David Morrissey headlines ITV's six-part thriller Gone as air date is confirmed
david morrissey will lead Gone, a new six-part psychological crime drama that arrives on ITV and STV on Sunday 8 March at 9pm, with episodes being released early on ITVX. The casting and premiere matter now because the series draws on a real cold-case investigation and packs an ensemble that positions it as a high-profile return for both its leads and writer George Kay.
David Morrissey as Michael Polly
Morrissey plays Michael Polly, a local headmaster and upstanding member of the community who is described as inscrutable and someone who likes order and precision in his working life. Polly becomes the prime suspect when his wife Sarah disappears, and the drama follows the growing suspicion around him as Detective Annie Cassidy probes the case. Morrissey has spoken of being reunited with George Kay and working with Eve Myles and director Richard Laxton for the first time.
Eve Myles as Detective Annie Cassidy
Eve Myles stars as Detective Annie Cassidy, an intuitive, gutsy investigator who pursues the missing-woman case and engages in a compulsive game of cat and mouse with Polly as she chips away at his veneer. Myles has described Annie as a fascinating character who does not suffer fools and has said she has met her match in Polly. The role is partly inspired by the career of former Detective Superintendent Julie Mackay.
To Hunt a Killer, Julie Mackay and Robert Murphy
Gone is fictional but was partly inspired by the book To Hunt a Killer, written by crime correspondent Robert Murphy, and by the work of former Detective Superintendent Julie Mackay of Gloucestershire Police. The real investigation chronicled in the book was opened in 2009, 32 years after the 1984 murder of 17-year-old Melanie Road as she walked home from a nightclub in Bath; Mackay’s inquiry led to Christopher Hampton being jailed for life. Both Mackay and Murphy served as consultants on the TV series.
George Kay and Richard Laxton shaping the series
Writer George Kay, whose credits include The Long Shadow, Hijack and Lupin, penned the script; Richard Laxton directs. Kay has described the project as inspired by real-life research and framed around questions of privilege and prejudice. The production is presented as a deeper exploration of trauma, trust and the legacy of elite institutions beneath the surface mystery.
Setting, cast and distribution plans
Gone is set against the backdrop of a prestigious private school, a foreboding forest and the quiet sprawl of Bristol. The ensemble includes Emma Appleton as Alana, Sarah and Michael’s daughter and a teacher at the school, alongside Jennifer Macbeth, Arthur Hughes, Nicholas Nunn, Elliot Cowan, Billy Barratt, Rupert Evans, Jodie McNee, Oscar Batterham and Clare Higgins. The series was announced in November and has been described by ITV as a gripping, psychological drama. Episodes will premiere on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 8 March and will be available ahead of broadcast on ITVX.
What makes this notable is the way the drama blends a fictional central mystery with direct consultation from a detective and a crime correspondent who resolved a long-running cold case; that real-world thread — a 2009 investigation launched 32 years after a 1984 murder that resulted in a life sentence — lends the series a specific provenance while preserving its fictional remit. The decision to release episodes on ITVX ahead of linear transmission also changes how audiences will first encounter the narrative, allowing viewers to watch on their own schedule rather than only at the scheduled 9pm slot.
Beyond the production and distribution details, the project has personal resonance for Myles, who has been candid about considering quitting acting because of a scarcity of quality roles for women. She has noted the difficulty of moving away from a recognisable part — citing the example of Gwen Cooper from Torchwood — and welcomed what she sees as improvement in female-led drama. Morrissey and Myles have both expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with Kay, Laxton and the production team, which includes New Pictures.
