Gracepoint
GenreCrime drama
Created byChris Chibnall
Based onBroadchurch
by Chris Chibnall
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Production locationVictoria, British Columbia
CinematographyJohn Grillo
Running time44 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseOctober 2 (2014-10-02) –
December 11, 2014 (2014-12-11)
Related
Broadchurch
Malaterra

Gracepoint is an American crime drama television series created by Chris Chibnall.[1] It is a remake of Chibnall's UK drama series Broadchurch, and stars that series' lead, David Tennant, along with Anna Gunn, as two detectives investigating the murder of a boy in a small, tightly knit coastal town.

The series premiered on October 2, 2014, on Fox.[2] The network promoted the show's 10-episode run as a "limited series".

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

This episodes's plot summaries may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve them by removing unnecessary details and making them more concise. (August 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
1"Episode One"James StrongChris ChibnallOctober 2, 2014 (2014-10-02)4.76[15]
Detective Ellie Miller is upset when Emmett Carver is assigned as lead detective while she was on vacation. Carver's first case is a cut barbed wire fence. Twelve-year-old Danny Solano goes missing, and his body is found at the base of cliffs overlooking the local beach. Beth Solano sees her son's body on the beach and breaks down. Having known the Solanos for years, Ellie deals with her own personal struggles as well as the Solanos'. A crime scene officer says the crime scene was altered to look like an accident, and the pathologist says Danny was killed by blunt force trauma to the head. Carver and Ellie disclose the cause of Danny's death to the Solanos, and Mark identifies the body. Ellie's nephew and ambitious reporter, Owen Burke, extracts information from Ellie for a Twitter report, causing tension with the police and upsetting the Solanos. Ellie takes the blame for Owen's action. Carver is asked if he wishes to withdraw from the case, but he does not. Renee Clemons, reporter for the San Francisco Globe, arrives in town without her supervisor's permission to try to get an exclusive on the death. Beth visits the crime scene with Ellie, and Ellie expresses her grief to her husband Joe. Ellie tells their son, Tom, about Danny's death, and he then secretly wipes his mobile phone and computer to remove evidence. Owen unwittingly provides Renee with a link to Chloe Solano, and CCTV footage shows Danny skateboarding down a street on the night of his murder. Ellie notes that Danny's phone and skateboard were not recovered at the crime scene and are missing. At a press conference, Carver urges anyone to come forward if someone they know is behaving differently and remarks: "We will catch whoever did this."
2"Episode Two"James StrongAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanOctober 9, 2014 (2014-10-09)3.80[16]
After Ellie is given a list from the Solanos of those they think might have killed Danny, police discover cocaine in Chloe's bedroom and $500 under Danny's bed. Ellie questions Chloe, who says she was holding it for her employer, Gemma Fisher of the Crestview Inn. Gemma claims some guests were asking for the cocaine, and Chloe provided it, but Gemma didn't know who gave it to Chloe. Ellie promised to protect Gemma's reputation, causing an argument with Carver about protecting and trusting the townspeople. Carver is told by Jack Reinhold that he saw Danny talking and joking with a hiker (Brendan Fletcher) on the cliffs ten days before his death. Beth feels stressed at home and goes to the supermarket, only to break down after seeing Danny's favorite cereal. She confides to Paul Coates, her longtime friend and town priest, that she is pregnant. This prompts him to offer comfort to the community. At the police station, Ellie and Carver watch footage of the parking lot near the crime scene to see Mark waiting for someone. Phone engineer Raymond Connelly glimpses a file on Danny and tells them that he was told by Danny from beyond the grave that he was killed near water or a boat. Chloe tells her boyfriend Dean that the cocaine was found. She gets upset when he insinuates it will come back on him. She walks away and meets Renee, who gives her a phone number for future use. Carver visits Susan Wright, caretaker of a beach house near the crime scene, to get the keys to it. It is revealed that she is keeping Danny's skateboard inside her mobile home. While Ellie and crime scene technicians find Danny's blood and shoe prints at the beach house, Carver questions Mark. He initially lies about his alibi but then reveals being out with a friend that he refuses to name. Ellie calls Carver to say Mark's fingerprints were found in the beach house.
3"Episode Three"David PetrarcaAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanOctober 16, 2014 (2014-10-16)3.70[17]
