UK Drama Series BROADCHURCH Premieres Tonight on BBC America

Two-time BAFTA-winning actress Olivia Colman (The Iron Lady, Twenty Twelve) and Emmy-winning actor David Tennant (Doctor Who, Spies of Warsaw) star in the new gripping drama Broadchurch, created and written by Chris Chibnall (Law & Order: UK, Torchwood). The new series centers on a quiet seaside town following the shocking murder of a young boy and the impact it has on the tight-knit community when everyone becomes a suspect. Broadchurch is the most tweeted UK drama ever. Broadchurch premieres tonight, August 7, 10:00pm ET/PT as part of Dramaville.

"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.

Leading the investigation are two detectives - the strong yet compassionate local Detective Sergeant, Ellie Miller (Colman), and the by-the-book Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (Tennant), Ellie's newly appointed boss. By circumstance they are partnered to solve the murder, keeping the newspapers from derailing the investigation and trying to prevent the crime from impacting tourism at the beach where the boy was murdered. The detectives are forced to put personal connections to the case aside to solve the crime that has changed the quaint community forever.

"We're proud to have cast an outstanding array of Britain's finest performers to appear in Broadchurch," said executive producer Jane Featherstone. "The drama is a snapshot of modern Britain. Its community represents a microcosm of life as we know it with the character of Ellie part of the fabric of Broadchurch. She's lived amidst the people in this coastal town all her life so when the fabric begins to tear it's Ellie who will feel the impact the hardest."

The all-star ensemble cast also includes Jodie Whittaker (One Day, Venus) and Andrew Buchan (Bones, Cranford) as the boy's grieving parents Beth and Mark Latimer; Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who) as the town priest Reverend Paul Coates; David Bradley (Game of Thrones, An Adventure in Space and Time), as local shop owner Jack Marshall; Matthew Gravelle (The Bible) as Ellie's supportive husband Joe Miller; Jonathan Bailey (Leonardo) as up-and-coming local reporter Olly Stevens who is attempting to make the case his big break; Vicky McClure (This is England) as eager London reporter Karen White and Pauline Quirke (Birds of a Feather) as mysterious loner Susan Wright.

James Strong (Downton Abbey, The Great Train Robbery, Doctor Who) has directed the first two Episodes and Episodes seven and eight of the series. Richard Stokes (Silk, Law & Order: UK, Torchwood) is producer and Jane Featherstone (The Hour, Life on Mars, Law & Order: UK) and Chibnall are executive producers. Broadchurch is a Kudos and Imaginary Friends co-production and distributed by Shine International.

CAST AND PRODUCTION CREDITS:
DI Alec Hardy David Tennant
DS Ellie Miller Olivia Colman
Mark Latimer Andrew Buchan
Beth Latimer Jodie Whittaker
Karen White Vicky McClure
Rev Paul Coates Arthur Darvill
Susan Wright Pauline Quirke
Steve Connelly Will Mellor
Maggie Radcliffe Carolyn Pickles
Joe Miller Matthew Gravelle
Becca Fisher Simone McAullay
Olly Stevens Jonathan Bailey
Danny Latimer Oskar McNamara
Chloe Latimer Charlotte Beaumont
Liz Roper Susan Brown
Tom Miller Adam Wilson
Nige Carter Joe Sims
Jack Marshall David Bradley
Dean Thomas Jacob Anderson

Directors James Strong, Euros Lyn

Producer Richard Stokes

Executive Producer and Lead Writer Chris Chibnall

Executive Producer Jane Featherstone

Broadchurch is a Kudos and Imaginary Friends co-production and distributed by Shine International.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC America has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy(R), five Golden Globes(R) and eleven Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 80.4 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

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