Ashes to Ashes: a sci-fi British detective pick for Broadchurch fans

Movieweb recommends the British crime drama Ashes to Ashes as a strong alternative for fans of David Tennant’s Broadchurch.

Broadchurch stars David Tennant as DI Alec Hardy and Olivia Colman as DS Ellie Miller, and the series remains popular despite wrapping up almost nine years ago, the article says. Ashes to Ashes introduces Keeley Hawes as police officer Alex Drake, who in 2008 is shot and wakes up in 1981, where she meets Philip Glenister’s Gene Hunt, Dean Andrews’ Ray Carling and Marshall Lancaster’s Chris Skelton. The show serves as a sequel to Life on Mars (which starred John Simm as Sam Tyler and received an obscure American remake in 2008) and the sci‑fi elements are woven into a primarily crime‑drama format as Drake works to gather evidence related to Arthur Layton (Sean Harris).

Ashes to Ashes leans more procedural than Broadchurch’s season‑by‑season new stories and also experiments with philosophy and the concept of reality, while keeping crime central. The series is described as one of the best British detective shows on BritBox and pairs with Life on Mars for viewers seeking more to watch; Ashes to Ashes ran 2008–2010 and Broadchurch ran 2013–2017.

Key Topics

Culture, Broadchurch, David Tennant, Keeley Hawes, Britbox