We love living in Broadchurch... but we don’t speak like that down here in West Dorset!

That was the verdict from TV viewers who were glued to the small screen as the first episode of the major new ITV drama series starring West Bay – and David Tennant – hit the airwaves on Monday night.

West Bay, the picturesque backdrop to the eight-part crime drama, was seen by almost seven million people, according to ITV’s viewing figures.

From the first moments of the programme, with swooping camera angles from the top of East Cliff, viewers were gripped by the mysterious and tragic death of a young boy on an idyllic beach and how it hit at the heart of the small seaside town of Broadchurch.

While his death remains unresolved, Broadchurch is at the heart of a major police investigation and a national media frenzy.

David Tennant takes the role of incomer Det Insp Alec Hardy, with his own secrets, who takes the job of local cop Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) whose son is the dead boy’s best friend.

It soon becomes apparent that almost everybody in the town, where everybody knows everybody, may have something to hide.

The tension builds as the characters begin to reveal themselves with the backdrop of the Jurassic coastline.

The majority of comments and reviews of the show were positive, but locals all picked up on the accents adopted by the Broadchurch characters which had a decidedly Bristolian sound.

Tourism in West Dorset looks set to get a huge boost as the stunning Jurassic coast scenery is already attracting inquiries from people fascinated to see it in reality.

Local photographer and social media expert Stephen Banks set up Bridport and West Bay Twitter and Facebook accounts to latch on to the expected popularity of the series.

He said: “During the first 15 minutes of the programme I was reading between 100 and 200 Broadchurch tweets a minute. And I was told that West Bay was trending – and trending topics are what everybody is tweeting about.

“I have already had people saying that as a result of the first episode they are definitely coming down here for a holiday. “I set up the accounts to target potential tourists and holidaymakers as I knew that prime time TV would have this effect.”

The audience – like the cast and crew as they were filming – were left agog to know more at the end of last night’s episode, with seven more weeks to come of must-see television at 9pm on Monday nights.

Writer Chris Chibnall, said that at 9pm on Monday night he too was waiting with baited breath: “Just hoping that ITV put the right tape in,” he joked.

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