David Tennant turned into a "grumpy old man" when he was shooting 'Broadchurch'.

Olivia Colman and David Tennant in Broadchurch

Olivia Colman and David Tennant in Broadchurch

The nation may be preparing itself for mourning when the third installment - the final series to ever hit screens - comes to an end next month but the 45-year-old actor, who portrays DI Alec Hardy in the crime drama, is glad it's almost over because he was sick of having to keep the storylines and scripts under lock and key for most of the year.

Speaking on 'Top Gear' on Sunday (12.03.17), he explained: "This is it. I think we should do three and leave them wanting more.

"It's always been the way. Anything that's a thriller has elements you want to hold back. Being on the show gets really tiresome because everything is sent with a password. One script has one password, another has another password. I just can't keep up. I end up being a grumpy old man saying 'just send me some paper!'"

However, not everyone is looking forward to seeing the back of the drama as the show's creator Chris Chibnall keeps having second thoughts about the ending.

He said recently: "Once I step away from the computer, I hope I've given everything to it - like a footballer leaving everything on the pitch. The emotion goes into the show. Any success is not in our hands, it's in the hands of the audience - they decide what they want to talk about. It's very emotional. It's hard to say goodbye. I've asked myself, 'Why am I walking away from the two best actors in the country?' "

But the 47-year-old writer had already decided that the show would only last three series when he signed on to the project but he wanted to make sure that it involved multiple storylines and be jam packed with shocking twists and lots of surprises.

He explained his planning process: "I have four giant whiteboards and a brilliant script editor. We storyline everything and then start with the characters... When you plot an hour-long episode, you have to do it very tightly in four acts around the ad breaks."


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