Buchan, Jodie Whittaker, Vicky McClure, Pauline Quirke and Arthur Darvill.

Broadchurch is written and created by Chris Chibnall (United, Law and Order: UK) and explores what happens to a small community in Dorset when it suddenly becomes the focus of a police investigation, following the tragic and mysterious death of an eleven year old boy under the glare of the media spotlight.

Bloodied and dirty, Danny Latimer (Oskar McNamara) has been found dead on an idyllic beach surrounded by rocks and a jutting cliff-face from where he may have fallen. While his death remains unresolved, the picturesque seaside town of Broadchurch is at the heart of a major police investigation and a national media frenzy.

The sadness of losing a child consumes the family, Beth and Mark Latimer (Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan), their daughter 15 year old Chloe (Charlotte Beaumont) and Beth’s mum Liz (Susan Brown) as they attempt to cope with their grief, everyday normal life and the abruptness of the unwarranted attention heaped upon them. Devastated by their loss, it’s the most stressful and emotional time in their lives as they struggle to relate to their friends, neighbours, the church, the press, and the police.

David Tennant takes the role of DI Alec Hardy; an out-of-town, newly promoted police detective who takes the job local girl DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) believes should have been hers
.
Ellie has to find reserves of patience and toughness to negotiate a professional relationship with the difficult and unyielding Hardy. Yet as the drama progresses, Hardy’s own secrets are laid bare.

Ellie is also emotionally involved with this case. Ellie’s son Tom (Adam Wilson) was the dead boy’s best friend and she’s known Danny all his young life. How could she not be drawn in? But Hardy’s clinical methods force Ellie to see the community she grew up in through a different prism.

One by one the community of Broadchurch are drawn into the police enquiry. The village vicar Paul Coates (Arthur Darvill) tries to offer his support, but with press snooping, Broadchurch Echo junior reporter Olly Stevens (Jonathan Bailey) and editor Maggie Radcliffe (Carolyn Pickles), and particularly national newspaper journalist Karen White (Vicky McClure) who has come to Broadchurch with a special interest in DI Hardy, everyone is ill at ease. Hotelier Becca Fisher (Simone McAullay) and local business people are implicated as the effects of a death in the community begins to impact on their hard-earned livelihoods. Telephone engineer Steve Connelly (Will Mellor) finds himself in deep when he admits he has a special connection to the case.

Pauline Quirke takes the role of Susan Wright, a suspicious and scruffy character who appears to observe the goings on in Broadchurch from afar. Susan lives in the local caravan park and has a lonely existence. There’s a sense she’s hiding something, but what could she possibly know about Danny’s demise?

Cast

DI Alec Hardy - David Tennant
DS Ellie Miller - Olivia Colman
Mark Latimer - Andrew Buchan
Beth Latimer - JodieWhittaker
Karen White - Vicky McClure
Rev. Paul Coates - Arthur Darvill
Susan Wright - Pauline Quirke
Steve Connelly - Will Mellor
Maggie Radcliffe - Carolyn Pickles
Joe Miller - Matthew Gravelle
Becca Fisher - Simone McAullay
Olly Stevens - Jonathan Bailey
Danny Latimer - Oskar McNamara
Chloe Latimer - Charlotte Beaumont
Liz Roper - Susan Brown
Tom Miller - AdamWilson
Nige Carter - Joe Sims
Jack Marshall - David Bradley
Dean Thomas - Jacob Anderson



Broadchurch was commissioned for ITV by drama commissioning team, Laura Mackie and Sally Haynes.

James Strong (United, Downton Abbey, Silent Witness, Doctor Who) and Euros Lyn (Torchwood, Doctor Who, Upstairs Downstairs, Sherlock) direct the series. Richard Stokes (Silk, Law & Order: UK, Torchwood) is the producer. Jane Featherstone (The Hour, Life On Mars, Law & Order: UK) and Chris Chibnall are the executive producers.