Mark is questioned at the police station. Carver and Ellie ask about blood on his fishing boat and his fingerprints at the summer house near the crime scene. He claims the blood is from Danny, who cut his foot on a lure during a family fishing trip. He also says he fixed a burst pipe at the house, but caretaker Susan denies he did so. Mark says he was out with his coworker Vince on the night of the murder. Vince corroborates this, but his mother says he was with her, only leaving to make a pharmacy trip for her. Mark is arrested for obstructing the investigation. Raymond approaches Beth with a message from beyond the grave, and tells her Danny was killed by someone close to the family, in a boat. Tom Miller is questioned by Carver and reveals that Mark struck Danny. More about Carver's illness is revealed, and Beth considers Paul's proposal for a memorial service. Chloe texts Gemma for help, and Gemma tells the police that Mark was having sex with her the night Danny died. Mark is released. When he refuses to tell Beth where he was the night Danny died, she all but accuses him of killing their son. He storms out to meet Gemma; Beth follows, and discovers his infidelity. Renee asks Carver about his past, and reveals she wants to discover Danny's killer because of Carver's failure to do so in the previous case. Ellie refuses to ask Chloe who gave her the cocaine, so Carver calls to say Chloe must do so the next day. Forensics then gives him a scrap of paper with a phone number pulled off Danny's clothing. Carver types the number into a reverse telephone directory.
4"Episode Four"James StrongAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanOctober 23, 2014 (2014-10-23)3.52[18]
The phone number reveals a name, Lars Pierson, the backpacker that Reinhold saw talking to Danny. Pierson's photo is given to Mark, in the hopes someone in the family has seen him with Danny. Beth tells Ellie that Pierson once approached her at the visitor's center, seeming cordial but acting odd, after noticing a picture of her children. Chloe confesses that she got the cocaine from her boyfriend Dean, adding that he is not a dealer. Carver and Ellie question Dean, who claims the cocaine was a one-time thing. He also states that he only saw Danny a few times when he visited Chloe. The detectives take Dean to his supplier, who, upon seeing him, then asks about "the murdered kid". Danny was with Dean for the drug deal. Dean then states that he picked Danny up from walking outside of town, stopped for gas, and Danny stole a crossword puzzle book. The video footage of the theft, along with news that Chloe is dating an older boy that deals cocaine, and the police not revealing anything about the case to the Solanos deeply affects the family. Meanwhile, Carver gets a standing invitation to dinner at the Millers; Coates warns Connelly to stay away from Beth; Susan Wright and Vince are shown to have a history together; Tom looks up Pierson's location; and a boat is shown burning on the shoreline.
5"Episode Five"James StrongAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanOctober 30, 2014 (2014-10-30)3.31[19]
Ellie visits the Solano house in hopes of showing signs of normalcy, despite reminders of Danny not being there. Later, Carver has dinner with the Millers, where Joe innocently admits to not liking him. Back in his hotel room, Carver suffers a heart attack and collapses. Gemma finds him after a complaint from a neighbor. He later asks her to keep his health a secret. Susan is shown to not be who she says she is, after a background check from her application at the hotel. Paul cautions the congregation to not look at others with suspicion as that will cause them to turn against each other.
6"Episode Six"David PetrarcaJason KimNovember 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)3.03[20]
Kathy, editor of the town newspaper, informs Ellie of Susan's past. Owen and Renee's investigation into Jack Reinhold's past, from losing his wife and child to a stint in prison to now mentoring Gracepoint's children, turns the town against him. He commits suicide by walking into the ocean while holding a family portrait of his deceased wife and son. The townsfolk gather to retrace Danny's path the night of his death.
7"Episode Seven"Ali SelimAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanNovember 13, 2014 (2014-11-13)3.49[21]
Tom goes missing after separating from his father on the way to school. Ellie and Carver question Lars Pierson, the backpacker seen with Danny just weeks before his death. Carver's daughter arrives at the police station, only to see that he is just as absorbed in his work here as he was back home. The Millers marriage becomes tense as the search for Tom looks hopeless. Raymond Connelly gives Beth some clues about Tom, and she and Mark join in the search, along with Paul, who finds Tom's bicycle.
