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New David Tennant series - Broadchurch

Laura Corin

By Laura Corin,
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Laura Corin

Laura Corin

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We might be switching our satellite service and getting BBC Amercia. I can't stand that I can't always see these shows.

 

I'm ok with some "dark", but anything with Tennant is worth at least trying. :)

 

I feel that I should be a bit more specific without giving spoilers. A child dies and there is discussion of child abuse.

 

Laura

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Cinder

Cinder

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Thanks! Looks very interesting. Do you have to put in your credit card to access the episodes? Or is there another way?

 

Just clink the WATCH link for the episode you want. (It doesn't look like a link but if you look carefully the word WATCH changes from gray to a slightly lighter gray.) It opens a viewing window. Click the "Close Ad and Watch as Free Viewer" button and then the start button. It may take a minute or two for the video to load. There is also a button in the lower right corner to make it full screen.

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UnionJack

UnionJack

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Just clink the WATCH link for the episode you want. (It doesn't look like a link but if you look carefully the word WATCH changes from gray to a slightly lighter gray.) It opens a viewing window. Click the "Close Ad and Watch as Free Viewer" button and then the start button. It may take a minute or two for the video to load. There is also a button in the lower right corner to make it full screen.

 

 

Oh thank you! I didn't even notice that. I'm excited to try it out later!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
UnionJack

UnionJack

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Another question..... Anyone have any idea whether it's possible to view this on an iPad? I've searched online without success. I watched the first episode and now we're finally having some much-needed work done to our computer. I am eager to see the rest!! Thanks for any help!

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sparrow

sparrow

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I just looked up the trailer. It looks great. I was disappointed with Spies of Warsaw and didn't end up finishing it. My first Tennant disappointment.

 

I'm also hoping we get a second series, on Masterpiece, of Case Histories with Jason Isaacs! That was dark and gritty.

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redsquirrel

redsquirrel

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I saw this..found it on Daily Motion. OMG, it was amazing! I didn't see Spies of Warsaw, but the review in the NYT was a bit 'meh'. Oddly enough, they did not review Broadchurch. Too bad, because it was a knockout. I thought the entire cast was amazing. Olivia Coleman is so, so good at what she does. I loved it when her character told a brooding character to get over himself. I have always said that dark and brooding are wonderful on the other side of the screen. In real life it gets boring very fast.

 

Funny thing: I was a victim advocate for 10 years. I worked with children who had been abused and were dealing (or not) with the criminal justice system. I am really, really NOT the person you want around when watching a police procedural. I spend all my time yelling at the fake police officers and fake prosecutors, "No, No that is against the law, you can't do that! OMG, illegal search and seizure, read him his rights or you are gonna lose this one!" etc, etc. And the short time to get back results from DNA tests etc... that makes me nuts. In real life it takes months to get that information back. I have had cases almost run out the clock (meaning the suspect would go free of charge) because we were waiting on lab results. But on TV they get labs back in moments. Whatever.

 

Well, it was really weird watching one set in the UK. You should have heard me when a possible suspect was told to come to the station to give a DNA sample. I squawked about that for 45 mins. "Get a warrant buddy! You want my DNA then present a compelling argument to a judge and get him to sign a warrant!" And then a police officer could just take the DNA swab? What? My DH was rolling his eyes so hard I thought they were gonna stick that way. There were a few other things as well... like where was the prosecutor.... small differences but they stood out to me. It was fun.

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Laura Corin

Laura Corin

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Well, it was really weird watching one set in the UK. You should have heard me when a possible suspect was told to come to the station to give a DNA sample. I squawked about that for 45 mins. "Get a warrant buddy! You want my DNA then present a compelling argument to a judge and get him to sign a warrant!" And then a police officer could just take the DNA swab? What? My DH was rolling his eyes so hard I thought they were gonna stick that way. There were a few other things as well... like where was the prosecutor.... small differences but they stood out to me. It was fun.

 

I don't know about the other things, but as far as I know, the prosecutorial system is quite different here from what I have seen (in American movies/TV). The police prepare the case, then run the evidence by the Crown Prosecution Service before there is a charge, in order to make sure that there is a workable case. Police may refer to the CPS at earlier stages for advice. In general I think that suspects are taken in for questioning, and then charged later.

 

But I'm not a lawyer...

 

Isn't prosecutor an elected position in the US? Or have I got that wrong. Here it's a civil service department.

 

Laura

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Laura Corin

Laura Corin

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Is anyone watching The Politician's Husband? Tennant is great in this too, though pretty dark.

 

I watched the first. Good acting - I don't think the script is as good as for Broadchurch. I was a bit distracted by DT's 'politician hair'.

 

L

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BarbecueMom

BarbecueMom

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I watched this because I love crime dramas and David Tennant, but wow, Olivia Coleman was especially wonderful. All of the cast was, except for the fact I could not separate the vicar and Rory Williams in my head. Tennant did a great job in not overacting his role. A lesser actor would have had trouble with not overshadowing an ensemble cast.

