The Missing

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.

I enjoyed Season 1 a good deal, but this new season is off the hook. The suspense, the tension, the unknowns (the answers to which are doled out at an agonizingly wonderful pace), the twists, the dialog, the acting. All of it has me on the edge of my seat each episode. Tremendous.

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.

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.

Some of the best acting I have seen in a long time. Very suspenseful, very disturbing, very brilliant. The filming style helps create this dark and well put together, well acted storyline. A must watch. The twist and turns of the story will keep you on edge through all the episodes. The feeling of a parents devastation for a child who is missing is woven through the whole series and will draw you in deep. The direction and production of this series is incredibly good. The frustration at the attitude of some authorities and police responses is felt deeply. The writing is superb. I can't praise this series enough. Gripping and suspenseful and Highly recommended viewing.