8"Episode Eight"Mike SlovisAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanNovember 20, 2014 (2014-11-20)3.12[22]
Tom is found safe, with some minor cuts from falling off his bicycle. He tells his parents and Carver that he was looking for Pierson, after seeing the name in Ellie's casebook and wanting to ask about Danny. After an interrogation with Pierson, Carver is told by Mark of Paul's obsession with Beth, his being sighted at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, and his finding both Tom and his bicycle. Beth meets with the mother of Nina, the victim in the Rosemont case. The mother is now addicted to alcohol, pills, and sleeps a lot. This deeply affects Beth, who later decides to keep her unborn child. Carver speaks with Paul, who feels the town needs him again in order to cope. He also suggests that Carver will become the next outcast because he arouses the town's suspicion every day that he doesn't find the killer. Susan gives Danny's skateboard to Tom, then goes to the newspaper office where Kathy informs her that her past is now known. She is arrested but will not talk until they find her dog, which Vince has stolen. Paul finds Tom trying to destroy his laptop, after Tom learns its hard drive can be checked. Ellie and Carver investigate the beach house, when it is reported a flashlight has been seen inside. They chase the intruder, but must stop when Carver collapses.
9"Episode Nine"Euros LynAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanDecember 4, 2014 (2014-12-04)3.61[23]
Carver refuses to be hospitalized and continues with the investigation, despite warnings it could cause his death. Morgan advises him he will be removed from the force in 24 hours and forces him to turn over his gun. Ellie links Susan to Danny's murder through cigarette butts at the crime scene. Susan claims she saw Danny's body on the beach during a late-night walk, and tells Ellie her life story. Renee learns of Carver's collapse, and Carver contacts Raymond in a desperate attempt to solve the case. Owen blackmails Carver into giving him an exclusive or he will publicly reveal Carver's health problems. Beth seeks Paul's counsel about keeping their baby and Mark spots her leaving Paul's residence. Ellie confronts Susan, who claims she saw Vince arrive in a boat and leave the body and skateboard on the beach. Vince is arrested and the dog is found. Susan reveals that Vince is her son, and she believes he's a child murderer like his father. Vince says he went hunting with Danny without the Solanos' permission. Carver learns Danny's phone was used to report the summer house break-in. Paul tells Carver that Tom and Danny were not getting along and gives him the smashed laptop he recovered from Tom. Carver meets for an interview with Kathy and Owen, and confesses that his ex-wife was responsible for the loss of evidence that led to the collapse of the previous murder case. Carver took the blame to protect their daughter. Susan requests to see Vince, who threatens her, and she leaves Gracepoint later that night. Size-ten footprints - the size of Vince's feet - are found at the summer house. Carver asks Ellie about a fight between Tom and Danny, then requests access to Tom's computer.
10"Episode Ten"Euros LynAnya Epstein & Dan FuttermanDecember 11, 2014 (2014-12-11)4.01[24]
Carver questions Tom, with Joe present, about his laptop and its contents. He records the interview on his mobile phone. He informs Tom of knowing about his blackmailing and threatening Paul as to who hit Danny. Later, Carver is told that Danny's cell phone is active again. To protect Ellie, he has her further question Vince, still jailed. Carver follows the cell signal to the Millers' house to find Joe with the phone in the garage. Joe relates what happened to Danny. The two of them had been close friends for three months. They met at the beach house, where Joe ultimately made a sexual advance on Danny, who ran outside. Joe apologized, saying life can return to normal. However, Danny was horrified and tried to flee. He fell, hitting his head on a rock, and died. Using the boat, Joe placed his body on the beach. When told, Ellie is horrified and takes her sons to a motel. There, she informs Tom of his father's arrest, but Tom's behavior seems odd. Ellie figures it out: Tom killed Danny. He tells her that he witnessed the events at the beach, but tried to protect Danny from Joe with an oar; however, he accidentally struck Danny in the head, killing him. Both Joe and Ellie protect Tom. With Joe's arrest, the town holds a beach campfire ceremony. Carver and Ellie view it from a distance, then, feeling uneasy, she leaves. Carver contacts his daughter to make peace then watches Tom's recorded video. He sees a shared look between father and son when Tom states that "I never saw anyone else hit Danny". Carver knows the Millers' secret. At the motel, Ellie doesn't answer his call.

