One of the most riveting television dramas in recent memory was Chris Chibnall's Broadchurch. This British crime drama focused on the disappearance of the young Danny Latimer in the small English seaside town of Broadchurch. Starring Oliva Colman and David Tennant, the series was hailed for its gripping mystery and incredible central performances.
With such detailed characters, there are bound to be details that viewers didn't notice the first time. The show contains little nods to the character's real-life counterparts, references to other series, and more. Looking back on its three-season run, here are ten details you missed about the main characters.
David Tennant Appears In Both The UK And US Versions
One of the breakout performances of the first series was David Tennant as Detective Alec Hardy. Obviously David is great in just about everything, but his performance as the struggling broken detective was one for the books. So, when the series was reimagined for American audiences, it was a no brainer to bring him across the pond.
Though not technically the same person, David still plays a member of a detective duo as he does in the original series. More than just a small cameo, David was a co-lead on the one-season run of Gracepoint.
Almost Everyone Played Their Role As If They Might Be The Killer
During the filming of the series, secrecy was key when it came to the central mystery. Season one's filming espeically held true to the secrecy, keeping nearly everyone in the dark on the killer's true identity. Anyone could have been the culprit.
Because of this, nearly every actor on set performed as if they could have been hiding the secret. Though it is not immediately recognizable, there were definite choices made by the cast to keep suspicion high.
Two Actors Knew The Truth Before Everyone Else
While most of the cast held to the belief that any of them could have been the murderer, two performers were told the truth ahead of the big reveal. Firstly told was Jodie Whittaker, who played Danny's mother Beth. She begged Chibnall to reveal it, as she had to know if the tears she was shedding were real or "crocodile tears".
Later, right before the big reveal, Chibnall revealed the truth of Danny's killer to Olivia Colman, who's husband on the show was the culprit. In fact, David Tennant sent her a, jokingly, angry call when learning she had known the truth longer than him.
There Are A Lot Of Harry Potter Cast Cameos
The running joke for many British productions is the huge amount of crossover between projects. That tends to happen on such a tiny island. One series that obviously spilled over a ton was Harry Potter.
There are tons of Harry Potter alums that appear in the show. David Tennant, David Bradley, Alfred Enoch, and Carolyn Pickles all had roles in the wizarding series.
Alfred Enoch's Name Is A Harry Potter Easter Egg
One Harry Potter alum, Alfred Enoch, had an even stronger connection between both projects. In the world of Harry Potter, Enoch plays fellow Gryffindor student Dean Thomas, friend to Harry and one-time boyfriend to Ginny Weasley.
Well, funnily enough, Enoch's character in Broadchurch was also named Dean Thomas. Though his role is small, he played the boyfriend to Chloe in the series, who was the sister of Danny.
Susan Wright's Dog In The Show Is The Actress' Real pet
One of the more mysterious characters in Broadchurch was Susan Wright. As played by Pauline Quirke, Susan seems like a suspicious character who later turned out to hold the keys to the location of Danny's murder.
In the show, Susan is often accompanied by her Chocolate Lab. It turns out, this wasn't just any run of the mill actor pup. In fact, the dog was none other than Pauline Quirke's personal pet. It certainly makes a lot of sense, seeing as the dog was so attached to her throughout the show.
The Series Contains Three Versions Of The Doctor
Speaking of spillover projects, Broadchurch is also a hotbed of stars from another hit British series. Looking over the cast list, there are at least three different actors who have all played the titular Doctor on the sci-fi series Doctor Who.
David Tennant might be the most obvious of the three, playing the ever-popular Tenth Doctor from the Russel T. Davies era of the series. Jodie Whittaker is the current iteration of the time-traveling alien, as well as the first woman to hold the role. Finally, and lesser-known, is David Bradley, who not only played William Hartnell in the TV Movie An Adventure in Space and Time, but also embodied the First Doctor in Peter Capaldi's swansong Twice Upon A Time.
The Show Also Has A Lot Of Doctor Who Alums
Those three aren't the only Doctor Who veterans to appear on the series. It seems the show has an even stronger bond with Doctor Who than it does everybody's favorite boy wizard. The list of actors who have appeared on both shows is staggering.
Olivia Colman, Arthur Darvil, Eve Myles, Johnathan Bailey, Tracey Childes, Adjoa Andoh, Simon Ludders, Sarah Parish, and finally Mariah gale all appeared on both shows too. Not only that, but the creator of Broadchurch, Chris Chibnall, is also the current showrunner for Doctor Who.
David Tennant's Doctor Who Mannerisms Came Out
David Tennant is a brilliant actor who can blend into any number of roles. But, as with many performers, there are certain ticks you can't help but reuse. In multiple moments during the series, David Tennant seemed to channel aspects of his Tenth Doctor persona.
In one of the earlier scenes, Hardy puts on his glasses to look at a clue. It is one of the only moments he does this, and it feels like a direct callback to the same signature move that his Doctor makes on the series. Hardy also says one of the Doctor's iconic lines a few times: No, don't do that. This is the same line he often gave to companions when they would try to fit in when visiting the past.
All Of Alec Hardy's Phones Belonged To David Tennant
Similarly to the Labrador for Susan Wright, there is a real-world connection to some of Alec Hardy's props. In the series, he is often as the phone (as most people often are). It turns out, all of the phones that Hardy uses in the series are just David Tennant's. This way the team wouldn't need to purchase a prop phone for the series. It also adds a bit of authenticity for the actor, who wouldn't have to fake the comfort of using one's own phone.