Broadchurch

[Kord Industries]

Has anyone else around here been watching this?

Despite not being attracted to procedural drama types of shows, I gave Broadchurch a shot because Tennant is my Doctor and ended up getting really sucked into the series. I think because it wasn't so much about solving the crime as it was about the aftermath and the way it rippled through the community.

I was almost reminded of Game of Thrones in the way they set these characters up for you to have a certain impression before fleshing them out and showing you more. Almost like Dostoevsky-on-TV. Really refreshing. I don't know how I feel about it going into a second series, though. And I'm not terribly excited about it being remade for American television, but we'll see.

Thoughts?

 

[NormanF]

I enjoyed it. I watch several police shows and for a couple years now I have thought about how they solve the crime in 45 minutes and someone should make a show where they spend an entire season working on the crime. Like 24, but with less threats to torture someone if they don't tell us where the missles are.

The only reasons I can see for remaking this are to solve other crimes for the next few years after this one and maybe the occasional accent.

Sent from my Etch A Sketch.

 

[cboath]

I loved it. It was like a window into something actually happening in the world somewhere. Acting was perfect across the board. Glad it was british. FOX will royally screw it up. (they are doing the show this spring). This version looked like a real town with real people. The FOX version will look like a bunch of models with limited (if any) acting ability. That's how shallow they think we are here.

I figured it out after 4 weeks Wasn't positive of course until the end because the audience never had any real evidence. But still

Well, season 2 doesn't have be murder either. It's called Broadchurch, which is just a name of a town. Season 2 will be very interesting to see where they go.

 

[Kord Industries]

I enjoyed it. I watch several police shows and for a couple years now I have thought about how they solve the crime in 45 minutes and someone should make a show where they spend an entire season working on the crime.

This is one of the things that puts me off of the procedural dramas. Knowing that the case will be resolved by the end of the episode really lowers the stakes and gives me no reason to invest in any of the characters.

I've heard The Killing is one of the few American shows to take a stab at what it seems like Broadchurch was doing. Do you watch it?

This version looked like a real town with real people. The FOX version will look like a bunch of models with limited (if any) acting ability. That's how shallow they think we are here.

EXACTLY this. I was thinking about editing my original post with something to this extent, but I figured I'd wait to see if anyone else watched and if it came up naturally. Hardy and Ellie both looked like relatively haggard detectives. The most attractive people on the show (The Lattimers, the reporter-lady from The Herald and Ellie's nephew, and the innkeeper) were attractive in that sort of reasonable, person-on-the-street way. I don't actually watch much TV so, when I went from this to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it stood out to me how most of the core cast were stupidly pretty from top to bottom. Worse that I was kind of disappointed with a lot of the acting and couldn't help but wonder if there was a more-talented-but-less-attractive actor who was passed over for roles that didn't even require a beautiful person.

 

[cboath]

It's one of those things you sort of notice watching american tv that doesn't register as much as it should until you watch overseas stuff.

From what i've seen of the BBC shows, at least, most important thing is: can you act? And act the part?
On american TV the important thing is: Are you good looking? If so, how good looking are you? 72 other things, then, can you act? And frankly, it seems 2/3 of the time that question is never asked.

It's one of the things that bothers me to no end about movie advertising...Actor's name everywhere and then the tail of the commercial the name of the movie. Same thing with names over everything on posters. There's absolutely NO ONE i'll go to a movie just to see them regardless of the movie. I don't care who's in it if it's good. It's not about looks, or rather it shouldn't be, it should be about talent. It's probably worse with pop music these days (not that I listen ) To many untalented studio enhanced 'singers', but they get the gig due exclusively to their appearance. The next beethoven could be out there and be a 20 year old woman, but if she's not at least an 8/10 to the studio execs she won't get in the front door.

Back to the main point though, this was a picture of a real town. Every town is going to have some good looking people. No problems there. But the good looking people aren't always (and in reality likely rarely) the important people. There will be average and even below average looking people playing significant roles in the function of the town.

As for SHIELD, the funny thing is, for super spies or an under the radar force, you don't want people who draw attention. You want normal everyday looking people. Having a bunch of 10's as spies is asking for failure because someone will be watching their every move. I'd almost guarantee people who are better suited lost out because they weren't 'hot enough'.

