This Murder Mystery Series Is the Best Show You Can Stream Right Now, According to an Entertainment Editor

Author image: Screenshot 2023 05 04 at 1.11.39 PM

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Published Jan 21, 2021

There comes a time in every grown man's life when he has that incredible epiphany, that ultimate realization, that moment of true clarity: Olivia Colman can do no wrong. (No? Just me? Whatever.)

Whether or not you know Olivia Colman from The Crown or The Favourite—and you should; you really, really should—is irrelevant. All you need to know is that she is brilliant and she is the star of the best show on television right now, Broadchurch.

Broadchurch is by no means a new series. It's a British show that originally aired on ITV, with its three seasons spanning 2013 to 2017. But luckily, it's currently available on Netflix for you to binge. And if you love murder mysteries, whodunnits or Jessica Fletcher-esque twists and turns, it's time to bump this to the top of your queue. (Are queues still a thing? Remember when we would set up our queue to get actual DVDs in the mail?! Those were simpler times, but I digress...)

This highly bingeable crime drama stars Colman and David Tennant as detectives trying to solve the murder of a young boy in a small town. It kept me—and will keep you—guessing until the very last second (more on that later).

But in case you are still unsure about whether or not Broadchurch truly is the best show on TV, here are three reasons why you should trust me.

1. The Suspects

As with any good whodunnit, the suspense and the mystery are only as good as the list of potential suspects, and this show has a ton of them. The small English town of Broadchurch, where the drama unfolds, is quaint, beautiful and chock-full of possible murderers.

The show does a brilliant job of teasing each resident of the town as the guilty party. As someone who has watched hundreds of murder mystery shows and movies, I pride myself on being able to guess who did it before the end. But man they got me good. I had "He/She did it!" whiplash throughout the series as my suspicions shifted from one character to the next with lightning speed.

2. The Twist

Broadchurch has three seasons and I promise you each is worthy of your time. But that twist at the end of season one when (not a spoiler alert!) the killer is revealed? It was one of those rare television moments when I actually began screaming at my television set. And if you weren't a fan of Colman before (seriously, why haven't you Googled her yet?!), you will be after her performance at the end of season one. I mean, this right here is why she took home the BAFTA for Best Actress for this role.

3. The Virality

This show came out nearly a decade ago and people (like you perhaps!) are still discovering it today. For me, the biggest factor motivating me to start a new show is word of mouth. And people are still talking about this thing.

Case in point: I recently told a friend about the show, after berating them for not having watched it sooner. He binged season one in three days and texted to tell me how much he loved it (also raving about the twist). Then, the next day, a different friend texted asking if I'd seen this show Broadchurch because my first friend was going around telling everyone about it. Needless to say, my entire friend group sped through the first season in a week.

But the real question is: Will you be next?

Philip Mutz

VP, News and Entertainment; 'And Just Like That' Podcast Host; Up-And-Coming Bowler

Philip spearheads PureWow's news and entertainment team. He has 10+ years experience working in entertainment coverage and viral media, previously serving as a writer/editor...

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