“A parent in turmoil”: Sherlock and Slow Horses stars join “spine-chilling” Channel 5 thriller Missed Call

Here at GH we love an emotionally-charged thriller, and here’s one you’ll surely want to add to your watchlist. Missed Call is a spine-chilling drama coming to Channel 5 which follows a parent in turmoil when her teen daughter horrifyingly goes missing on a school exchange. And it’s packed with acting talent, as Slow Horses’s Joanna Scanlan and Sherlock’s Rupert Graves are teaming up alongside French and British stars.

Missed Call will explore every mother’s worst nightmare, as it follows single parent Sarah (Joanna Scanlan), whose teenage daughter, Katie, goes missing in France without explanation - the only clue being a missed call on Sarah’s phone. To make matters worse, she’s been staying with a host family on an exchange and, when Sarah arrives to search for her daughter, they seem strangely non-plussed and indifferent to the unfolding events. Will Sarah be able to track down Katie?

As we wait with bated breath for Missed Call to arrive on our screens, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.

What is Missed Call about?

This five-episode thriller is set in a charming French village, and follows single mother Sarah (Joanna Scanlan), whose world is shattered when she receives a late-night missed call from Katie, her teen daughter - and disappears soon after. Katie’s on a school exchange in France, and when Sarah arrives to look for her, she’s shocked at what she finds.

The official synopsis continues: “When Sarah arrives in France, she finds the host family and local authorities disturbingly indifferent to Katie’s disappearance. As Sarah refuses to accept their complacency, her search for her daughter spirals into a gripping and dangerous race against time.”

Joanna Scanlan said the Missed Call script “gripped me from the first page”. She added: “It’s a powerful story about every mother’s worst fear, set in a place that’s stunningly beautiful but weirdly unsettling. Sarah is a complex, vibrant and determined woman, and I’m hugely excited to bring her to life in this tense and emotional thriller. It’s a real pleasure to be working with Channel 5 on such a bold and compelling piece of drama”.

Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor at 5, teased the drama, saying: “Missed Call is an emotionally charged thriller that brings together a phenomenal international cast and a compelling story of maternal determination and cultural clash”. Samuel Kissous, President of Pernel Media, added: "We have attracted world class talents with two BAFTA winning actors and a roster of French and international stars. We are also delighted to be working with first class partners such as 5, ITV Studios and TF1 Group.”

Who’s in the cast of Missed Call?

The cast of Missed Call includes:

• Joanna Scanlan (Slow Horses, A Very Royal Scandal)
• Claire Keim (Vise le Coeur, Menace sur Kermadec)
• Rupert Graves (Sherlock, The Burning Girls)
• François-Xavier Demaison (Disparue, Le Négociateur)
• Robert Lindsay (Sherwood, Generation Z)

How can I watch Missed Call?

Channel 5 hasn't shared an official release date for Missed Call just yet, but as soon as we have a confirmed date, we'll share it here.

What other Channel 5 thrillers can I watch now?

5 is great for pacy, gripping thrillers - and one we’d highly recommend is domestic series The Feud, which follows a couple who life an idyllic life in Shrewsbury - that is, until they have some building work done and quickly discover that their neighbours aren't quite as nice as they seem. Alternatively, The Au Pair is a fantastic watch - it centres around a seemingly-perfect family who hire a beguiling babysitter - and of course, things quickly begin to go south. Both are available to stream on Channel 5 now.