James Nesbitt (The Hobbit), Frances O’Connor (Mr Selfridge) and Tcheky Karyo (GoldenEye) lead the cast of BBC One’s new eight-part relationship thriller, The Missing.
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When five-year-old Oliver disappears while on holiday in France, it sets off a manhunt that will last for years and years to come. The Missing takes you inside the mind of a father, Tony, desperate to find his lost son. Exploring the emotional cost of a child’s adduction, the story is told over two time frames, simultaneously, in two countries.
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Episode 1: ‘Eden’
Tuesday 28 October 2014, 9pm
2006. Tony and Emily Hughes’ life changes forever when their five 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. The French police face an uphill struggle in their mission to find the young boy – 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.
Present day. 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.
Episode 2: ‘Pray for Me’
Tuesday 4 November 2014, 9pm
2006. Three days since Oliver’s disappearance. With little information to go on, suspicion immediately falls on a known paedophile living in the area.
With the police keeping Tony and Emily in the dark, Tony is tempted by ambitious journalist Malik Suri, who claims to have illegally obtained information about the suspect in custody. Then the suspect is released with a seemingly concrete alibi.
A benefactor reaches out to Tony and Emily when they are at their lowest ebb, offering a financial reward for anyone coming forward with information relating to Oliver’s disappearance.
In the present day, Tony’s attempt to reopen the investigation gathers momentum when he and Julien find the first piece of concrete evidence. While Tony continues on his mission to find out the truth about what exactly happened to his son, both Emily and Julien have to deal with problems in their own lives.
Episode 3: ‘The Meeting’
Tuesday 11 November 2014, 9pm
2006. The investigation into Oliver’s disappearance continues, while Tony’s past comes back to haunt him.
Ian Garrett continues to offer his support, and his friendship with Tony deepens.
An undercover police officer in Paris comes forward with possible information about Oliver Hughes.
In the present day, Tony and Julien are relieved that the case has now officially been reopened. Emily (pictured) returns to Chalons Du Bois and begins to face the demons from her past. Progress into the case is initially slow, but the episode ends with a shocking new lead.
Episode 4: ‘Gone Fishing’
Tuesday 18 November 2014, 9pm
2006. The case is thrown into disarray when someone with important information is murdered.
Tony is horrified as he begins to realise that someone close to him isn’t the person that he claimed to be.
In the present day Julien is intent on re-investigating the links between the dead witness and Oliver’s disappearance. The stress of the reopening of the case starts to take its toll on Emily and Mark’s relationship.
Episode 5: ‘Molly’
Tuesday 25 November 2014, 9pm
2006. Tony and Emily’s pleas to re-investigate a suspect again fall on deaf ears.
Tony decides to take matters into his own hands and has a violent confrontation with life-changing consequences.
In the present day Tony and Julien, retrace their steps in Paris as they try and find out the whereabouts of a man who they believe to be involved with Oliver’s disappearance.
Episode 6: ‘Concrete’
Tuesday 2 December 2014, 9pm
In 2006, Tony desperately tries to cover his tracks as he deals with the consequences of his actions.
With her world collapsing around her and no real leads in finding Oliver, Emily finally breaks down. Things take a turn for the worse for Julien when an unprovoked attack puts him in danger.
In the present day, Tony and Julien finally track down the man they have been searching for, who promises to provide them with the information they require, but at a price. With money thin on the ground, Tony turns to Emily and begs her to help.
Episode 7: ‘Return to Eden’
Tuesday 9 December 2014, 9pm
2009. Three years after Oliver’s disappearance and no significant progress has been made in the case.
Tony and Emily’s marriage is hanging by a thread but then a surprise turn of events brings both Tony and Emily back to Chalons du Bois for the first time since 2006.
In the present day, the information that Tony, Julien and Emily received gives them a tenuous lead. With Tony and Emily back in Chalons Du Bois and finally making progress in the case, there is a thawing in their relationship.
Episode 8: ‘Till Death’
Tuesday 16 December 2014, 9pm
The truth about Oliver’s disappearance finally comes to light, as the action moves between 2006 and 2014.
What does the future hold in store for Tony, Emily, Julien and Mark after all this time? Can any of their relationships ever be whole again?
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