Kudos Film and Television is the UK's most successful and original producer of popular, award-winning scripted television, supplying broadcasters domestically and internationally. Shows include the era-defining Spooks, Hustle, Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes; successful, returning series The Hour, Law & Order: UK and M.I. High and critically acclaimed mini-series and single films such as Occupation and We'll Take Manhattan. Current and forthcoming productions include Utopia (written by Dennis Kelly for Channel 4), Sky One's The Smoke (Lucy Kirkwood) and the Ben Court and Caroline Ip-penned Mayday (BBC One). In 2007, 2010 & 2011 Kudos was voted the UK's most admired independent production company by its peers in Broadcast magazine. Formed in 1992, it has been part of the Shine Group since 2007.


Thanks to the ITV Press Centre. The full press pack is available for download here.

David Tennant gives some insights into his Broadchurch character DI Alec Hardy. Read this new interview with ITV where he talks about the difficulties of filming a drama about such sensitive subject matter and the benefits of not knowing what is coming next.


David Tennant is DI Alec Hardy

David Tennant was hooked from the first time he read an episode of Broadchurch and knew he wanted to play DI Alec Hardy, a big fish in a Dorset backwater in the ITV drama.

Talking about his character David says: “He is a cop from a big city – presumably Glasgow – who for reasons that become evident as we go through the story, has been moved to a small out of the way police force where hopefully he can go under the radar. Events conspire fairly early on in the story which mean this isn’t the case and very soon the national spotlight will be shone on him. He is not without some secrets and troubles which is why he has ended up in this little Dorset town.

“Hardy is good at what he does and he’s very motivated and driven to solve this crime, and we come to understand that is more than just a professional drive as the story unfolds. He is not the most sociable chap; he doesn’t have a myriad of social skills so he is someone who expects things to be done a certain way and can’t quite understand why other people don’t always meet his exacting standards. He lacks people skills – that’s his main problem.”

During the investigation Hardy has to work alongside local DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) which isn’t always an easy alliance…

“He and Ellie are not particularly similar as people and I think Hardy initially has a sort of big city disregard for small town police practises and imagines that they really don’t know what they are doing. He thinks he has to whip them into shape single-handed as he continues to be exasperated with the way things are run in Broadchurch.

“They come from very different places, and circumstances have thrust them together and the way the plot develops by default they end up working much more closely than they imagined they would be able to at first.”

What initially drew David to the role?

“I have worked with writer Chris Chibnall before and I am a big fan of him both personally and professionally. And I was always keen to work with director James Strong again so when the scripts arrived with their names attached it was already something I would be inclined to be involved with. Olivia was already signed when I first heard about it which was another great appeal to me. I had two scripts to look at with the knowledge that subsequent scripts would be appearing throughout the process and we wouldn’t get final scripts until months into the shoot – which is a gamble. But the fact I read it from cover to cover in one pass and was left at the end of the first episode desperately wanting to know what happens next was telling. That initial response is always worth noting; the first time you read the script is the closest you will be able to watch it as a viewer. If it grabs you and you want to know more, and if you’re intrigued by the characters in that first moment, that’s always something to be pursued.”

And the parallel between actors and viewers didn’t stop there as the story unfolded before the cast on set…

“If you are playing someone who is investigating a crime and the crime is actually unfolding as you go from an acting point of view, that’s very helpful as you can’t second guess. When you’re playing those initial interviews with characters and you genuinely don’t know what the truth is you can’t load those scenes with ‘actorly’ tricks; you have to play it for what it is which can only make it more real. You can be as exasperated about the mystery of the characters as the audience will be.”

How do you approach a drama with such sensitive subject matter? How realistic should it be?

“I think you have to be very careful. The truth is it’s a drama of course so for us to compare it to any real life event just looks opportunistic and in rather poor taste. Obviously it reflects the world and human experiences – that’s what drama does – I hope it does that truthfully and effectively. As we are hoping to intrigue and entertain I don’t think we are making an effort to present what it’s really like or to make too many references to what people have seen in the news. That would make us a hostage to fortune.

The new eight-part ITV crime drama Broadchurch is the creation of writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall. Read below as he talks about his reasons for wanting to tell the story of the wider impact of a tragic event and how his amazing cast and crew - including David Tennant - reacted to being kept in the dark about the culprit's identity.

