Broadchurch, UK Killing-style TV drama 04 March 2013

**DracoM** · 23-04-13, 08:22

Well, sorry, I still thought it was just a tad rabbits out of hats. Haunting images, finely shot, brilliantly acted, yes, yes yes, but with just a slight feeling of discomfort about logic.

I suppose the answer is to see the whole thing again knowing what the end is and check out the plotting signposts?

**chapman19** · 23-04-13, 09:13

[QUOTE=Caliban;286525][COLOR="#0000FF"] (I bet you had trouble suspending disbelief, no? Did it spoil it having seen the nuts and bolts last autumn?)

It was difficult following the story, we kept on trying to identify the location of each sequence.

The final fire on the headland was filmed here on a hill called Wain's Hill which covers an Iron Age Fort - there was a bit of concern from several local historians - but no damage seems to have been done.

Whereever they were filming there were a number of guards so we were never able to get much of an idea what the story-line was.

**eighthobstruction** · 23-04-13, 09:32

Originally posted by DracoM View Post

Well, sorry, I still thought it was just a tad rabbits out of hats. Haunting images, finely shot, brilliantly acted, yes, yes yes, but with just a slight feeling of discomfort about logic.

I suppose the answer is to see the whole thing again knowing what the end is and check out the plotting signposts?

I agree DM....tremendous acting of course, no doubt about that and scenery/photography....enjoyed the three quarter hour postamble....but there were too many things to raise ones eyes at re the way the police went about, and dramatic devices which revolved around things that would NEVER happen in a police enquiry....What was good was the slow pace....but for me it was just typical ITV police drama/plotting only slower....AT LAST they showed the sea as a member of the cast....

**amateur51** · 23-04-13, 09:46

Originally posted by chapman19 View Post

It was filmed last autumn, the last filming being at the end of November.

The film crew were very concerned when I tried to film them on location, I had to promise not to film anything that would give away the storyline.

I believe the stretch of beach (and cliffs) was Bridport, Dorset as was the harbour and newsagents. I don't know where the police station was - it was not Clevedon.

In one scene a young couple jumped on a motor cycle in Clevedon rode off down a very short lane that led to the muddy Bristol Channel only to arrive, minutes later on the beach in Bridport!

Thanks for all this background info, chapman19

I've been to Bridport only once and I fell in love with it - it has proper useful independent shops, a great butcher, good bakery, a decommissioned church now used as a second-hand bookshop, and several nifty-looking pubs. Definitely my idea of heaven

**eighthobstruction** · 23-04-13, 09:58

If I remember from my Bristol days, Clevedon front is flat....20yards of stones and pebbles plus weeds and tar....then at low tide half a mile of mud, then a brown River Severn....a broken pier, that never had any amusements on it....I remember a Hotel advertised itself as 'a stones throw from the sea' and BBC Points West got a Somerset cricketer to show this was not the case....

**Nick Armstrong** · 23-04-13, 09:59

Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post

I remember a Hotel advertised itself as 'a stones throw from the sea' and BBC Points West got a Somerset cricketer to show this was not the case....

**amateur51** · 23-04-13, 10:03

***SPOLIER ALERT***

I was blown away by last night's dénouement, not least by the sudden move to revelation in the 59 days earlier section. liked the transition that David Tennant managed from grumpy sickperson to empathetic boss, while never losing sight of the process necessary. Olivia Coleman was superb as others have said and I hope that she is given lots of dramatic stuff to do in future.

The two dad's were outstanding too - no easy answers here though I did find their confrontation scene utterly procedurally contrived in retrospect, but it was very satisfying dramatically.

And then we're left with what it was all about. What does someone in need of comfort do in our society? Is a hug so bad? Jack killed himself/was murdered because of the reaction of others when they found out about his hugging the boys, although no-one except Dean had complained and even he was half-hearted, almost a "hey guys, I'm not like that" response. Tom's dad 'felt' utterly believable in his grief and remorse "I'm tired of hiding"; and the Sherlock-like use of technology to find him was distinctive too. And Ellie's reasonable question "What was he - a paedophile?"; and Hardy's equally reasonable response "Why do you have to categorise?"

A very grown-up series, a complete delight

**Parry1912** · 23-04-13, 10:05

Originally posted by chapman19 View Post

I believe the stretch of beach (and cliffs) was Bridport, Dorset as was the harbour and newsagents. I don't know where the police station was - it was not Clevedon.

The police station is also West Bay. In reality it's an apartment block with a cafe on the ground floor.

Totally agree with all the comments concerning Olivia Colman's performance. I see that she's also in the forthcoming 'Suspicions of Mr Whicher', which I'm looking forward to.

**amateur51** · 23-04-13, 10:05

Originally posted by Caliban View Post

Thanks Chapman19!

(I bet you had trouble suspending disbelief, no? Did it spoil it having seen the nuts and bolts last autumn?)

Miller and Danny united:

x.com

https://twitter.com/osk_mc/status/326403377951027200/photo/1

See.... it's only telly!!

Thanks for the link Cali - 'Danny' appears to be a very balanced lad, responding to lots of fairly full-on fan-tweets from girls with "maybe I should print your tweets out and look at them again when I am an old man

**DracoM** · 23-04-13, 10:09

Amazing that practically all the debate post-final epi is about where the bloomin' thing was filmed and not about the denouement itself.

**Nick Armstrong** · 23-04-13, 10:31

Originally posted by DracoM View Post

Amazing that practically all the debate post-final epi is about where the bloomin' thing was filmed and not about the denouement itself.

Hardly...

Originally posted by amateur51 View Post

I did find their confrontation scene utterly procedurally contrived in retrospect

I thought that was a bit odd at the time.

I do take 8tho's point about procedural oddities. Didn't bother me too much though (e.g. boss lady telling Hardy to clear his desk on health grounds, but there then seemed to be no problem with him carrying on regardless...)

I keep thinking of the fantastic cinematography... another scene that was great was when Miller & Hardy were sat on the bench near the end ("look at us, eh? ex-detectives club") with the cliffs and beach behind... haunting. (I think a lot of digital colourisation work went on behind the scenes after).

**amateur51** · 23-04-13, 10:42

Originally posted by Caliban View Post

Hardly...

I thought that was a bit odd at the time.

I do take 8tho's point about procedural oddities. Didn't bother me too much though (e.g. boss lady telling Hardy to clear his desk on health grounds, but there then seemed to be no problem with him carrying on regardless...)

Were you making mental notes in preparation for the employment tribunal, Caliban?

**Flay** · 23-04-13, 11:06

I was very impressed by last night's finale. Usually we get the whodunnit bit at the very end of an episode, then the police produce a bottle of whisky from the top drawer for a toast, and that's that.

When the murderer was revealed I muttered to Mrs Flay: "what are they going to do with the next 40 minutes?" But they filled it very well. Exploring the aftermath was emotionally heart-bursting. I agree that in reality the two dads would never have been able to meet in the police cell, but it was a very dramatic scene. As was the brief meeting with the two mums, the disbelief: "you knew nothing?"

Well done ITV

**french frank** · 23-04-13, 11:17

Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post

If I remember from my Bristol days, Clevedon front is flat....20yards of stones and pebbles plus weeds and tar....then at low tide half a mile of mud, then a brown River Severn....a broken pier, that never had any amusements on it...

Yes, but ... the pier's been mended. It has just been named Pier of the Year 2013 (sorry - can't contribute on the TV serial).