It’s Eve Myles vs David Morrissey in ‘Gone’

Nearly all of the current roster of police procedurals coming out of the U.K. is the typical fare one might expect. There’s a rhythm to cozy crime shows that doesn’t waver, a formula for lone wolf detectives who seek a found family. But every so often, a crime drama rolls off the line as a genuine surprise, taking the trappings of the police procedural and using them as a framework to dig into some of the uglier sides of long-term relationships.

BritBox has a tendency to collect those shows as they cross the pond, from Sherwood and Blue Lights to The Capture and Vigil. The newest, Gone, debuts just as Trigger Point Season 3 concludes. On the surface, Gone is a story of a wife who goes missing and a husband who can’t stop acting like a suspect around the lead investigator. But underneath it’s a story about co-dependence, deep-seated guilt, the burden of professional expectations, and the banality of evil.

The case features a missing music teacher, Sarah Polly. Her husband Michael is the headmaster of the renowned private school where both she and their daughter Alana are teachers. Alana is the one to sound the alarm when her mother doesn’t come home, forcing her father to go to the police, while Michael appears entirely unbothered, more concerned with the school rugby team and end-of-term exams than the whereabouts of his wife.

Here’s BritBox’s version of the synopsis:

Sarah Polly, a married music teacher from Bristol, has vanished. Minutes have turned into hours; hours into days. And yet her family have heard nothing. Her car keys are still in the dish by the front door, her mobile phone is still charging under the bed. It’s as if she’s simply walked out on her stable family home…

Concerned, Sarah’s husband Michael Polly goes to the police. He speaks to Detective Julie McKenzie. He is determined - insistent - that she finds out what has happened to his wife. McKenzie promises him she will. But something in her gut tells her he is responsible.

Eve Myles (Torchwood) stars as Detective Julie McKenzie, with David Morrissey (Tip Toe) as Michael Polly, and Emma Appleton (The Killing Kind) as Alana. The standalone series is noticeable heavy on the investigative ensemble, including Jennifer Macbeth (Grace) as DC Becky Hammond, Jodie McNee (The Marlow Murder Club) as DC Nira Barker, Oscar Batterham (A Spy Among Friends) as DC Duncan Carmoody, Peter McDonald (This Town) as DI Craig Stanhope, Arthur Hughes (Criminal Record) as DI Ivan Pemberley, Amy Marston (Operation Mincemeat) as boss DSU Daniella Laing, and Dorian Simpson (Bridgerton), as Sgt Andy Much.

The rest of the cast includes Rupert Evans (Moonflower Murders) as Rory Bowman, Elliot Cowan (The Jetty) as Stephen Sedgwick, Claire Goose (Dalgliesh) as Claire Sedgewick, Clare Higgins (Silent Witness) as Carol Bradley, Sanchia McCormack (The Madame Blanc Mysteries) as Trudy Gillam, Amanda Lawrence (Mr. Selfridge) as Simone Kinnard, Kate Fahy (This England) as Verity Sleighthome, Paul Freeman (A Very English Scandal) as Malcolm Sleighthome, Melissa Collier (Best Interests) as Melody Kendall, and small-screen newcomers Tahmid Choudhury and Tom Pegler as James Bauri and Theo Dyce, respectively.

The series was created and written by George Kay (Hijack), inspired by the book To Hunt A Killer by former DSU Julie Mackay and ITV Crime Correspondent Robert Murphy, both of whom served as consultants on the fictionalized series. (One gets the sense this is aiming to be picked up as a semi-anthology series in the spirit of Unforgotten with one case per season.)

Director Richard Laxton (Poldark) helmed all episodes, with Mark Hedges producing. Kay executive produces alongside Willow Grylls and Matt Sandford.

Gone debuts on Thursday, July 23, 2026, with three episodes, followed by one episode a week through mid-August on BritBox.

Subscribe to Telly Visions paying tiers to join our Discord server!

Subscribe today!