There's no denying that missing kids are pretty fashionable in film and TV right now. Broadchurch season two is going off and at least four people have been to see family flick Taken 3 - so it makes sense that miniseries sensation The Missing will be the next big thing on the telly. The eight-episode drama had the UK in a cold sweat, and it's not hard to see why. Starring Cold Feet's James Nesbitt, it's a tense thriller that begins with his five year old son being abducted during a family holiday France.
What happens next is a manhunt that spans years and various locations. Splitting up it's time between the UK and France, it's a puzzle-piecing mystery that examines obsession, loss and hope. Joined by Frances O'Connor as Tony's wife Julien, the ongoing search for his son starts to tear their marriage apart as he refuses to let go. Enlisting what could well be called The Broadchurch Effect in the future, the series also examines the impact of the abduction on the family's close community. It looks like a truly gripping watch, like Taken without as much martial artistry. / AC
Final Destination, Friday TV2 at 11.05pm
Advances in science have had the unfortunate side effect of making us all a bunch of boring rational dinguses. For the most part we no longer believe the world was created by some kind of magic sky fairy, or that gender or ethnicity or skull shape is a good predictor of intellect, or that leeches are some kind of wonder drug.
That's all to the good. Unfortunately in our rush to abandon our terrible old thoughts we've also forgotten that death isn't just the 'buzz' that comes after 'living', but also an irresistible force which surrounds us at all times and will not be thwarted.
The Final Destination quintilogy have doggedly reminded us of this immutable, timeless truth, over and over again. The premise is simple - a chappy or chapette has a premonition that a forthcoming group outing (in this case a plane ride) will result in a horrible tragedy. They raise the alarm and thus save some lives. Friends, enemies, co-workers - any old lives will do.
For the rest of the film, death comes a-stalking, hunting them down in a series of extraordinarily balletic death scenes, until they're all dead and the earth's harmony is restored. It's a simple, silly formula executed to a phenomenally high standard, and the first film is a modern genre masterpiece playing at the perfect pulpy time of night. / DG
Serial Killer Sunday, Sunday, CI at 8.30pm
I have a 14-year-old daughter who just can't get enough death. She and her best friend default to CI, the most macabre channel in Sky's galaxy of niche, to explore the minds of murderers and massacre-ers. It seems a little morbid, but the pair are otherwise well adjusted so I'm letting it slide. Their favourite show is 'Kid Killers', which explores the minds and motives of extremely delinquent juveniles. Recently there was one about a 4-year-old who killed his friend and left him in a ditch, which is pretty naughty and deserving of a long time out. Failing that 'Serial Killer Sunday' is the girls' weapon of choice. It picks a different madman every week - mostly American, a few Brits, a disturbingly high number of Australians - and tells the story of their dastardly deeds. I asked them what they learned from these shows. A lot about murder, and how to avoid getting caught. "We could easily murder you, Dad," my daughter told me cheerfully this morning. I'm less worried about getting murdered than about the way it makes them look out at the world's 'stranger' community. It's made them somewhat distrustful. Maybe that's a good thing? If you're a little too stoked with the world, and troubled by the idea you might be vulnerable to murder, seek out CI today. As my daughter's friend put it, "It doesn't make you scared. It makes you aware." / DG
Binge Watch - Community on Lightbox
Dan Harmon's monster comedy Community made news after being cancelled by NBC in the states and picked up by Yahoo Stream, one of these savvy online content providers, not unlike our own Lightbox. Running for an enduring six seasons (and who knows how many more now that the internet has taken hold), there's a reason why this show was so good for so long. Based around a study group at community college, it's a pacy and hilarious look at what happens when you cobble together a group of total ill-suited oddballs just trying to do their best.
The main character is Jeff, a swanky yet fraudulent lawyer who has been forced to go back to school and gain the qualifications he lied about having. He is joined by a baptist single mother, an elderly moist-towelette millionaire, an injured scholarship athlete and many more. One of the most crucial characters is setting the tone of the show is Abed, a film student whose incessant cultural referencing makes the show probably one of the most pop culture packed on the planet. Each episode title cleverly adopts a different university subject, addressing it as obtusely or blatantly as they feel like. If there's one thing that will make you want to go back to school, it's this audacious, self-aware and incredibly smart show. / AC
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