Broadchurch is back next month, and in typical fashion for the series, we know very little about what the storyline will involve.
The ITV drama has become known for its unexpected plot twists – but how do the cast and crew keep those details under wraps?
Well, creator Chris Chibnall has revealed the secret behind how he and script executive Sam Hoyle deflect any nosiness.
He said: “My name doesn’t actually appear on the scripts for series two and three, although I did write them.
“We used our Downton Abbey names, which is your grandparent’s first name and then your middle school. So Margaret Cedars and Phyllis Whitney wrote them.
“The reason is, people leave scripts lying around and nobody picks that script up. Whereas if you write Broadchurch Series Three…”
This time, Broadchurch is leaving behind the Danny Latimer murder that the first two series concentrated on and will be following a sexual assault case.
Chris said: “Before we committed to it, we went to speak to a lot of people and our conversations were, tell us how this process works when a crime is reported, but also should we be telling this story, are we allowed to tell this story and also is Broadchurch a good forum in which to tell this story?
“We talked to a lot of people, including survivors. That was the big question we asked them and everyone said yes.”
:: Broadchurch returns to ITV in February.
