Community, Seriality, and the State of the Nation - British and Irish Television Series in the 21st Century

Such moments in the series certainly verge on the sentimental, just as the symbolic celebrations of communal spirit that bring the town together in support of the victims of crime. However, within the internal logic of the series, they tip the balance in favour of the traditional values of the community that appreciate the individual as a person and place personal bonds and solidarity above all else. The criminal investigations show the troubling aspects of these traditional values, which can be restrictive, or even oppressive, and can lead to self-righteousness and double standards. The investigations also demonstrate that human nature is flawed, and that underneath respectability and social cohesion, there will always be individual acts of egotism and betrayal. Nonetheless, these revelations do not expose the traditional values as illusionary; they merely show that these values require constant care and attention, as well as sacrifices from individual members of the community. The two long-suffering detectives at the core of the series fully realise the fragility of this system, but maintain that it is worth protecting in the face of profound changes in the general social and moral structure of the country.

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Broadchurch . Series 1-2. Written by Chris Cribnall. Directed by James Strong, Euros Lyn, Jessica Hobbs, Jonathan Teplitzky, and Mike Barker. Kudos, 2013/2015.

Broadchurch. Series 3. Written by Chris Cribnall. Directed by Paul Andrew Williams, Daniel Nettheim, and Lewis Arnold. Kudos, 2017.

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Billen, Andrew and James Jackson. “Broadchurch; Meet the Lords.” The Times. 28 February 2017. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/broadchurch-z7tlc828f. Accessed on 15 March 2018.

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