ITV commissions a third series of Broadchurch

David Tennant and Olivia Colman will return

The award winning and critically acclaimed drama, produced by Kudos and Imaginary Friends Productions, written and created by Chris Chibnall, has gripped the nation with two compelling series.

Series one saw the consequences of the tragic death of school boy Danny Latimer and the investigation into who killed him, with Joe Miller eventually revealed as the murderer.

The second series saw Joe Miller plead 'Not Guilty' and the subsequent trial, while the family of Danny struggled to come to terms not only with their son's death but also the media spotlight and their desperation for justice to be done. DI Alec Hardy also remained determined to solve the Sandbrook case, and with DS Ellie Miller's help he finally learned the truth behind the death of Pippa Gillespie and the disappearance of Lisa Newbery. Both series of Broadchurch achieved a consolidated series average of over 9 million viewers.

David Tennant and Olivia Colman will reprise their roles as Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller for the third series. Details of other cast members, and filming dates, will be confirmed at a later date.

ITV's Director of Drama Steve November and Controller of Drama Victoria Fea have commissioned the new series which will be written by Chris Chibnall once again. The executive producer team will remain the same with Chris Chibnall alongside Jane Featherstone.

Steve November today said: "Chris Chibnall knows exactly how to keep viewers guessing and I'm delighted that he is going to take the story onto the next stage."

Creator and writer Chris Chibnall said: "We've been overwhelmed that nine million people every week have continued to join us on the twists and turns of Broadchurch. This third chapter has been a glint in my eye for a long time and I'm thrilled to be writing these characters once again."