 

This is the first non-American crime show I've seen. American crime dramas are so unrealistically light on the swearing, but heavy on the gore and violence. This was the other way around, and I think it made showing the boy's murder so much more shocking and stomach churning. I really didn't think they'd show it.

 

I knew who the killer was going in, because I follow some blogs that had spoiled it. I heard they didn't tell any of the cast until the end who was the actual murderer, and I thought the acting choices of the killer went from "barely registers as a suspect" to "out of character creep" during the last episode. I understand why they tried to get everyone to remain equally suspicious, but it just didn't really jive with the way things unfolded in the last episode. I couldn't look back and say, "Oh, there's the guilty feelings!" earlier in the series.

 

Okay, I'm done. I talked DH's ear off about this for days afterward and I'm just getting worked up again.

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redsquirrel

redsquirrel

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I don't know about the other things, but as far as I know, the prosecutorial system is quite different here from what I have seen (in American movies/TV). The police prepare the case, then run the evidence by the Crown Prosecution Service before there is a charge, in order to make sure that there is a workable case. Police may refer to the CPS at earlier stages for advice. In general I think that suspects are taken in for questioning, and then charged later.

 

But I'm not a lawyer...

 

Isn't prosecutor an elected position in the US? Or have I got that wrong. Here it's a civil service department.

 

Laura

 

 

The 'head prosecutor' (called the District Attorney) is elected in a county. If a county has enough of a population then it also has "ADAs" (Assistant District Atty). The ADAs are not elected but 'at will' hired people. They are not civil service employees, but can be fired and hired at the will of the DA. Or, at least that is what it is like in many states. Remember, there are 50 states and each one does things a little differently. I am sure there are states where the ADAs are civil service.

 

It wouldn't be uncommon for a small city to have one elected DA and 10 full time ADAs. But a smalI rural county might have one DA and a part time ADA. I was once called in to work a case in Syracuse (I was sort of a specialized advocate and got requests when a county found a case difficult) and the prosecutors had an entire huge office building to themselves. I can't imagine how many ADAs work in Manhattan or Chicago. It must be hundreds.

 

Anyway, I really liked seeing something different. And I noticed that in magical UK television crime land you also get your crime scene results back in record time. That was one of the hardest parts about being an advocate, victims assumed that they would be getting DNA results, fingerprint information, blood spatter etc back in hours. Nope, it takes months and months. Crime labs won't even start working on stored evidence (blood tests, etc) until they know for a fact that the prosecutor is taking it to trial. Then, there is such a backlog that the tests might not have been run in time.

 

I found the interactions of the police etc to be very realistic. I felt like these were the people I worked with..well... a LOT less drinking, lol. The only thing that was totally unrealistic was that they seemed to have very little experience handling familial and 'domestic' type crimes. When a person reports that the town has very low crime, only the occasional stealing of petrol etc well, that wouldn't be the case. In a town of that size the cops and prosecutors would have little experience handling murder, that is true, but they would have LOTS of experience with family violence, sexual assault, child abuse, etc. When there isn't much 'street crime' in a town, the police and prosecutors become very experienced at handling the other types of crime. There was one cop in particular who seems to think the town is so 'nice' and nothing bad would happen, those people aren't the type etc. Well I have never, ever met a officer who reached the level of investigator without knowing full well the nasty things people can do to each other. That just did not ring true for me in any way.

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Laura Corin

Laura Corin

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The only thing that was totally unrealistic was that they seemed to have very little experience handling familial and 'domestic' type crimes. When a person reports that the town has very low crime, only the occasional stealing of petrol etc well, that wouldn't be the case. In a town of that size the cops and prosecutors would have little experience handling murder, that is true, but they would have LOTS of experience with family violence, sexual assault, child abuse, etc. When there isn't much 'street crime' in a town, the police and prosecutors become very experienced at handling the other types of crime. There was one cop in particular who seems to think the town is so 'nice' and nothing bad would happen, those people aren't the type etc. Well I have never, ever met a officer who reached the level of investigator without knowing full well the nasty things people can do to each other. That just did not ring true for me in any way.

 

If you are curious, this is the crime map over time for the town where Broadchurch was filmed. Familial violence and sexual assault are not split out, but the figures are interesting, I thought.

 

Laura

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Laura Corin

Laura Corin

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I understand why they tried to get everyone to remain equally suspicious, but it just didn't really jive with the way things unfolded in the last episode. I couldn't look back and say, "Oh, there's the guilty feelings!" earlier in the series.

 

 

I agree with you. I don't think it's fair on the actor: how is s/he to build a complete character without knowing the full story? Could the writer not have just taken aside the actor concerned and told him/her in advance, without telling the others?

 

Laura

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redsquirrel

redsquirrel

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I can't help you. I don't know anything about ipads and their special needs. Sorry.

 

I think it was an odd choice to not tell the killer that they were, in fact, the killer. It would make for some interesting acting choices. I didn't have any idea who the killer was and even upon watching it again can't really see any 'hidden' clues or suggestions. and..... well... I am not going to say anything more. I was lucky enough to see it unspoiled and I want others to be able to do the same.

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