I wasn't overly enthused about watching Apple TV+'s new thriller Last Seen at first. I was judging a book by its cover when I thought it looked like a mid-range emergency services drama, and that it was just going to be a slight variation of the many others I'd seen over the years.
But if I hadn't reluctantly given it the '20-minute test' (my marker for whether a new show is going to grab my attention or not), I'd have missed out on the best thriller series of the year.
Set in Australia, the show stars Colin from Accounts' hapless Gordon in the very serious role of Ian Ridley, a detective turned emergency services operator whose life has been devastated by the disappearance of his young daughter Mags. Little Mags disappeared 11 years earlier, and Ian finds himself emotionally stuck, blaming himself for what happened while desperately trying to remain sober after turning to alcohol to deal with the tragedy.
When the body of a young child is discovered in the nearby woodland area, it sets the path for Ian as he becomes determined to find out what happened to his long-lost child once and for all - which becomes even more poignant when he receives an emergency call while at work from a teenager who he wholeheartedly believes is his daughter, still alive.
As much as I'd love to sing the praises of some of the brilliant, unexpected plot reveals, and indeed the top tier casting, to say anything more would be to give too much away, and this is a show where the plot twists and second guessing are all part of the fun.
What is so compelling about the show isn't just the plot, which is so good that it compelled me to binge the show in two breathless sittings - then lose sleep thinking about it - but the fully formed characters who are all heartbreakingly human and going through something unimaginable in a compelling and believable way.
Does the plot get a little silly as it progresses? Perhaps. But I think the last thriller series I was this attached to is BBC's much celebrated crime drama series Broadchurch, and that's saying something.
However, since Apple TV shows tend to receive excellent reviews but with very little fanfare, I fear this might be another one that falls under the radar, and more's the pity. Here's hoping that, this time, the word gets out.
