On the evening of March 8, 2026, British viewers settled in for the premiere of ITV’s latest psychological crime thriller, Gone. The six-part series, which airs Sundays at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, has already begun making waves with its taut storytelling, atmospheric setting, and a cast brimming with talent. At the heart of the drama are Eve Myles as Detective Annie Cassidy and David Morrissey as Michael Polly—the headmaster whose wife’s mysterious disappearance becomes the catalyst for an unraveling web of secrets and suspicion.
Set and filmed in Bristol, Gone draws viewers into the cloistered world of an elite private school, its shadowy forests, and the city’s quiet sprawl. The show’s creators have leaned into the city’s unique character, with filming taking place at Bottle Yard Studios and in local schools during the Easter holidays, according to Everything Gossip. The result is a richly textured backdrop that feels as much a character as any of the people on screen.
The premise is as chilling as it is compelling: Michael Polly, played by Morrissey, is the headmaster of a prestigious school and, by all outward appearances, an upstanding member of the community. But when his wife Sarah vanishes, suspicion quickly falls on him, setting off a cat-and-mouse game between Polly and Detective Annie Cassidy. As the investigation deepens, secrets emerge, old cases resurface, and the true complexity of the characters comes into sharp relief. The show’s synopsis teases, “Beneath the surface of the mystery, lies a deeper exploration of trauma, trust and the legacy of elite institutions.”
Eve Myles, who leads the show as Annie Cassidy, describes her character as “a woman in her forties. She’s happy in her job, but very lonely in her life. Her job actually is her life, it’s everything she has and everything she thinks she needs at that point.” Myles’s portrayal of the rule-bending detective with an unwavering sense of justice has already drawn praise, and the show’s creators promise a nuanced exploration of what makes us human. “What is a ‘monster’? What is ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’?” Myles muses, highlighting the show’s psychological depth.
David Morrissey, a familiar face to many from his roles in The Walking Dead, Sherwood, and State of Play, brings gravitas to the role of Michael Polly. He describes his character as someone “very aware of the legacy and fundraising in the world of public schools, and he carries the burden of making both the finances and the education work. He sees himself in terms of the school’s legacy.” Morrissey admits to having little experience with Bristol before filming, but calls the city “a great city; vibrant, cultural, and very beautiful to look at.”
The ensemble cast is another of Gone’s strengths. Alongside Myles and Morrissey, the show features Emma Appleton as Alana Polly, Michael and Sarah’s grown-up daughter and a teacher at her father’s school. Appleton is known for her roles in The Witcher, Intergalactic, and Everything I Know About Love. Jennifer Macbeth steps in as DC Becky Hammond, Annie’s right-hand woman on the case, while Billy Barratt, Elliot Cowan, Rupert Evans, Nicholas Nunn, Jodie McNee, and Peter McDonald round out the main cast.
Behind the camera, Gone boasts a creative pedigree that bodes well for its success. The series is penned by George Kay, whose previous credits include Lupin, Hijack, and The Long Shadow. Kay’s knack for building suspense and delving into the psychological motivations of his characters is evident from the outset. The show is also inspired in part by the career of former Detective Superintendent Julie Mackay, whose real-life work in Gloucestershire Police has informed the procedural aspects of the series, and ITV Crime Correspondent Robert Murphy, who has covered some of the West of England’s most complex cases.
For Eve Myles, Gone represents another high point in a career that has spanned more than two decades. The 47-year-old Welsh actress first gained recognition in the BBC series Belonging and became a household name as Gwen Cooper in Torchwood. Her credits include Merlin, Broadchurch, Victoria, and more recently, another ITV drama, Coldwater. Myles’s personal life is as compelling as her on-screen roles; she is married to actor Bradley Freegard, whom she met at the National Youth Theatre in 1994. The pair married in 2013 in Italy, with their then three-year-old daughter Matilda as the only guest. “It was heaven on earth,” Myles told WalesOnline after the ceremony. The couple, who now have three daughters, live in Cardiff, Wales, and have acted together in the series Un Bore Mercher/Keeping Faith.
Bradley Freegard, 49, is known for his work in Teulu, EastEnders, Casualty, Doctors, and as King Canute in Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla. Their enduring partnership has weathered the ups and downs of the acting profession. As Freegard once said, “The real reason I think we’ve been together so long and through so much is because we were with each other before things really started taking off.”
The authenticity of the show’s setting is a point of pride for the cast and crew. Filming in Bristol’s schools and forests, as well as at Bottle Yard Studios, lends a palpable sense of place to the drama. Morrissey notes that investigating crime in the rarefied world of public schools—where tradition and secrecy run deep—poses unique challenges for his character and for Detective Cassidy. “Our detective has to navigate that world—the world of the public school, with all its history and legacy—while doing her job,” he explained.
What sets Gone apart from the crowded field of crime dramas is its willingness to dig beneath the surface. The narrative doesn’t just focus on the whodunit, but also on the emotional and psychological toll of trauma, the complexities of trust, and the far-reaching influence of elite institutions. As the investigation unfolds, viewers are invited to question not just the characters’ motives, but the very nature of good and evil, innocence and guilt.
With its strong cast, atmospheric setting, and thoughtful writing, Gone is poised to become a Sunday night staple. The first episode has already set the tone for a gripping season, and with five more to go, audiences will be watching closely as Detective Annie Cassidy chips away at the secrets of Bristol’s elite.
For fans of psychological thrillers and character-driven mysteries, Gone offers a fresh, haunting take on the genre—one that lingers long after the credits roll.