Broadchurch series 2 ratings: Olivia Colman and David Tennant attract more than 7 million viewers

The new Broadchurch series is shrouded in secrecy and has everyone excited

Broadchurch series 2: The full cast (ITV)

The hotly-awaited return of ITV drama Broadchurch attracted an impressive 7.6 million viewers on Monday night.

Opening figures for series two were up by nearly a million on the first ever episode in March 2013, as fans tuned in to see David Tennant and Olivia Colman back in their lead roles as detectives Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller.

At its peak, the Bafta-winning show reached 8 million viewers.

Much of the crime show’s appeal lies with the secrecy of its plot. Cast and crew have signed confidentiality clauses forbidding them from revealing storyline details, and several different endings have been filmed to prevent the conclusion leaking.

Arthur Darvill, who plays vicar Paul Coates, said recently that the actors are not allowed to watch the series ahead of its broadcast. Furthermore, they were given partial scripts when shooting in an effort to keep the mystery even more tightly under wraps.

The first series of Broadchurch drew critical acclaim and racked up 8.7 million for its dramatic finale that saw Ellie’s husband Joe Miller arrested for 11-year-old Danny Latimer’s murder.

Yesterday’s new episode was warmly received by critics and viewers alike, as the addition of new cast members Charlotte Rampling, James D’Arcy, Eve Myles and Marianne Jean-Baptiste proved exciting to viewers commenting on social media.

Elsewhere, Channel 4 dating show The Undateables attracted 2.4 million viewers for the start of its fourth series.