Alec Hardy is a fictional character portrayed by actor David Tennant. Alec Hardy is a Detective Inspector living in Broadchurch to solve the murder of a young boy. DI Hardy suffers from a heart condition that becomes exacerbated by the stressful case. To his misfortune, multiple contacts from a previous case show their faces in the middle of his investigation, bringing back emotions from a previously botched investigation that has haunted him for years. DI Alec Hardy must then solve two cases, fighting for the innocent residents of Broadchurch while trying to preserve his own health and bring justice to his evasive suspects' horrific crimes.