The Missing

People go on about US drama but whilst some is very good some is utter dross.

That is how TV is you will never be satisfied with it all but as I type this the UK is waiting to see what happened to Alice (this is no spoiler) and the nation wants to know.

That is not only top drama but drama which will last the years.

In both series 1 & 2 the story stands alone and all the actors are on opt form but it is Julien Baptiste that becomes the moral and physical centre of the story. A man who knows the truth is never easy but is determined to bury his daemons.

I have no idea what will happen, I will just go with the flow and like series 1 the ending will be the talking point.

First review, but just finished watching Season 2.

Season 1 had me rating this as a 9 out of 10, but Season 2 leaves me no choice but to bump that up to a 10 out of 10.

I couldn't stop watching, episode after episode, in two sittings. 8 hours of suspense, intrigue, great acting, and a well chosen mix of languages and actors from different countries.

It felt authentic and real, sadly too believable. No spoilers here, I would hate that anyone spoiled it for me. But it didn't fail to keep me glued to my TV screen.

The locations were well chosen and beautifully filmed.

There were some tuff moments, and I can't deny the fact that I shed a tear or two.

A subject well treated and not Hollywood glam'd up.

THE MISSING is a timely intervention, as its plot has strong echoes of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the four-year-old who disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia de Luz, a resort in the Algarve in 2007. Madeleine has still not been found, even after an extensive police search; but hitherto the search has led to speculation about the role of Madeleine"s parents in the affair, and whether or not they were involved in abducting her.

In Harry and Jack Williams' drama, set in France in 2006 and 2014, Tony and Emily Hughes (James Nesbitt, Frances O"Connor) are on holiday when their five-year-old son Oliver (Oliver Hunt) is mysteriously abducted on the night of the World Cup Final in 2006 between France and Brazil. No one appears to know where he is; and the incident goes cold until 2014, when Tony discovers new evidence in a Facebook photograph as to where Oliver might be. He enlists the help of retired detective Julien Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo), and embarks on a quest that is mostly frustrating, but sometimes enlightening.

Tom Shankland's production vividly communicates the experience of trying to deal with institutions such as the police and/or the justice system in a foreign country; in Tony's eyes at least, they seem inefficient and dedicated to obstructing rather than facilitating the task of finding Oliver. On the other hand, there are equally corrupt forces at work among the British community, most notably centering round the mysterious philanthropist Ian Garrett (Ken Stott). What seems like a routine disappearance of an infant turns into something much more sinister.

Filmed mostly in Belgium, the production makes great play of the contrast between the chocolate-box settings of the village (where Oliver disappears) and the nefarious goings-on taking place inside the buildings. The atmosphere is well summed up through an astute of symbols - a fly crawling up a net curtain suggesting corruption, a hand-held camera behind Emily's head indicating uncertainty.

Nesbitt offers a convincing portrayal of an outwardly ordinary British citizen with a questionable past, that leads the Inspector to suspect that Tony might not quite be the whiter-than-white victim he pretends to be.

The production unfolds slowly, with considerable emphasis placed on atmospherics, but each episode ends on a convincing cliff-hanger encouraging viewers to watch even more.

One of my favourites on television from 2015, that's for sure..as well as being one of the best mini-series of this genre in recent years. To see top-notch production values, an absorbing story-line and great acting, 'The Missing' is essentially a must watch.

Seven eighths of 'The Missing' is simply phenomenal, with the only fault being that it was difficult to find anything to fault it. 'The Missing' does stumble in the last episode somewhat, which is a shame. The production values, music, script and acting are without complaint, but the episode does drag a bit and does get bogged down by being overstuffed and occasionally over-complicated, also with an ending too ambiguous and abrupt. Maybe it does leave room for a series 2, but considering how the rest of the series unfolded and was told one can't help feeling that a possible second series would focus on a different story.

Production values here are simply exquisite. There is such a brooding moodiness and at the same time a gleaming beauty to how everything is shot, and the dark mood seen in the lighting and how the scenery is like a character of its own are furthermore striking. The music score is not overused or intrusive, yet with enough to make it atmospherically haunting and distinctively memorable. The script is intelligent and thought-provoking, with a lot of insight into sensitive adult issues explored with astute sensitivity and intelligence, with enough tightness to stop it from rambling.

Despite the last episode not being as great as the rest, the story is incredibly absorbing even as a slow-burner, and like with this year's 'One of Us' (not as good, but was also gripped on the whole), it does have to be commended for trying to be different from other mystery dramas, focusing enough on the mystery but focusing also on the aftermath and repercussions for the families and also presenting a moral edge. There is a huge amount of atmosphere too, the production values help as well as the skillful direction, but it is high in tension and conflict with plenty of twists and turns that all feel relevant and stop the storytelling from dragging. Much of it is suspenseful and poignant, and everything makes logical sense.

Also loved what was done with the characters, so vividly drawn and presented as characters that are both vulnerable and deeply flawed, one gets to know them so well and really care about their main situation, as well as any other situation they face. The acting is of high quality all round, Frances O'Connor fares the weakest of the main characters but that doesn't mean in any way that she's bad, just that everybody else impressed even more. James Nesbitt's performance in 'The Missing' ranks among his best, while Ken Stott is chillingly loathsome and Titus De Voogdt is very believable as a sympathetic monster (this may sound oxymoronic, but definitely possible).

Outshining them all is the simply sublime performance of Tchéky Karyo, a performance worthy of award recognition and manages to make what could easily have been a stereotype into one of the most complex and most fascinating characters of any show of this genre in recent years.

In conclusion, exceptional drama and would have been even better with a last episode that lived up to the rest. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This is a very slow, drawn out drama. I emphasise that because so many people give the thought provoking long drama negative reviews. Just not enough fast paced explosions for people. If that is what you like go to channel five or Hollywood. The BBC make gritty, real life dramas for the intelligent person who do not need fuel filled, jaw dropping moments to keep them interested. This programme is about people, relationships, how a moment can change your life forever. How people react so differently to situations and how it affects them. The actors take you on a journey, tony, so blinded by guilt and rage that at times you have no empathy for him whatsoever until you reflect on his loss and wonder how you yourself would react. I find the acting brilliant and i like the time skips, if at times, if you have blinked it gets a little confusing as to what era you are looking at particularly when the young french man goes to the UK. I was confused as to what era I was watching at one point. Besides that i am avidly waiting for the next episode, particularly after the 'jaw dropping' twist of the last episode with the boat incident (you see what i did there)?! Watch and enjoy and if you cannot sit still for a drawn out programme, go watch x factor!