David Morrissey headlines Gone as david morrissey plays accused headmaster

Eve Myles plays Det Annie Cassidy in Gone, a six-part fictional crime series written by George Kay in which david morrissey stars as head teacher Michael Polly. The drama is partly inspired by the book To Hunt a Killer and the career of former detective Julie Mackay.

David Morrissey as Michael Polly

David Morrissey plays head teacher Michael Polly, described in the series as an "upstanding member of the community" who "is inscrutable and likes order and precision in his working life" until he becomes the prime suspect after his wife Sarah disappears. In the show's narrative Polly is the centre of a "compulsive game of cat and mouse" when Det Annie Cassidy begins to chip away at his veneer in search of the truth.

From Torchwood to Gone

Welsh actress Eve Myles, best known for roles in Broadchurch and Keeping Faith and for playing Torchwood's Gwen Cooper, takes the lead as Det Annie Cassidy. Myles has said: "When you play someone as strong as [Torchwood's] Gwen Cooper, someone so recognisable, it's quite difficult to come away from that or for other people to see you do anything differently. I think it's definitely getting better, female-led drama. " Myles revealed at the Wales Screen Summit in October that she had considered quitting acting because of a lack of quality roles for women.

The Walking Dead connection

The series also draws attention because it casts The Walking Dead's David Morrissey alongside Myles. Gone is set against the backdrop of a prestigious private school, a foreboding forest and the quiet sprawl of Bristol. Sarah and Michael's daughter, Alana, is played by Emma Appleton and is a teacher at the school, making the case a family affair within the story.

Creative team and inspiration

George Kay penned the script and Richard Laxton directed. Kay said: "After teaming up with ITV and New Pictures for true crime drama The Long Shadow, I’m delighted to be working with them again to create a new police drama. Inspired by real life research, Gone sees the excellent Eve Myles’s overlooked Detective Annie Cassidy go head-to-head with main suspect Michael Polly, played by the superb David Morrissey. In a story about privilege and prejudice, the truth is tantalisingly close. Or at least, that’s what Annie thinks…" The series is fictional but was partly inspired by the book To Hunt a Killer and the career and work of former Detective Superintendent for Gloucestershire Police, Julie Mackay, with crime correspondent Robert Murphy, who wrote the book, also serving as a consultant.

Real case link and consultant roles

The context for that inspiration is the real investigation led by Julie Mackay, who launched a cold case inquiry in 2009, 32 years after the murder of 17-year-old Melanie Road. Melanie Road was murdered as she walked home from a nightclub in Bath in 1984. Mackay’s 2009 investigation led to Christopher Hampton being jailed for life for the teenager’s murder. Both Mackay and Robert Murphy served as consultants on the TV series, which looks at a fictional case.

Cast, tone and release

Alongside Myles, Morrissey and Emma Appleton, Gone also features Jennifer Macbeth, Arthur Hughes, Nicholas Nunn, Elliot Cowan, Billy Barrett, Billy Barratt, Rupert Evans, Jodie McNee, Oscar Batterham and Clare Higgins. The series explores themes of trauma, trust and the legacy of elite institutions. Gone was announced back in November and has been described as "gripping" and "psychological. " Episodes are set to be released ahead of transmission on ITVX, and the series will air on ITV and STV from Sunday 8 March at 9pm on ITV1.

Myles said: "I'm thrilled to be playing Detective Annie Cassidy in George Kay's brilliantly written drama Gone. Annie is a fascinating character, intuitive, gutsy and doesn't suffer fools, but she has met her match in Michael Polly who is a formidable adversary played by David Morrissey. It's wonderful to be directed by Richard Laxton and I can't wait for the audience to see it. " Morrissey added: "I’m delighted to be reunited with George Kay and the wonderful team at New Pictures. And to be working for the first time with the amazing Eve Myles and Richard Laxton. "

Other headline lines in the provided context include: 'I wanted to save her life' - the moment twin sisters learned they were identical; 'I don't want him going abroad to die' says mum of son's assisted dying wish; 'I dropped to the floor and couldn't move - spiking can happen anywhere'; 'Israel says it has launched attack on Iran, as explosions reported in Tehran'; 'Mahmood to press on with immigration reforms despite by-election defeat'; and 'Green victory shows insurgent parties are here to stay. '

Gone is a six-part fictional series that draws on real-life research and consultants to frame a new police drama built around Det Annie Cassidy and the inscrutable figure of Michael Polly, played by David Morrissey.