Mayday versus Broadchurch: Two strikingly similar murder mysteries go head-to-head

Which is which? Who's in it? Whodunnit? Alice Jones sorts the cuddly toys from the shady characters in new television dramas from ITV and BBC

You wait months for the UK’s Answer to The Killing and then two come along at once.

In the kind of scheduling blip designed to bamboozle viewers and make their blood boil, the BBC and ITV have both rolled out classy new dramas about the abduction of a child and the effect that the crime has a small, tight-knit community.

Both Mayday and Broadchurch are blessed with mouth-watering casts and lush scenery. Both display a penchant for regional accents and slow motion. Both feature people stealing cuddly toys for no discernible reason. And last night both were on at exactly the same time. Confused?

Here’s The Independent’s handy head-to-head guide.

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