TV Talk - "Broadchurch"

Every once in a while I come across a show that I have never really heard of or paid attention to, but when I sample it I am blown away by the quality and awesomeness. One example that comes quickly to mind is Dexter. I think Dexter was in its second season when I finally decided to check out the first few episodes of season one, after multiple people had been telling me how good it was. Well, needless to say, they were correct. I found Dexter to be one of the most well written and best overall shows that I had watched in years. This is basically what happened recently with Broadchurch. After viewing the first few episodes I was absolutely hooked. I had to burn through the episodes as fast as possible to find out what happened next.
The set up of the show is one morning in a coastal town in Britain the body of a young boy is discovered on the beach. The season is eight episodes long and is a single arc trying to unravel the mystery of the boys murder.
What sets this series apart from most other shows is in the incredible quality of the entire production. The acting is first rate with David Tennant from Doctor Who leading the way as the Detective Inspector in charge of the investigation. His partner, played by Olivia Colman, is equally impressive. Her performance comes across as so real and raw that it would be difficult to find anyone better in that role. Just overall the acting is great. The story is great as well. It is such a powerful season that my nerves were frazzled by the end. One of the things I appreciate about many British shows and Broadchurch in particular is that they don't always pepper the cast with 25 year old models. The cast looked like regular people, acted like regular people, and dressed like regular people. Colman as the female lead is a normal looking woman that wore a simple windbreaker for much of the season. It lends an aire of realism and credibility that many shows are lacking.
The eight episodes provide a roller coaster ride of emotion as the viewer attempts to solve this twisted whodunnit. There are numerous suspects and great cases to be made for any of them to be the killer.  The final show of the season gives the payoff to the viewer, as the mystery is resolved. What I find interesting is that as much as I enjoyed the season, when I learned that there was a second season that had begun airing I had mixed emotions. I was happy that a show I love was going to continue on with new content, but I am also of the opinion that sometimes it's better to go out at the right time rather than automatically continue on because of the ratings. In other words, the storyline of season one was so good that I would have preferred they just ended the series at the conclusion of the original eight episodes. Crazy idea I know. As a matter of fact I enjoyed the second season quite a bit, and recently learned that a third season is on the way. This is good news. It will be tough to surpass season one in Captain Creepy's eyes, but maybe they will find a way to make that happen. In any event, anyone that hasn't watched season one of Broadchurch needs to rectify that situation as soon as possible. It's a great television show.