The eight-episode series focused on the continuing fallout of the murder of 11-year-old Danny Latimer in the fictional, close-knit coastal town of Broadchurch in Dorset, England.

"[26] As early as mid-July 2013, Chibnall told the Daily Mirror that he had finalised the plot and written the second series' first and last scenes, and was now working on the rest of the script.

[30] In August 2014, Erin Kelly, author of the Broadchurch novelisation, said that Chibnall inserted a one-line clue about series two into her book three days before printing was due to begin.

[39] Tennant denied being cast on the show in February 2014, saying "I'm still waiting" to hear if his character would be in the second series,[40] but his participation was attested to in March 2014 by co-star Jodie Whittaker.

Paul Coates"), Jodie Whittaker ("Beth Latimer"), Charlotte Beaumont ("Chloe Latimer"), Joe Sims ("Nigel Carter"),[43] Carolyn Pickles ("Maggie Radcliffe"), Jonathan Bailey ("Olly Stevens"),[44] Pauline Quirke ("Susan Wright"),[45] Tanya Franks ("Lucy Stevens"), Simone McAullay ("Becca Fisher"), and Adam Wilson ("Tom Miller").

[53] New series two cast members included James D'Arcy, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Eve Myles, Charlotte Rampling, Meera Syal, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

[59] Baptiste admitted that, living in Los Angeles, California, she was unaware of Broadchurch and had heard little about the show from friends when she was approached to star in series two.

The daughters of Luke Priddis and his partner Rosie, of Beacon Heath, Exeter, the girls' paternal grandmother saw a newspaper advertisement for twin babies to appear on television.

[26][65] Editing for series two was overseen by Mike Jones,[66] Ben Lester, Dom Strevens, and Helen Chapman,[53] with production design by Simon Rogers[53] and art direction by John West.

With many scenes taking place outside the small fictional town of Broadchurch, the production expanded away from the Jurassic Coast to include many more locations over much of Southwest England.

[26] The plot of series two was a closely guarded secret, and ITV and Kudos held meetings to plan security measures long before shooting began.

While generally decrying the over-use of plot highlights and one-liners in film and television marketing, she argued that there was nonetheless a role for spoilers so that audiences could decide which shows to watch among the wide array of media choices.

While many crime dramas are shot in gritty, urban locations, Chibnall believed that the bucolic Jurassic Coast setting signalled to viewers that Broadchurch was not a typical detective programme.

[66] Producer Richard Stokes said that the Dorset area provided "that sense of the extraordinary, [that] the tragic and the terrible [can] happen in a rather beautiful and moving environment.

Severe weather and recent rockslides had left the cliffs unstable, and a Coastguard volunteer said the production team should have used stakes, safety lines, harnesses and helmets.

"[114] Forced to stay apart from the rest of the cast to prevent the public or press from suspecting his involvement in series two, Gravelle used his sense of isolation to bring his character to life.

[122] Ólafur tweeted on 13 November 2014 that he and longtime collaborator, singer Arnór Dan of the Icelandic band Agent Fresco, had written a new closing theme for each episode of series two.

[124] Alison Graham of Radio Times also had high praise for the soundtrack, saying, "The terrific music is important in building Broadchurch's chilly atmosphere and dark mood.

"[81] Catherine Bolado in the Dorset Echo called it "Haunting, achingly beautiful, angry, harrowing, and joyous — the Broadchurch soundtrack is as emotionally charged as the show it is taken from.

Chibnall was so enthused by author Erin Kelly's novelisation of Broadchurch series one that ITV contracted with her to write a short story to accompany each episode.

[135] The Independent awarded the premiere episode four stars out of five and labelled it "a brilliant demonstration of the risks a writer can get away with when there's a proven cast to fall back on".

They closed their review by stating "Broadchurch continues to be a rich and complex tapestry which respects the viewer's intelligence and commands you to become an armchair detective".

[137] Kevin O'Sullivan, writing for the Daily Mirror, called the first episode "tension-packed" and "an impressive opening salvo[] looks set to grip the nation all over again."

[139] Mark Lawson in The Guardian called the premiere episode "an ingeniously seamless reboot" and went on to say, "Chibnall has gathered enough old loose ends and intriguing new strands to suggest that Mondays may again become a bad night for the nation's pubs and restaurants".

[143] But Neela Debnath at The Independent criticised the writing, concluding, "Sadly, all the electric tension of episode one has evaporated, instead events are becoming improbable and additional drama seems to be shoehorned in for the sake of it.

"[142] Ross McG at Metro largely agreed with these points, and noted that the courtroom drama seemed bland because it essentially reiterated facts viewers already knew.

Broadchurch always looks fabulously bucolic but tonight the lovely summer dawns and countryside was shown off to an even greater degree..." He also lauded Olivia Colman's performance, calling her "once again on top form".

[151] Radio Times believed that "next week's finale really will be worth waiting for" and praised the episode's cinematography by stating "The court scenes came into their own, with beautiful sweeping shots of all the protagonists and bewigged drama that was not weighed down by ponderous and unconvincing legal wrangling".

[154] The Independent, in a mixed review, praised many of the cast by saying "Whenever the plot dragged, we could rely on Ellie (Olivia Colman), Beth (Jodie Whittaker) or Mark (Andrew Buchan) for a performance which delivered that missing emotional connection".

[156] When Britbank, the blue chalet in West Bank, went on the market in January 2015 for £275,000, real estate expert Malcolm Gill said the price had gone up £25,000 to £50,000 because of the "Broadchurch effect".