"Broadchurch" TV Series Verdict (West Bay location)

Broadchurch 8-part ITV Series:

Watch it on ITV IPlayer (29 days left)

Synopsis of episode one

Dorset coastal scenes, West Bay

Tourist Attraction

More background from David Tennant

Verdict on episode one: too much "dramatic" incidental music over unnecessarily prolonged actor reactions?

The star of the show so far? The location- the coastline and West Bay cliffs. I am not so convinced by the portrayal of a close-knit community (do such "communities" actually exist?).

It's not much of a threat to the Danes or Swedes, but the Telegraph review is more positive. The Independent mentions the influence of the Scandinavians, and the main actor's unnecessary designer stubble.
The Guardian has this review. I'd better suspend judgement. Time Out likes it. So does Metro.

To be frank, any sense of drama or suspense was undermined by the over-frequent advertising breaks and by the sponsor's tedious and repetitive River Cruise adverts. Who wants to go on a river cruise, or even to think about one, when watching a TV series set on the splendid Jurassic Coast?

Update 28 December 2013:

"Broadchurch, starring David Tennant and Olivia Coleman, has been named the best television programme of 2013. The annual poll of Radio Times critics chose the ITV drama, about a detective investigating the murder of a child in small-town England over hit US series Breaking Bad and Homeland".
See other comments on the Dorset Echo website page
Six comments to date:

wessex-andy says...
10:16pm Mon 4 Mar 13
Just watched episode one and so far it all looks very amateurish to me.

Am1234 says...
10:48pm Mon 4 Mar 13
Rather depressing:(

vickicook113@hotmail.com says...
10:58pm Mon 4 Mar 13
Sorry ITV but i never watched Broadchurch. Due to a 22 year woman died at Charmouth. I thought it was tasteless for that family to watch the drama. Remembering what happen.

rogace says...
6:17am Tue 5 Mar 13
i do not understand the negative comments below...
the fact that this is 'local' drama and modern i have no issue...death happens anywhere and involving teenagers is sadly now the latest fact of life.
if you watch Emmerdale , Corrie etc then death happens all the time.
as for Eastenders eeew now that's depressing. lol

ITV did not do a bad job and i found it gripping and most watchable and am looking forward to the next episode.
my only critique in the story-line is that is seems at this early stage in plot to been similar to the recent drama
'a mothers son' however i like David Tenant and many of the other cast and enjoyed the programme.

If you missed last night then catch on ITV player like i did and you may like it.

rogace says...
6:33am Tue 5 Mar 13
sorry to edit,
I meant to say the HOW I do not understand the 3 ''negative comments ABOVE'' not below lol.

all the mainstream press reviews and feeds today trend to indicate this drama has been well received and is pretty good....
we loved the Sweeney and all the TV murder mysteries from the past so now we have great actors and so give it chance!
if you don't like murder mystery then don't watch it...simples


TenBobDylanThomasHardy says...
6:39am Tue 5 Mar 13
I'm with the first three comments. Insensitive given the recent tragedy.
It did seem ameteurish but as the characters established themselves and the story unfolded I was taken along.
I'm not a fan of soaps, but it did seem depressing small-town rather than distressed rural-idyll. Some rather 'deliberate' accents (I thought it was Doc Martin for a moment).
I'm sure that News-agent always plays the same part and he "baint be one o' we".