Change in viewing habits

There's no Broadchurch tonight, so I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself.

Actually, I've got plenty of things to do. But it's interesting how accustomed we get to a certain schedule and when it changes we find ourselves at something of a loose end.

Broadchurch, for those who didn't watch it, was an eight-part drama on BBC America that followed two detectives trying to solve the murder of an 11-year-old boy. Broadchurch is the name of the town in which the story happened. David Tennant, perhaps better known as Doctor Who (he was the 10th Doctor), played Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, who comes to Broadchurch to lead the investigation. His partner is Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (played by Olivia Colman), a native of the town who was promised the inspector position and was passed over.

The thing about the series was that it didn't try to tie everything up in one episode like so many procedurals today do. Instead, it spread the story out, more like an investigation probably happens in real life. The detectives have to follow every lead, and most of them don't pan out. But they take pieces of one testimony and parts of another and build a case.

I really liked how the characters developed over the course of the story, how assumptions were blown up and how nothing was as it seemed. And I was wrong in my guess(es) of who the murderer was.

One of the most interesting parts of the show, for me, was its portrayal of the media. Broadchurch has its own newspaper, and the young reporter, Ollie, is Ellie's nephew. That does cause some problems, especially when Ollie calls Ellie to confirm the identity of the murder victim. While she doesn't come out and say the child's name, Ollie takes what she says as confirmation and puts the child's identity on Twitter. Of course, that sets off a firestorm in the police wardroom. Ollie realizes that he made a terrible decision and apologizes to Hardy, but by then, the damage is already done.

Then there was the big city newspaper reporter who came swooping in - looking for the big story. That reporter's coverage eventually causes more problems and, just like in real life, the local paper has to put out the fire.

Anyway, the series is finished, the murder solved. And now I'm watching the American League wild-card playoff.

On the other hand, Elementary is on tomorrow night and White Collar starts back up in less than three weeks! And, I just saw on Facebook (and since it's on the internet, it must be true), David Tennant is supposed to star in Fox's American remake of Broadchurch. Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot!

Happy am I.