Broadchurch: An Introduction by writer and creator Chris Chibnall
Broadchurch is a hybrid: a cocktail of stories. A drama about a community racked by grief and suspicion. A whodunnit, packed with suspects. A character-driven, emotional thriller, thick with twists and turns. When I was writing Law & Order:UK, I always used to worry for the victim’s relatives we would bring in for one scene: what happened to them when they left the screen. Broadchurch is, in part, an answer to that, a desire to honour those people more fully.

It's also a love letter to the landscape of West Dorset, where I've lived for the best part of a decade. The landscape informs the drama: the cliffs, the sea, the beach are all key elements of the story. I've put dinosaurs on spaceships (on screen, not in life, that would be ridiculous), but nothing has given me the satisfaction of seeing the Jurassic Coast on screen in all weathers, all times of day, and night. Our cast and crew adored Dorset too - especially in the high sun of early September. Oh, they loved me, then. At the end of November, at 2am on a cliff side battered by wind and sea-spray, less so.

For me, the whole project has been a labour of love. I'd been ruminating on a big ensemble drama, exploring the way a death might impact on a community, for the best part of a decade. In 2011, after working with a US network, I was desperate to write an authored, uncompromised story set close to home. I wrote the first episode, on spec, just for myself: no company, no broadcaster. When it was written, I called ITV drama commissioner, Laura Mackie, from a Rome hotel (United, a film I wrote for BBC Two, was screening in the RomaFictionFest and I wanted to appear high class). I told her I had a new script, would she like to read it? Thankfully, she said yes.

An early writing mentor of mine, Barrie Keeffe (exceptional playwright and screenwriter of The Long Good Friday), taught me the most crucial demand on any dramatist: "Write good parts for actors". One story, told throughout the series, gives actors more space to create complex, real people. I feel lucky and proud of these performances: led from the front by David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan, Vicky McClure, Arthur Darvill, Will Mellor, Pauline Quirke - sorry, couldn't stop typing. And in addition to the people you know, I hope you'll also love newer faces like Jonathan Bailey, Joe Sims, Matthew Gravelle, Charlotte Beaumont and Jacob Anderson.

And none of them knew who the killer was. We made a decision early on: we wouldn't tell the actor(s) or actress(es) playing the person(s) responsible for Danny Latimer's death that they were the killer(s). (I know, the parentheses are annoying. They’re over now. Oh.) It added an extra level of intrigue to the production: the cast and crew started their own sweepstake, the make-up truck kept a rogues’ gallery of photofit pictures on their wall, with comments on the suspected motives for each character. David Tennant merrily harangued me in a location car park, "I'm annoyed you won't tell me and I think you're absolutely right not to!"

We hope part of the joy of Broadchurch is the unfolding of the story. We've deliberately not put "Next Time" trailers at the end of each episode. We'll be keeping as much information to ourselves as we can. And we'd really, properly love it if you - the advance guard - would keep the secrets you discover along the way to yourselves, so the audience can experience them, unspoiled.

Because this one is from the heart. And I hope these characters, and their stories, find a place in yours.



Read what series star David Tennant has to say about the drama here

Broadchurch stars David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Arthur Darvill, Vicky McClure, Will Mellor, Andrew Buchan, Jodie Whittaker and Pauline Quirke. It will be shown on ITV from late February / March (actual broadcast date to be confirmed).

Visit our Broadchurch pages for more information

Thanks to the ITV Press Centre. To download the full ITV Press Pack click here

Lucky ticket holders at the Bridport Arts Centre last night got to view an exclusive advanced screening of the new ITV drama Broadchurch – but series writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall insisted that they keep plot details a secret.

The producers of the drama staged the screening as a special thank you to locals after their small Dorset town was used as a filming location. Chris Chibnall, himself a Bridport resident, based the story around the coast and harbour of West Bay, although much of the footage was shot in the North Somerset town of Clevedon.

Chris Chibnall appeared at the event along with director James Strong and producer Richard Stokes to pass on their personal thanks and to answer questions about the drama and filming. He said, “If you found roads closed, let us run riot in your caravan park, or if you were anyone who just didn’t complain when you weren’t able to do something if we were filming – thank you very much.”

