Missed Call is an upcoming thriller set to air on Channel 5, which is “a powerful story about every mother’s worst fear”.

Slow Horses and The Larkins’ actress Joanna Scanlan leads the cast as the distraught mum, whose daughter goes missing on a school trip.

Like The Game, The Feud, and The Au-Pair before it, the Channel 5 series promising big thrills, with a cast of TV’s top names.

Here’s everything you need to know about Missed Call on Channel 5, including plot, cast, start date, and location.

What is Missed Call on Channel 5 about?

Upcoming Channel 5 thriller Missed Call introduces us to single mother Sarah. When her daughter goes missing on a school exchange to France, Sarah’s world is “upended”. Worse, still, Sarah received a late-night call from her teenage daughter, Katie – which she missed.

A synopsis tells us: “Sarah arrives in France. But she finds the host family and local authorities disturbingly indifferent to Katie’s disappearance. Sarah refuses to accept their complacency. However, her search for her daughter spirals into a gripping and dangerous race against time.”

Where is Missed Call set and filmed?

Missed Call is set against the backdrop of a picturesque French village. While it’s early days to know exact details just yet, cast and crew will start filming the drama in the coming months.

This follows The Rumour, which aired earlier this year and was filmed in Budapest.

Who plays Sarah?

BAFTA-winning actress Joanna Scanlan leads the cast of Channel 5’s Missed Call as frantic mum Sarah. Of course, TV viewers will know Joanna best for playing Ma Larkin in The Larkins, DI Vivienne Deering in No Offence, and Terri Coverley in The Thick of It. As well as her comedic roles, she’s appeared in hard-hitting dramas like The Accident, A Very Royal Scandal, and Slow Horses. She’ll soon appear in Sally Wainwright’s Riot Women.

She said on joining the cast: “The script for Missed Call gripped me from the first page. It’s a powerful story about every mother’s worst fear, set in a place that’s stunningly beautiful but weirdly unsettling.

“Sarah is a complex, vibrant and determined woman, and I’m hugely excited to bring her to life in this tense and emotional thriller. It’s a real pleasure to be working with Channel 5 on such a bold and compelling piece of drama.”

Who else is in the cast?

Robert Lindsay also appears in the thriller. Although nothing as yet has been revealed about his character, we fancy him as a villain! TV fans will know the actor best for his early career in TV series such as Citizen Kane, and My Family. More recently, he’s appeared in Sherwood, and Generation Z.

Rupert Graves will join the ensemble cast, too, in what must surely be one of the most impressive Channel 5 casts to date. Sherlock fans will know Rupert as DI Greg Lestrade. He’s also famous for his roles in Riviera, The Family, Garrow’s Law, Last Tango in Halifax, and The Forsyte Saga.

French actors Claire Keim and François-Xavier Demaison complete the cast so far.

How many episodes is it?

The thriller Missed Call will be five episodes of about an hour long (minus the ads).

Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, 5 said: “Missed Call is an emotionally charged thriller. It brings together a phenomenal international cast and a compelling story of maternal determination and cultural clash.”

Samuel Kissous, President of Pernel Media, added: “We have attracted world class talents with two BAFTA winning actors and a roster of French and international stars.”

When’s the start date? How can I watch it?

Channel 5 has not yet revealed a start date for Missed Call. In fact the series hasn’t even started filming yet.

We’d expect the series to arrive on our screens sometime in 2026. Watch this space for more info, as and when we get it.

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Missed Call will arrive on Channel 5 sometime in 2026.