Tennant joins ITV drama

UK broadcaster ITV has commissioned an eight-part drama starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) about a small community that is thrust into the media spotlight when a child is found dead.

Broadchurch, produced by Kudos Film and Television, explores what happens when the residents of a coastal town become the centre of a police investigation and media frenzy when a child’s body is discovered.

It is written and created by Chris Chibnall (United, Torchwood), and the cast will include David Tennant, Olivia Colman and Vicky McClure.

Richard Stokes will produce, with Jane Featherstone and Chibnall exec producing.

Filming will take place in Portishead, near Bristol, and in Dorset from mid-August to the end of November.

Kudos was recently commissioned to produce The Smoke, a firefighter drama for UK satcaster Sky1, and is also producing Hunted, a spy thriller created by The X-Files writer Frank Spotnitz for HBO and the BBC.

It will also produce five-part thriller Mayday, about the disappearance of a little girl, also for BBC.