A gripping mystery, seen from both sides of the Atlantic

It should come as no surprise to hear that a British television show is being remade for a U.S. audience. Remember “The Office”? The British version featured co-creator Ricky Gervais as the manager of a branch at a paper company, while the U.S. version gave that role to Steve Carell. Imagine how different the American show would have been if Gervais filled those shoes again.That’s what’s happening with “Gracepoint,” the U.S. remake of the British crime drama, “Broadchurch.” David Tennant stars in both shows as a detective investigating the death of a young boy in a quiet seaside town.“Broadchurch” was shown on BBC America last year, and I initially tuned in because it was filled with “Doctor Who” actors — Tennant was the Tenth Doctor; Arthur Darvill was Rory Williams, one of the Doctor’s companions; and Olivia Colman was Prisoner Zero.I found myself getting pulled into the mystery surrounding the eight episodes of “Broadchurch.” I was on the edge of my seat every week as detectives Alec Hardy (Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Colman) tried to figure out who killed Danny Latimer. Everyone in the small town is a suspect; even the Rev. Paul Coates (Darvill) is pulled into the investigation.That mystery was solved. The current question is, how will the plot of “Gracepoint” differ from “Broadchurch”?According to Fox, which will air 10 episodes of “Gracepoint” this fall, the show is “an expansion of the original series, introducing new characters, identifying new suspects and threading new storylines through the gripping narrative.” This time around, Tennant’s Detective Emmett Carver (whose Scottish accent has been replaced with an American one) is working with Detective Ellie Miller, played by Anna Gunn of “Breaking Bad” fame.In both shows, the entire community feels the effects of the murder. Who can you trust? If “Gracepoint” is anything like “Broadchurch,” you’ll keep guessing until the very end.In a preview video on the official “Gracepoint” website, Tennant says, “I don’t quite know where it’s all going. The ending is going to be different, so as long as it doesn’t turn out that I did it, I feel quite liberated by not knowing what’s coming.”And if that’s not enough Tennant for you, he’ll be returning on BBC America as Detective Hardy in “Broadchurch,” season two.View a trailer for “Gracepoint” at www.fox.com/gracepoint.