IT’S the moment fans have been waiting for.

The first episode of the final series of Broadchurch returns to television screens tonight.

The ITV drama was filmed in west Dorset last summer and it’s been a long wait for fans who glimpsed tantalising hints of what’s to come.

Actors David Tennant and Olivia Colman return as DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller, but there are also new faces, including Julie Hesmondhalgh and Lenny Henry.

Hesmondhalgh will play the victim of a serious sexual assault and the drama will unfold three years after series two ended.

Henry will play the manager of the farm shop where Hesmondhalgh’s character works. Producer Dan Winch has previously told the Dorset Echo that fans will get to see scenes with series regulars such as the Latimers, adding: “We’ll visit all the family groups we’ve come to know and love.”

Broadchurch 3 will run for eight episodes, starting tonight.

Catch it on ITV1 at 9pm.