In the series Gone, a local headmaster played by David Morrissey becomes the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance. Eve Myles stars as Detective Annie Cassidy, who investigates the disappearance of a woman. Gone is a six-part drama written by George Kay, partly inspired by the book To Hunt a Killer by crime correspondent Robert Murphy.
That book explores the case led by former Detective Superintendent Julie Mackay of Gloucestershire Police, which helped secure a life sentence for the man who sexually assaulted and stabbed Melanie Road 32 years after her murder. Julie Mackay and Robert Murphy served as consultants on the series Gone. Eve Myles sought Julie Mackay's advice while preparing for her role in Gone.
She was very generous during the time we spoke.
Julie Mackay appeared as a supporting artist in one of the scenes of Gone. Eve Myles was inspired by Julie Mackay's resilience and perseverance in solving Melanie Road's case. David Morrissey described the series as more of a psychological drama than a conventional thriller.
Gone aired for the first time on Sunday on ITV and is available on ITVX. Viewers are binge-watching Gone on ITVX as all six episodes have been released. The series also airs tonight at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
We did Zoom calls while she was out walking her dog or eating breakfast. Whenever I had questions or wasn't sure about something, I could call her and she was always available to help. She also made visits to the set.
She even appeared as a supporting artist in one of the scenes, which was brilliant. It added to the sense of involvement and inclusivity.
Julie said to me that she never doubted, not for a single second, that she would catch the killer.
We're very used to the sort of 'crash, bang, wallop' moments you often get in a psychological drama like this. But this story is about the pauses, the intrigue and the relationships.
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.
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.