The Missing

The first series of The Missing (Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm) was as riveting a tale as anything since – well, the first series of Broadchurch. The trouble is we all remember how disappointing Broadchurch was the second time around. Now, how will The Missing fare as it returns? The first thing to note is that the line-up of stars has almost entirely changed. Gone is James Nesbitt, who delivered a performance of a lifetime playing a father driven to the edge of madness after his son vanishes.

But there’s a still more astonishing cast, led by Keeley Hawes and David Morrissey as parents who are left distraught after their daughter is abducted. The brilliantly smart twist this time is that the drama really gets going when the girl returns years after she was kidnapped. To say anything more about the story is impossible without giving the game away. Suffice to say that the writers, brothers Jack and Harry Williams, have devised a plot that is seeded with any number of teasing moments and which will leave you with no choice but to come back for future episodes in the hope of discovering the full truth. The one familiar friend from the first series is Tcheky Karyo, who returns as Julien Baptiste, the French detective who carries himself with the dignity of a saint and has a face unforgettably etched with world-weary wisdom. Prepare to be obsessed to the point of distraction until the conclusion eight weeks from now.

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NOT TO BE MISSED...

HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU Fri, BBC1, 9pm
Former Deputy PM Nick Clegg is the guest host as the satirical quiz show returns for a new series.

A VERY BRITISH MURDER WITH LUCY WORSLEY Sat, BBC2, 8pm
The British people’s relish for a good old-fashioned murder is the subject of Lucy Worsley’s entertaining new three- part series.

THE GREAT BUTTERFLY ADVENTURE: Africa To Britain With The Painted Queen, Mon, BBC4, 9pm
Martha Kearney charts the flight of painted lady butterflies in a delightful documentary.