Will there be a Series 2 of The Missing? – UPDATE: Second Season of Hit BBC Drama Commissioned

Is there going to be a new second series of The Missing on BBC One?

Given the huge success of the first captivating series, it’s easy to see why both viewers and BBC1 would be eager to see The Missing series 2 commissioned for 2015, or even 2016.

UPDATE: It’s now been officially revealed that there will be a second series of The Missing coming to BBC1, airing again over eight episodes. Watch the teaser trailer below, voiced by Julien Batiste actor Tcheky Karyo. End of update.

According to a recent article in The Guardian, which features an interview with the shows writers Jack and Harry Williams, a new series of The Missing could indeed be heading our way.

The Missing series 1: Julien (TCHEKY KARYO), Laurence (EMILIE DEQUENNE), Mark (JASON FLEMYNG), Emily (FRANCES O'CONNOR) and Tony (JAMES NESBITT) - Image Credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd. Photographer: Jules Heath

The Missing series 1: Julien (TCHEKY KARYO), Laurence (EMILIE DEQUENNE), Mark (JASON FLEMYNG), Emily (FRANCES O’CONNOR) and Tony (JAMES NESBITT) – Image Credit: BBC/New Pictures Ltd. Photographer: Jules Heath

In the interview, Jack Williams says: “It’s definitely something we are keen to do and [the BBC] feel like they’re keen to do but to say any more may be too difficult.”

Another promising sign was the Radio Times stating that a BBC spokesperson informed them: “There is no news yet on a recommission but we understand that talks are in an advanced stage.”

Regular viewers of the 2014 series may have noticed the original plot doesn’t appear to lend itself too well to a follow-up season – hopefully bringing closure on the gripping storyline of Oliver’s disappearance. If series 2 of The Missing was to feature another disappearance, as the shows title pretty much demands, how could the original characters fit into things? Surely James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor’s characters Tony and Emily Hughes couldn’t be put through another similar ordeal, could they?

Perhaps a more likely option would be a brand-new story with new cast, characters and setting. If so, this would be a similar strategy to that currently being used by the writers of US TV drama Fargo. With events of Fargo’s season 1 finale permitting a straight forward continuation, a second is now being produced, with a fresh cast and plot, but still featuring the same series title.

Another factor to consider may be how successful the James Nesbitt drama proves internationally, including in America where it’s been airing on the channel Starz. One things for sure though, with over 7 million people tuning in to watch series 1, if there is a way to bring The Missing back, its writers and the BBC will find it.

In addition to potentially writing a sequel to The Missing, brothers Harry and Jack Williams are already working on a separate drama for BBC1 called ‘One Of Us’. Set in Edinburgh and rural Scotland, this four-part thriller will likely have its air date scheduled for late 2015.