Production

It was announced in August 2013 at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour that American television network Fox would develop an American version of Broadchurch, a critically acclaimed British series that had successful broadcasts in both the UK on ITV and the U.S. on BBC America. Chris Chibnall wrote the premiere episode and was executive producer of the series.[25] Production began in January 2014 for a spot in Fox's 2014 fall season.[26] The American adaptation was retitled as Gracepoint.[4] James Strong, director of the majority of the original series, directed several episodes of Fox's adaptation.[1]

Fox executives specifically said Gracepoint would have a different ending from Broadchurch.[27]

Casting

On October 2, 2013, David Tennant was confirmed to be starring as Detective Emmett Carver.[3] Tennant also stars in the U.K. crime drama Broadchurch, on which Gracepoint is based. On November 18, 2013, two more actors joined, with Anna Gunn as Detective Ellie Miller and Jacki Weaver as Susan Wright.[1][4] On December 3, 2013 Kevin Rankin was cast as Paul Coates and Virginia Kull as Beth, Danny's mother.[6] On December 16, 2013 Kevin Zegers joined the cast of the series; he will play the role of news reporter Owen Burke.[9] On December 19, 2013, Michael Peña was added to the cast to portray Mark Latimer (renamed Solano), Danny's father.[5]

On December 20, 2013, Josh Hamilton was cast as Joe Miller, Det. Ellie Miller’s husband.[8] On December 23, 2013, Nick Nolte also joined the cast as Jack Reinhold.[7] On January 15, 2014, Kendrick Sampson was cast as Dean Iverson.[13] On January 16, 2014, Jack Irvine was added to the cast as Tom Miller, son of Ellie and Joe Miller, and Danny's best friend. On January 22, 2014, Madalyn Horcher was added to the cast as Chloe Latimer, daughter of Mark and Beth, sister of Danny.[11] On January 23, 2014, Webster Talent tweeted that Darcy Laurie will play the role of Hugo Garcia.[14] On February 12, 2014, Sarah-Jane Potts joined the cast as Gemma.[12]

Filming

Filming began on January 28, 2014, in Oak Bay, British Columbia.[28] It was filmed until late-May 2014 in the nearby locations of Greater Victoria including the city of Victoria, British Columbia.[29] The marketplace at Portside Marina in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada was portrayed as Gracepoint Police Headquarters while filming during the spring of 2014. In one episode, Nils Jensen, the Mayor of Oak Bay, played himself.[30]

Reception

The series has received mixed to positive reviews from critics, drawing unfavorable comparison to the original UK series. On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 64% rating based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 5.99/10. The consensus reads: "While it may suffer in comparison to its British predecessor Broadchurch, Gracepoint brings an engrossing, sophisticated, and stylish crime drama to network television with Anna Gunn as a commanding lead."[31] On Metacritic, the show has a score of 62 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[32] Even so, lead actor David Tennant won at the 41st People's Choice Awards in 2015 for Favorite Actor In A New TV Series.[33]