In Broadchurch, one of the things that made it seem so real and believable was the total absence of supermodel types. Everyone fit the bill of normal everyday person. You can't populate a town with a bunch of 10's and have it be believable. Give people a chance to watch a good show and they will.

 

[Jaitea]

Yep Broadchurch was a great series.....great story, great cast & beautifully filmed. Being from the UK, I don't understand why programmes like these need remade for US audiences, I can see why topical comedies or political dramas would need re-scripted, but I would have no problem watching a drama series like this based on a small seaside town in the US,....we speak the same language.

The most laughable remake to me was Life on Mars, in the UK it topped various 'The best TV series ending' polls, but the US series decided to scrap the iconic ending and make it all a dream

J

 

[NormanF]

Don't get me started with pop stars. I bet most of them can't even sing in the shower. If autotune was 20 years older Villi Manilli would have done their own songs.

As for Broadchurch, I bet they change the ending so the related character does not leave town and can stay with the show.

Sent from my Etch A Sketch.

 

[AJK001]

I saw the adverts for this on BBCA and thought that it looked really good. I admit I only watched it because of David Tennant, but within the first 10 or 15 minutes I was hooked. I second everything that has been said about this looking like a real town with real people in it.

I have heard they are going to have a second season of Broadchurch which doesn't really make sense to me, are they going to have a new murder with a different cast each year or is it going to be set in a different town and just called Broadchurch?

 

[MegaPrime33]

I loved watching this series and heard a new season is coming, though not sure what it will be based on. Heard Fox is doing it too. Pass.

 

[cboath]

Apparently a couple of the current cast are signed for the second season.

Remember, the name of the show is the name of the town. Doesn't have to be a murder, just something going on in the town.

I'm guessing Fox changes the ending all together.

I'd have to agree, i'd have to think it'd be smarter and cheaper to simply re-air the original here over 8 weeks. But here, i guess you have to take every shot that it'll make the 5 year mark so you can cash-in on sydnication. An american crew is likely to be arrogant enough to believe they can do better and change things to put their mark it on (largely just for the sake of changing stuff).

I suppose they could do well, but i'd imagine it's damn near impossible to do better.

Someone in the office is from England and says that the big difference between what's on our networks vs the BBC is the structure. In short, we aim for money at all costs and the BBC aims for quality because they don't have to worry about advertisers pulling out of something that's not successful and losing money. Their money from the year is derived from TV licenses as opposed to ad dollars. Not sure if that's still true, but it'd explain a lot.

 

[Jaitea]

.......only thing is Broadchurch wasn't made by the BBC, it was on the main commercial channel, ITV made by Kudos (who made BBC's LIfe on Mars),.....who sold it to the US BBCAmerica

J

 

[somerset fox]

Glad the concensus for BROADCHURCH was approval. It was filmed in the West Country, UK (Bristol, Clevedon and Dorset) and even featured a cameo by yours truly in the final scenes of episode 8. Funny thing was, because of the about face way these things are filmed, I didn't realise the dialogue in the scene was referring to the killer, so was as surprised (or not!) by whodunit.


(front left in pic 1, behind uniformed cop in pic 2).

 

[Clutch]

Seemed kind of meh to me. Not much of a shocker at the end. Kind of weird to throw the psychic guy in there.

 

[MegaPrime33]

Someone mentioned on twitter that Tennant will actually be in the American version as well. No reference point, and not sure if true, but interesting.

 

[Serenity]

It's true:

'Broadchurch': David Tennant to star in Fox remake | Inside TV | EW.com
"Broadchurch" - David Tennant to Star - TVLine

 

[cboath]

Seemed kind of meh to me. Not much of a shocker at the end. Kind of weird to throw the psychic guy in there.

You gotta have multiple possibilities in a mystery or it's too easy to figure out. Unless the writers sucks, it'll be someone with a fair amount of screen time and dialog. In the states, it's usually the guest start with the biggest name

Things like the boyfriend, and the fact he built a room for his gf at his place (the victim's sister), pyshic, storekeeper with an odd background, cheating father, father's really odd co-worker/friend, etc. Gotta have a good collection of possibles.

Gotta say it's really interesting that Tennat's doing the US version. Hopefully he can keep them from screwing it up.