Is Morven Christie's ITV crime drama The Bay the new Broadchurch?

Like the Dorset-set Broadchurch, The Bay takes place in a coastal town – in this case Morecambe – and is described by ITV's drama boss Polly Hill as “a very real crime story about family and community […] compelling and beautifully crafted”, all of which will also strike a chord with Broadchurch fans.

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ITV are currently unable to tell us more about the tone of the series so it remains to be seen how deep any similarities may or may not run, but we do know it will be fronted by Grantchester’s Morven Christie, who plays DS Lisa Armstrong, a family liaison officer investigating a missing persons case that she discovers she has a personal connection to.

And although she’s trained not to get emotionally involved, Armstrong is soon left grappling “to get justice for the grieving family”, according to ITV.

Rather than being penned by Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall – who's a little tied up with a certain BBC sci-fi show – The Bay comes from Daragh Carville (Being Human, The Smoke, Cherrybomb).

Christie said "I loved Daragh’s scripts, rooted in the families and community of this distinctive town. [...] I hope we’re going to make something that feels raw and real, as well as being a hugely compelling story.”

Filming on The Bay begins in August in and around Morecambe and the Manchester area.

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