attention flisters: did you like Broadchurch?

[dbskyler]

BBC America is going to be broadcasting Broadchurch here soon, and in their advertising they've been saying things like "The most popular drama since Downton Abbey," etc. Well, I love Downton Abbey, but I'm feeling cautious about Broadchurch, even though it does have David Tennant in it and I am a fan of his acting ability. Here's what I'm worried about:

-- It's apparently a crime drama, and I don't tend to enjoy crime dramas. I don't watch NCIS, or Law & Order: [fill-in-the-blank here], or any of the multitude of other crime shows, at least not on a regular basis. Mysteries and who-done-its in and of themselves don't interest me, so shows that are all about piling on the "wtf" tangents will lose me (i.e., "Lost").

-- I don't tend to like gritty realism, hopelessness, or violence in my TV shows. (Another reason why I don't watch modern crime dramas.) For example, I am a huge fan of the 1970's-era Battlestar Galactica, but not of the revised Battlestar Galactica, even though I can objectively recognize that the revised version was a better show. It was too gritty for me, and not nearly as much fun.

-- It's written by Chibnall, who has written some of my least-favorite episodes of Doctor Who, and none of my favorites.

Of course, the most sensible thing to do would be to try watching the thing and see if I like it or not -- at worst I would lose a little time -- but I find myself hoping for more information before I give it a shot.

So, here's my question to those of you who have seen Broadchurch: Did you like it? Based on what you know of me, any guesses on whether I will like it? (It's okay if you guess wrong.)

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I can't stand most of Chibnall's SF-ish writing, but Broadchurch was absolutely brilliant - utterly gripping. DT, Olivia Coleman and Arthur Darvill were all excellent. There wasn't masses of violence as it was far more about the impact of one person's death on a small, tightly-knit community. And there weren't masses of plot twists, but it did keep me guessing all the way through. I, personally, think you'd enjoy it more than you expect.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Oooh, sounds intriguing! Okay, I'll definitely try it out then. Thanks!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Welcome.

I confess that despite loving DT and Arthur, I was slightly sceptical and didn't bother watching the show as it aired. I watched the first episode shortly after the series ended, and then mainlined the rest in only a handful of days because it turned out to be vastly more gripping than I'd expected.

[clocketpatch]

I mostly enjoyed it. I did occasionally find it a bit gratuitously dark in a Chibnall-y kind of way, but given the premise that was to be expected. The acting was excellent all around. I accidentally spoiled myself for the mystery fairly early on, but I kept watching on the strength of the characters and wanting to see what they were going to do next.

If I had to compare it to something, I'd say that it's in the same line of shows as Sherlock and Life on Mars. It's not like either of those show at all, of course, but it has the same feel to it.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that's helpful.

And hmmm. I tried out both Sherlock and Life on Mars, and while I didn't hate them, I didn't fall for either of them. Well, we'll see. I think I'll still go into with some caution, but it sounds worth checking out.