The Missing, Indian Summers for BBC First.

BBC First, which launches in less than a month on Foxtel, has announced two new acquisitions for 2015: The Missing starring James Nesbitt and Indian Summers with Julie Walters.

Both titles are currently in production in the UK.

8 part thriller The Missing sees Australian Frances O’Connor partner with Nesbitt as British parents whose 5 year old son goes missing during a holiday in France.

Tcheky Karyo (Goldeneye, The Patriot) Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button), Ken Stott (The Hobbit trilogy), Arsher Ali (Four Lions) and Titus De Voogd (Steve + Sky) also feature.

Natalie Edgar, Director of Television, BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand, said: “This series is an exciting new take on the detective drama. Full of twists and turns it will have viewers on the edge of their seats. I have no doubt it will be a huge hit and I’m delighted to be able to bring this to BBC First audiences.”

10-part drama series Indian Summers sees Julie Walters (Harry Potter, Mamma Mia) star as Cynthia, a widow of influence in Northern India during the decline of the British Empire in the 1930s.

“We are focused on bringing our audiences the very best British dramas so we are delighted to have secured Indian Summers for BBC First,” said Edgar. “Julie Walters is one of the most talented actresses of her generation. With its rich cast of characters, stunning locations and stories of promises, secrets, politics, power, sex and love in tumultuous times, Indian Summers is set to be a stand-out series for next year.”

BBC First launches on August 3rd.

In 2006 Tony and Emily Hughes’ life changes forever when their 5 year-old son Oliver goes missing on a family holiday to France. A huge manhunt led by Julien Baptiste, one of France’s finest detectives, is launched but Oliver seems to have disappeared into thin air. Tony and Emily are in a foreign land, they do not speak the language and do not understand the rules. As their desperation and profile of the case grows, Tony and Emily find themselves thrown into a media maelstrom, learning the hard way that not everyone they meet is willing to operate in their best interests.

Eight years on from Oliver’s disappearance and the fallout has resulted in the end of Tony and Emily’s marriage. Tony refuses to believe that Oliver is dead and doggedly continues his search to find his son. After years of searching, Tony is given new hope when a shred of evidence emerges. This reignites the interest of Julien Baptiste, the lead French detective at the time of the disappearance, who returns to Chalons Du Bois to try and finally get to the bottom of what happened to Oliver Hughes.

This gripping 8 x 60’ relationship thriller is told simultaneously over two time frames and is set in two countries. Exploring the emotional cost of obsession, hope and finding when to let go, this thrilling new drama shows the impact of a child’s abduction.

Currently in production, The Missing is written by Harry and Jack Williams and directed by Tom Shankland (Ripper Street). It is a New Pictures and Company Pictures (an All3Media company) production in association with Two Brothers Pictures in association with Playground Entertainment for BBC in association with Starz. Co-produced with BNP Paribas Fortis Film Fund and Czar TV Productions. Filmed with the support of the Belgium Federal Government’s Tax Shelter scheme for VRT. It is distributed by All3Media International.

The Missing will screen on BBC First in 2015.

Indian Summers which has just gone into production, is set in the summer of 1932 against the sweeping grandeur of the Himalayas and the tea plantations of Northern India. India dreams of Independence, but the British are clinging to power. In the foothills of the Himalayas stands Simla; a little England where every summer the British power-brokers of this nation are posted to govern during the summer months.

The drama tells the rich and explosive story of the decline of the British Empire and the birth of modern India, from both sides of the experience. But at the heart of the story lie the implications and ramifications of the tangled web of passions, rivalries and clashes that define the lives of those brought together in this summer which will change everything.

The multi award-winning Walters, who received a BAFTA Fellowship this year, stars as Cynthia, a widow and doyenne of the expats Royal Club. A force to be reckoned with, her influence spreads throughout the community.

Also starring are Henry Lloyd-Hughes (The Inbetweeners, Harry Potter), Jemima West (The Borgias), Roshan Seth (A Passage to India, Gandhi) Nikesh Patel (Bedlam) and Lillete Dubey (Monsoon Wedding). The series from New Pictures is created and written by Paul Rutman (Vera).

Indian Summers will be seen on BBC First in 2015.