British Hit Broadchurch Comes to America This August

Broadchurch, the murder mystery series that basically took over the UK for several weeks earlier this year, is officially coming to America later this summer. The eight-part drama will premiere on August 7 at 10pm, as part of BBC America’s Dramaville block and will run through September. 

The show delivered record ratings for ITV, was the most tweeted about British drama ever, and was pretty much all anyone was talking about in the world of entertainment while it was on. This is a fact of which you are probably already aware if you have spent any time at all trying to avoid Broadchurch spoilers online in recent weeks. It’s rough out there. (But it’s so worth it if you can make it through without finding out the ending!)

The series stars Doctor Who’s David Tennant and Twenty Twelve’s Olivia Colman as two detectives investigating the shocking murder of an eleven year old boy in a quiet seaside resort town where everyone is suddenly a suspect. BAFTA winner Vicky McClure, Who alum Arthur Darvill and Harry Potter actor David Bradley are all also part of the stellar cast.

The first American trailer for the series was just released by BBC America, and it does a great job of conveying the drama’s overwhelming sense of tension while flashing through a great many of the characters who may or may not be murder suspects.  

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“Broadchurch is a hybrid: a cocktail of stories. A drama about a community racked by grief and suspicion. A whodunit, packed with suspects. A character-driven, emotional thriller, thick with twists and turns,” says writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall.

Translation: It’s awesome.

Broadchurch has already been re-commissioned for a second series, which was announced after the credits rolled on the shocking final episode in the UK and is set to go into production next year. What a Series 2 will look like – especially given that the case that provides the series’ central mystery is solved by the last episode – remains up in the air. And ITV has been upfront about the fact that storyline components and which cast members will be returning will be something that’s kept under lock and key. So, we’ll have to wait and see – it’s doubtful that anything substantial will be announced until after the American broadcast concludes.

But, that’s getting ahead of ourselves a bit. The important question is - Are you looking forward to watching Broadchurch this summer? Think it can live up to the hype?