Broadchurch explores what happens in a small community when it becomes the focus of police and media scrutiny following the unexplained death of a child. The events and outcome of the drama are so veiled in secrecy that even the cast were not told the outcome – it was shot in sequence with scripts being sent out only shortly before shooting. In September, David Tennant, then mid-shoot, told fans at the Lords of Time convention that he had little idea about what was coming up and that all he could say was that the events of the first couple of episodes take place over just a couple of days. He said of the process: “If you are playing someone who is investigating a crime and the crime is actually unfolding as you go from an acting point of view, that’s very helpful as you can’t second guess. When you’re playing those initial interviews with characters and you genuinely don’t know what the truth is you can’t load those scenes with ‘actorly’ tricks; you have to play it for what it is which can only make it more real. You can be as exasperated about the mystery of the characters as the audience will be.”

Chris Chibnall said that the cast and crew had their own sweepstake on who would be the culprit, and that David Tennant stopped him in the car park one day to say to him, "I'm annoyed you won't tell me and I think you're absolutely right not to!"

Broadchurch will begin on ITV within the next few weeks. Click here for more information.

Source: Bridport News and the ITV Press Centre

Chris Chibnall has spoken of his anxious wait for the reaction to the world premiere screening of the first episode of Broadchurch in Bridport earlier this week.

The West Bay area of the Dorset town provided a stunning backdrop for coastal scenes in the new eight-part ITV drama, and series writer and executive producer Chibnall, himself a resident, arranged the screening as a thank you to local people for putting up with filming during late summer and autumn last year. He was “excited and terrified at the same time” waiting for first reactions.

He spoke to Bridport News about his reasons for setting his new drama in the area. He said:
“It is an extraordinary landscape and I thought it would be a fantastic thing to capture it on film and showcase it. Then I started to think about what sort of story might be interesting and I thought about a small community and what it’s like living in one. We see a lot of dramas set in cities but very few in small towns, which is strange because most of us live in towns. I wanted to explore that.”

Broadchurch examines the effect on a small close-knit community of the death of a child under suspicious circumstances and the subsequent scrutiny by both the police and the press. David Tennant and Olivia Colman star as investigating officers DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller. Also appearing are Andrew Buchan, Jodie Whittaker, Vicky McClure, Arthur Darvill, Pauline Quirke and Will Mellor. Chris Chibnall said of his cast:
“The cast is great, a really good team of actors and I am delighted they are all on board.
“Olivia Colman is the best actress in the country, I can’t say enough good things about her, and Jodie is just wonderful too. The same with David, he is so versatile and it is great to see him doing something different.
“They all loved it down here. We had a week of beautiful, sunny filming in September and they all fell in love with the place. It was a bit different in November though when they were on a cliff at 2am in the pouring rain and a howling gale!”

Broadchurch begins on ITV in March. Look out for the first dedicated trailer on Sunday night on ITV following Mr. Selfridge, and see if you can spot any posters in your area from next Monday.

Source: Bridport News

The new ITV drama Broadchurch starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman is now available to pre-order on Region 2 (UK & Europe) DVD.

About Broadchurch

Broadchurch is a new drama series by Kudos Film and Television for ITV. The star-studded cast includes David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Andrew Buchan, Jodie Whittaker, Vicky McClure, Pauline Quirke and Arthur Darvill.

Broadchurch is written and created by Chris Chibnall (United, Law and Order: UK) and explores what happens to a small community in Dorset when it suddenly becomes the focus of a police investigation, following the tragic and mysterious death of an eleven year old boy under the glare of the media spotlight.

Bloodied and dirty, Danny Latimer has been found dead on an idyllic beach surrounded by rocks and a jutting cliff-face from where he may have fallen. While his death remains unresolved, the picturesque seaside town of Broadchurch is at the heart of a major police investigation and a national media frenzy.


The three-disc set will be released by Acorn Media on Monday 27th May

Pre-order your copy here

Broadchurch is due to begin on ITV1 in March 2013. It will also be coming to BBC America later this year.