Broadcast

In the UK, Gracepoint aired on ITV Encore, a satellite-only channel owned by ITV, the channel that aired Broadchurch.[34] It premiered on April 1, 2015[35] and was released on DVD in the UK in June 2015 from publisher Acorn Media UK.[36] The series has been sold by Shine International to both Australia and Canada. It began airing on Foxtel in Australia on October 3, 2014, and Global TV in Canada on October 2, 2014.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (November 18, 2013). "Anna Gunn & Jacki Weaver Join Fox Event Series 'Gracepoint', James Strong To Direct". deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  2. ^ Bibel, Sara. "FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates for the 2014-2015 Season; 'Red Band Society' Launches Early, 'Sleepy Hollow' & 'Gotham' on September 22". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Marechal, AJ (October 2, 2013). "David Tennant Cast in Fox's Limited Series 'Broadchurch'". variety.com. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Rose, Lacey (November 18, 2013). "Anna Gunn, Jacki Weaver Cast in Fox's 'Broadchurch' Adaptation". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Ausiello, Michael (December 19, 2013). "Michael Peña Joins Fox's Broadchurch Adaptation Gracepoint as a Series Regular". tvline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (December 3, 2013). "Duo Join Fox's 'Gracepoint' As Regulars". deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Rose, Lacey (December 23, 2013). "Nick Nolte Cast in Fox's 'Broadchurch' Adaptation". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (December 20, 2013). "Josh Hamilton Joins Fox's 'Gracepoint'". deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (December 16, 2013). "Kevin Zegers Joins Fox's 'Gracepoint'". deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  10. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 23, 2014). "Fox's Broadchurch Adaptation Adds Lucky 7 Alum (Exclusive)". The Live Feed. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  11. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 22, 2014). "Fox Event Series 'Gracepoint' Adds Regular". deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (February 12, 2014). "Sarah-Jane Potts Joins 'Gracepoint'". deadline.com. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 15, 2014). "Fox Adds Kendrick Sampson To 'Gracepoint'". deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Canadian Actor Darcy Laurie Joins Gracepoint Cast". twitter.com. January 23, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  15. ^ Bibel, Sara (October 3, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Scandal' & 'How To Get Away With Murder' Adjusted Up & Final Football Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 5, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  16. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (October 10, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' & 'The Vampire Diaries' Adjusted Up + Final Football Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  17. ^ Bibel, Sara (October 17, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' & 'How To Get Away With Murder' Adjusted Up; 'Reign' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  18. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (October 24, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: No Adjustement [sic] for Grey's Anatomy, Gracepoint or Reign + Final Football Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  19. ^ Bibel, Sara (November 7, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Vampire Diaries' & 'Scandal' Adjusted Up; 'Mom', 'Two and a Half Men', 'The McCarthys' & 'Elementary' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  20. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 7, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Vampire Diaries' & 'Big Bang Theory' Adjusted Up; 'Mom', 'The McCarthys', 'Two and a Half Men', 'Bad Judge', 'A to Z', 'Elementary', 'Parenthood' & 'The Biggest Loser' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  21. ^ Bibel, Sara (November 14, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' Adjusted Up; 'Mom', 'Two and a Half Men', 'The McCarthys' & 'Elementary' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  22. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 21, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Adjusted Up; 'Gracepoint', 'Reign', 'Parenthood', 'Bad Judge', 'Mom', 'Two and a Half Men' 'The Biggest Loser' & 'A to Z' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  23. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (December 5, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Peter Pan Live!' Adjusted Up; 'Mom', 'Two and a Half Men', 'Reign', 'The McCarthys' & 'Elementary' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  24. ^ Bibel, Sara (December 12, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Vampire Diaries' Adjusted Up; 'The Big Bang Theory', 'Mom', 'Two and a Half Men', 'The McCarthys' & 'Elementary' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  25. ^ Rice, Lynette. "'Broadchurch' heading to Fox". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  26. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 1, 2013). "Fox Adapting U.K. Drama 'Broadchurch' as Event Series". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  27. ^ Moylan, Brian (October 2, 2014). "The curious case of Broadchurch's US remake Gracepoint: why bother?". The Guardian. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  28. ^ Morgan, Emily (January 29, 2014). "Fox's Broadchurch Remake Gracepoint Starts Filming In British Columbia". entertainmentwise.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  29. ^ Denton, Don (January 28, 2014). "TV series Gracepoint begins filming in Oak Bay". vicnews.com. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  30. ^ Reid, Michael (January 28, 2014). "Meet Nils Jensen, mayor of two towns: Oak Bay and Gracepoint". Times Colonist. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  31. ^ "Gracepoint: Season 1 (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  32. ^ "Gracepoint: Season 1". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  33. ^ "People's Choice Awards 2015". People's Choice. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  34. ^ Coleman, Jill (February 14, 2014). "GRACEPOINT: ITV Confirm Broadchurch Remake To Air On ITV Encore In The UK". Daily Mirror. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  35. ^ Munn, Patrick (March 23, 2015). "ITV Encore Sets UK Premiere Date For 'Broadchurch' Remake 'Gracepoint'". TV Wise. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  36. ^ Media, Acorn (April 10, 2015). "Acorn Release'". Acorn Media UK. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  37. ^ Munn, Patrick (September 30, 2014). "Shine International Sells Gracepoint To Australia & Canada". tvwisenews. Retrieved October 6, 2014.

External links

Television work by Chris Chibnall
Categories