Thoughts on Broadchurch (spoiler-free)
Whodunits never normally remember to make you cry at the end, even if they did so at the start. The first series of The Killing, to which Broadchurch has been much compared, got so wrapped up in its over-elaborate plotting it forgot to make us care about its histrionic finale. But then, also, The Killing didn’t have Olivia Colman in its cast, an actress whose ability to emote will surely bring her a Bafta after this performance.
Daily Telegraph
The response to Broadchurch has been phenomenal. It was quite head-spinning to be on Twitter at around 10.00 pm last night and watch 200 tweets a minute coming in. Truly, this is event TV redefined for a new generation.
I've not always liked Chibnall's work on Torchwood and Doctor Who. But he knows his actors, and his audience. His instinct to star Tennant played to all that actor's strengths - prickly, righteous indiganation, coupled with social awkwardness and laser-beam intensity. And that's all I'm going to say about it right now, because I haven't watched the show - a conscious decision to wait for DVD release rather than have commercials interrupt such a dramatic gem. I'm massively looking foward to seeing how he pairs with Olivia Colman. It looks like a great example of prickly opposites thrown together.
Initially, I wasn't sure about seeing Tennant in what seemed to be a cop-with-demons role. It seemed too formulaic. But Chibnall knows what works. And the interesting thing here, for me and other DW watchers, is that the incredible, electrifying success of Broadchuch is not just a massive vindication of Tennant's bankability as an actor post-Who, which was never really in doubt, but a fine example of emotional punch triumphing over intricate plotting. I have to be careful not to spoil anyone - that would be unforgivable, but I think it's safe to say that this was always a story more concerned with the emotional fall-out from a ghastly crime in a small community than smart-assing and second-guessing the viewers in classic whodunnit style.
It's something that has always vaguely troubled me about whodunnits - it might, in fact, be one reason people love them. They take raw emotion and horrible acts, and reduce them to an intellectual puzzle. There is something quite soothing about doing that, but Broadchurch bravely resisted and went in the opposite direction. And the results speak for themselves. I have know idea whether people are already writing Alec/Ellie fic, but it wouldn't surprise me, because you've got real people here, warts and all. Steven Moffatt et al, please take note. This is what makes great TV.
Daily Telegraph
The response to Broadchurch has been phenomenal. It was quite head-spinning to be on Twitter at around 10.00 pm last night and watch 200 tweets a minute coming in. Truly, this is event TV redefined for a new generation.
I've not always liked Chibnall's work on Torchwood and Doctor Who. But he knows his actors, and his audience. His instinct to star Tennant played to all that actor's strengths - prickly, righteous indiganation, coupled with social awkwardness and laser-beam intensity. And that's all I'm going to say about it right now, because I haven't watched the show - a conscious decision to wait for DVD release rather than have commercials interrupt such a dramatic gem. I'm massively looking foward to seeing how he pairs with Olivia Colman. It looks like a great example of prickly opposites thrown together.
Initially, I wasn't sure about seeing Tennant in what seemed to be a cop-with-demons role. It seemed too formulaic. But Chibnall knows what works. And the interesting thing here, for me and other DW watchers, is that the incredible, electrifying success of Broadchuch is not just a massive vindication of Tennant's bankability as an actor post-Who, which was never really in doubt, but a fine example of emotional punch triumphing over intricate plotting. I have to be careful not to spoil anyone - that would be unforgivable, but I think it's safe to say that this was always a story more concerned with the emotional fall-out from a ghastly crime in a small community than smart-assing and second-guessing the viewers in classic whodunnit style.
It's something that has always vaguely troubled me about whodunnits - it might, in fact, be one reason people love them. They take raw emotion and horrible acts, and reduce them to an intellectual puzzle. There is something quite soothing about doing that, but Broadchurch bravely resisted and went in the opposite direction. And the results speak for themselves. I have know idea whether people are already writing Alec/Ellie fic, but it wouldn't surprise me, because you've got real people here, warts and all. Steven Moffatt et al, please take note. This is what makes great TV.