Broadchurch is a crime drama series that debuted on ITV in 2013 and ran for three seasons until 2017. It featured David Tennant and Olivia Coleman as detectives Alex Hardy and Ellie Miller, who investigated crimes in the fictional Dorset town of Broadchurch.
The show was nominated for seven BAFTA awards, including wins for Olivia Coleman as Best Actress, David Bradley as Best Supporting Actor, and a win for Best Drama Series. It was named by the Radio Times as the best TV series of 2013.
Additional cast members included Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan, National Television Award winner Julie Hesmondhalgh, BAFTA winner Georgina Campbell, Sarah Parish, Charlie Higson, Arthur Darvill and Carolyn Pickles.
Local inspiration
Series creator Chris Chibnall took inspiration from the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, where he lives. As well as being a filming location, Dorset also influenced other parts of the story - the name ‘Broadchurch’ came from combining the hamlets of Broadoak and Whitchurch, for example, while David Tennant’s character was named after Dorset-born author Thomas Hardy.
In reality, it was the picturesque landscapes of North Somerset that acted as principal locations for the series, particularly Clevedon, with additional scenes shot in Bristol, Shepton Mallet, Portishead, and Weston-super-Mare.
We have put together this trail to give you further information on the relevant sites in Clevedon, which underwent a subtle transformation to create the fictional village of Broadchurch.