The Missing

A gripping anthological relationship thriller series exploring the emotional fallout of a child's abduction not only on the family but on the wider community, told over two time frames.

The Missing (2014-2016) is a British-French-Belgian co-produced anthological crime thriller created by Harry Williams and Jack Williams for BBC One. Its engine is a single disappearance: a small boy vanishes and the search splits the people around him into suspects, accusers and wounded parents. David Morrissey plays Sam Webster and Keeley Hawes plays Gemma Webster, a couple whose marriage fractures under grief and scrutiny, while James Nesbitt plays Tony Hughes, a figure whose connection to the case slowly unsettles the viewer. Tchéky Karyo and Anastasia Hille appear as the Baptiste couple, adding a French investigative thread. The story moves between two time frames, so each episode peels back another layer of what happened and who knew. Episodes are built around interviews, quiet domestic confrontations, and the slow pressure of a community turning on itself. The show spans two seasons of eight episodes each, with season two resetting to a new case and new characters in the same anthological format. Its tone is gripping, bleak, and emotionally raw, with a patient, unsettling atmosphere that rewards full attention. Fans of Broadchurch, The Killing and True Detective will find resonance in its grief-heavy mysteries and fractured families.

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its gripping relationship-driven thriller construction and emotional weight around a child's abduction.

• Broadchurchshared emotional thriller tension, parental grief, investigation driven drama
• The Killingshared dark mystery, community fallout from a child disappearance, slow burn tension
• True Detectiveshared anthology structure with new cast each season, crime thriller grounded in family trauma

Created by

Harry Williams, Jack Williams

Release Date

2014-10-28

Episode runtime

59 min

Rating

8.1 / 10 (312)

What is The Missing about?

A British anthological thriller in which a child's abduction tears apart a family and a community across two time frames.

What is The Missing like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Missing as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Missing violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Missing as moderate.

What did critics think of The Missing?

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its gripping relationship-driven thriller construction and emotional weight around a child's abduction.

Which shows are like The Missing?

Shows with a similar feel include Broadchurch, The Killing, and True Detective.

How long is The Missing?

The Missing: 2 seasons, 16 episodes.

Is The Missing still running?

No, The Missing has ended.

Where can I watch The Missing?

In United States, The Missing streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Spectrum On Demand, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel.