BBC First acquires The Missing
New drama channel BBC First has acquired major thriller series The Missing.
The announcement:
New premium drama channel BBC First has announced the acquisition of major thriller series The Missing, starring James Nesbitt (The Hobbittrilogy, Jekyll) Frances O’Connor (Mr Selfridge, AI Artificial Intelligence) and Tcheky Karyo (Goldeneye, The Patriot).
In 2006 Tony and Emily Hughes’ life changes forever when their 5 year-old son Oliver goes missing on a family holiday to France. A huge manhunt led by Julien Baptiste, one of France’s finest detectives, is launched but Oliver seems to have disappeared into thin air. Tony and Emily are in a foreign land, they do not speak the language and do not understand the rules. As their desperation and profile of the case grows, Tony and Emily find themselves thrown into a media maelstrom, learning the hard way that not everyone they meet is willing to operate in their best interests.
Eight years on from Oliver’s disappearance and the fallout has resulted in the end of Tony and Emily’s marriage. Tony refuses to believe that Oliver is dead and doggedly continues his search to find his son. After years of searching, Tony is given new hope when a shred of evidence emerges. This reignites the interest of Julien Baptiste, the lead French detective at the time of the disappearance, who returns to Chalons Du Bois to try and finally get to the bottom of what happened to Oliver Hughes.
This gripping 8 x 60’ relationship thriller is told simultaneously over two time frames and is set in two countries. Exploring the emotional cost of obsession, hope and finding when to let go, this thrilling new drama shows the impact of a child’s abduction.
Nesbitt, O’Connor and Karyo are joined by an international cast including Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button), Ken Stott (The Hobbit trilogy, Rebus), Arsher Ali (Four Lions) and Titus De Voogd (Steve + Sky).
Natalie Edgar, Director of Television, BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand, said: “This series is an exciting new take on the detective drama. Full of twists and turns it will have viewers on the edge of their seats. I have no doubt it will be a huge hit and I’m delighted to be able to bring this to BBC First audiences.”
Currently in production, The Missing is written by Harry and Jack Williams and directed by Tom Shankland (Ripper Street). It is a New Pictures and Company Pictures (an All3Media company) production in association with Two Brothers Pictures in association with Playground Entertainment for BBC in association with Starz. Co-produced with BNP Paribas Fortis Film Fund and Czar TV Productions. Filmed with the support of the Belgium Federal Government’s Tax Shelter scheme for VRT. It is distributed by All3Media International.
The Missing will screen on BBC First in 2015.
The BBC Worldwide channel, which will showcase the very best new British dramas and comedies in one place for the first time, launches on Foxtel on August 3.
BBC First joins existing BBC channels – UKTV, BBC Knowledge, CBeebies and BBC World News – on the Foxtel platform. It will also be available on Foxtel GO and in high definition. Drama and comedy fans will be able to check what’s coming up on BBC First via the programme page bbc.com/first.
Source: BBC media release
