ITV’s Director of Drama Polly Hill has commissioned psychological drama, Gone, from screenwriter George Kay (The Long Shadow, Hijack, Lupin) starring Eve Myles and David Morrissey.

The six-part series, directed by Richard Laxton (Mrs Wilson, Burton and Taylor, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Joan), is co-produced by New Pictures (an All3Media company) and George Kay’s Observatory Pictures, in association with All3Media International.

Set against the backdrop of a prestigious private school, a foreboding forest and the quiet sprawl of Bristol, Gone, is a chilling mystery focusing on local Headmaster Michael Polly, played by David Morrissey (The Long Shadow, Sherwood, Britannia), who becomes the prime suspect in his wife Sarah’s disappearance.

An upstanding member of the community, Michael Polly is inscrutable and likes order and precision in his working life. Until, that is, he encounters super bright, gutsy Detective Annie Cassidy, played by Eve Myles (The Crow Girl, Hijack, Torchwood), and a compulsive game of cat and mouse begins as she chips away at his veneer in search of the truth.

Commented Eve Myles: “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.”

Commented David Morrissey: “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.”

Sarah and Michael’s daughter, Alana, played by Emma Appleton (The Road Trip, The Killing Kind, Lola), is a teacher at the school “making their involvement a real family affair.”

Gone also stars Jennifer Macbeth, Arthur Hughes, Nicholas Nunn, Elliot Cowan, Billy Barrett, Rupert Evan, Jodie McNee, Oscar Batterham and Clare Higgins.

Commented Polly Hill: “I am so delighted to be working with George, Willow, and Richard on this brilliant new police procedure.  Gone is a wonderful new drama which puts Detective Annie Cassidy, played by Eve Myles, up against Michael Polly, played by David Morrissey, the prime suspect in the case of his missing wife. Did he do it? The amazing team on and off screen make a beautifully compelling story and one that I am sure will keep the audience guessing.”

Commented George Kay: “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…”

Gone is created, and written by George Kay, and directed by BAFTA winning Director Richard Laxton. The producer is Mark Hedges (Hanna, The Rising) and the executive producers are Kay, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award-nominated Willow Grylls (Des, The Missing) and BAFTA Award-nominated Matt Sandford (The Long Shadow).

Gone is a fictional series, partly inspired by the book “To Hunt A Killer” and the career and work of respected former Detective Superintendent for Gloucestershire Police, Julie Mackay, and ITV Crime Correspondent Robert Murphy who has reported on some of the biggest and most complex cases in the West of England. Both Mackay and Murphy serve as consultants on the series.

The series is a New Pictures and Observatory Pictures co-production for ITV in association with All3Media International as the international distributor.