Gone (2026)

Bombshells are exposed bit by bit, and the pacing keeps viewers holding their breath for most of the show.

Suspense builds, continues to build, and then – the tension! – builds some more. How long before the elastic snaps back? .... If there is a tauter, clammier or more engrossing drama this year I will eat my mortarboard with chips.

It’s well-paced and the first episode sets things up effectively. The school setting adds another layer, because Polly’s personal and professional lives are so entwined.

Gone is a slow burn but its attention to detail means few moments are wasted.

Gone promises to be a compelling watch, but more than that, its exploration of MVAWG — particularly within the supposed sanctity of the home — gives it real staying power.

It might be Morrissey’s gruffest role yet, which meant we needed a counterpoint. Cue Eve Myles’s everywoman-detective-with-a-troubled-personal-life, Annie Cassidy, to tell us what everyone is thinking. .... But the basic whodunnit question has potential and it does play nicely on the idea of how easy it is to judge a book by its cover.