The murder of an 11-year-old boy tears apart the small, close-knit Dorset seaside town of Broadchurch, forcing mismatched detectives DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) to confront secrets everyone in the community has been keeping. Dark, absorbing, and beautifully shot, created and principally written by Chris Chibnall as a completed three-series drama. Broadchurch streams free on Tubi in the US — one of several free ways to watch British television.
Is This Series for You?
Fans of Slow-Burn, Character-Driven Whodunits
Viewers who want real emotional weight behind their mystery — a grieving community, complicated relationships, and a resolution that earns its reveal rather than rushing to it.
Watch in Order, Series by Series
Each series is 8 episodes and tells one continuous story, so unlike an episodic mystery show, Broadchurch needs to be watched in order from the start.
Genuinely Heavy Subject Matter
The series deals with a child's death and its aftermath throughout, and Series 3 centers on a sexual assault case — handled seriously rather than for shock value. British TV Hub's verdict: essential viewing and one of the defining British crime dramas of the 2010s.
Where to watch in the US
Tubi
All 3 series · Free with ads · No subscription required
Watch Free on Tubi →Streaming availability in the US can change. Check the linked service for the current season and episode selection. Checked October 2026.
Prefer to own it?
Buy the DVDs
Individual/complete-series DVDs available · Check current sellers and formats
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New Viewer's Guide
Series 1, Episode 1 (2013)
The discovery that sets everything in motion, and the introduction of DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller's uneasy partnership. Must be watched first — the series builds continuously from here.
Best Episodes, Ranked
The Setup
A quietly devastating opener that introduces the town, the case, and the mismatched detective partnership at the show's center — spoiler-free, but essential viewing to understand everything that follows.
The Series 1 Finale
Widely cited as one of British TV's most talked-about reveals of the decade — kept spoiler-free here, but it's the payoff the entire first series has been building toward.
A Bold Structural Choice
Series 2 opens by splitting its focus between the courtroom fallout of Series 1 and a cold case from Hardy's past — a risk that divided critics at the time but rewards patient viewers.
A Darker, More Mature Turn
Series 3 introduces a new central investigation involving the sexual assault of Trish Winterman, while continuing to follow the Latimer family's struggle with the aftermath of Danny's death, handling its subject matter with unusual seriousness for the genre.
The Series Finale
The last episode of the show, closing out both the Series 3 case and the three-series arc as a whole — the ending Chris Chibnall always intended for Hardy and Miller.
Main Characters and Cast
David Tennant
DI Alec Hardy — a brilliant but troubled detective carrying the weight of a previous failed case, and Broadchurch's first major post-Doctor Who leading role for Tennant.
Olivia Colman
DS Ellie Miller — a local officer whose own life becomes entangled with the case in ways she never expected, in a role that won Colman a BAFTA.
Jodie Whittaker
Beth Latimer, the grieving mother at the center of the Series 1 case, whose family's story anchors the emotional core of all three series.
Andrew Buchan
Mark Latimer, Beth's husband, whose grief and secrets both come under scrutiny as the investigation unfolds.
Arthur Darvill
Reverend Paul Coates, the town's vicar, who becomes a steady presence for the Latimer family and the wider community as they process their grief.
What Makes the Series Special
Tennant and Colman's Chemistry
Two mismatched detectives — one an outsider, one a local — carry the entire show through performances that both actors have called among the best work of their careers.
The Real Dorset Coast
Filmed largely in the real seaside town of West Bay, the show's coastal setting grounds its grief-stricken story in a genuinely beautiful, and genuinely ordinary, English community.
One Creator, a Complete Three-Series Arc
Chris Chibnall is credited as the principal writer of all 24 episodes (with a co-writing credit for Louise Fox on one) and deliberately concluded the story after three series rather than stretching it further — a rare instance of a hit crime drama ending exactly when its creator intended.
Setting and Filming Locations
West Bay, Dorset
The fictional town of Broadchurch is largely filmed in and around West Bay, a real seaside town on the Dorset coast known for its distinctive golden cliffs — since the show aired, the area has become a popular filming-location tourist destination.
Watch the Trailer
More Trailers on British TV Hub — Trailers & Previews →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Broadchurch based on a true story?
No. Broadchurch is an original story by creator Chris Chibnall, who began developing it in 2002. It's not based on or connected to the Danish drama The Killing, despite frequent comparisons — Chibnall's script actually predates The Killing.
Will there be a Broadchurch Season 4?
No. Broadchurch concluded after three series, and no fourth series has been announced. Chris Chibnall has since created another Dorset-set mystery, Death at the White Hart, but it follows DI Nicola Bridge and is not a continuation of Hardy and Miller's story.
How many episodes of Broadchurch are there?
24 episodes across 3 series, 8 episodes per series.
Where can I watch Broadchurch in the US?
All 3 series stream free on Tubi, supported by ads, with no subscription required.
Where is Broadchurch filmed?
The fictional town of Broadchurch is largely filmed in and around West Bay, a real seaside town on the Dorset coast.
Is Broadchurch connected to Gracepoint?
Gracepoint is an American remake of Broadchurch, also created by Chris Chibnall and starring David Tennant in the same lead role, but it tells its own version of the story with a different resolution.
Fact-checked and streaming availability checked October 2026. Spot an error or an outdated streaming link? Send a correction via the contact page.
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