The American Premiere Of 'Broadchurch' Introduces The Cult Crime Drama To A Whole New Audience

Finally, the poor Broadchurch-deprived citizens of the US got to feast their eyes on the UK crime drama last night. Well, to be fair, a lot of TV buffs and anglophiles with internet access got to appreciate the show long ago more or less legally. As for the rest, the reviews are already pouring in and they range from “awesome” to “brilliant” – yep, everyone seems to be loving Broadchurch so far. So we won’t preach to the converted. Instead, for those American viewers, who still haven’t gotten around to watching the show, we’ll just give you a gentle nudge in the right direction – with our top three reasons (in no particular order) to get into Broadchurch – and yes, there are many more.

David Tennant plays the rigid newcomer DI Alec Hardy.

First off, let’s talk about the cast. American viewers will be familiar with David Tennant from his (admittedly memorable) time as Ten on Doctor Who. However, Tennant has starred in many entertaining productions both in TV and on the big screen. The Broadchurch role of the sour DI Alec Hardy fits Tennant like a glove and seems to be the first thing set to reignite the cult fame he achieved with Doctor Who. Add to that his brilliant (there’s that word again) co-star Olivia Colman and you’ve got yourself a great TV team. Oh, and let's not forget another familiar face - Arthur Darvill, also a Doctor Who favorite, who plays the town's hollier-than-thou vicar.

Watch the promo video for Broadchurch below.

Then there’s the plot. The Chris Chibnall script leaves little to be desired in terms of suspense. A series that starts out with the murder of a schoolboy is bound to be pretty grim, so be warned. But the shocks, albeit less gruesome than the first one, continue throughout the series. Without spoiling anything, if you think you know where the story is going at any point, we can pretty much guarantee you’re wrong.

And of course, there’s the atmosphere. The seemingly peaceful town of Broadchurch turns out to be a scary and intrigue-filled place – for newcomer Alec, as well as longterm resident DS Ellie Miller, who not only has to deal with Hardy coming into a position meant for her, but also her own fears as a mother. While the two partner up on the disturbing case, they also have to deal with the hounding press and the gossip and intrigue within the small community. There’s tension and mystery throughout – the mark of a great crime series. And if that was enough to peak your interest, Broadchurch airs Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Olivia Colman's Ellie Miller also makes for a great, complicated protagonist.