Last Seen
| Last Seen | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Promotional poster | |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Created by | Kris Mrksa |
| Based on | The Dispatcher by Ryan David Jahn |
| Directed by | Christian Schwochow |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Isobel Waller-Bridge |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Katharina Haase |
| Cinematography | Bonnie Elliott |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 44–53 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV |
| Release | 9 September – 7 October 2026 |
Last Seen is an Australian thriller television miniseries created by Kris Mrksa, based on the book The Dispatcher by Ryan David Jahn. It stars Patrick Brammall, Brendan Cowell, Maxine Peake, and Daniel Henshall. The series premiered on 9 September 2026 on Apple TV and received positive reviews from critics.
Premise
Ian, an alcoholic former police officer, now emergency dispatcher, receives a call about a body found near his home; he thinks it may be his daughter, who went missing 11 years previously.
Cast
Main
- Patrick Brammall as Ian Ridley
- Brendan Cowell as Henry Reid, a reclusive fundamentalist
- Maxine Peake as Jenna Reid, Henry's wife
- Daniel Henshall as Donald Reid
- Jessica Wren as Debbie Mcguire, Ian Ridley's ex-wife
- Zahra Newman as Isabel Pena, policewoman
- Taylor Ferguson as Polly Foster
- Bert La Bonté as Bill McCracken
- Tobias Muhafidin as Dean Ridley
- Carolyn Bock as Lydia Boyd
- James Saunders as Ben Sizemore
- Chloe Jean Lourdes as Sarah Reid, Henry's daughter
- Felix Cameron as Tommy Brenton
- Colin Friels as Gareth Reid
Recurring
- Jack Green as Constable Steven Lewis
Guest
- Fletcher Humphrys as Peter Mulligan
- Justin Bell as Shane Kennedy
- Charly Thorn as Tyra Kennedy
- Aly Zhang as Penny
- Cliff Wood as Les Potter
- Spencer Ellis-Anderson as Andy Kennedy
- Oscar Redding as Jack Brenton
- Carlin Monteiro as Sam Lynch
- Dash Maxwell as Damian "Damo" Tully
- Zane Blumeris as Charlie Halloran
- Will Crittenden as Jayden Brenton
- Judith Roberts as Francine
- Jackson Raine as Angus
- Danny Matier as Tony
- Simon Maiden as Eli
- Julie Forsyth as Rebecca
- Martin Blum as John
- Ana Maria Belo as DCI Christine Jensen
- Robert Plazek as Tactical Officer Tyler
Production
The six-part series is written by Kris Mrksa, who adapted the script from Ryan David Jahn's 2011 novel The Dispatcher, transplanting the setting from midwest US to Australia. Mrksa also served as an executive producer, along with Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta of 60Forty Films, and Joanna Werner of Werner Film Productions. Christian Schwochow is director and co-executive producer.
Patrick Brammall was cast in the lead role in June 2024. In March 2025, Maxine Peake, Brendan Cowell, Daniel Henshall, Jessica Wren, Zahra Newman, and Chloe Jean Lourdes were added to the cast.
Filming began in Australia in March 2025, with Bonnie Elliott responsible for cinematography. It is the first Apple TV show to be both made and entirely filmed in Australia.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Dispatcher" | Christian Schwochow | Kris Mrksa | 9 September 2026 |
| 2 | "The Call" | Christian Schwochow | Kris Mrksa | 9 September 2026 |
| 3 | "The Lie" | Christian Schwochow | Giula Sandler | 16 September 2026 |
| 4 | "The Truth" | Christian Schwochow | Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk | 23 September 2026 |
| 5 | "The Prophet" | Christian Schwochow | Giula Sandler | 30 September 2026 |
| 6 | "The Choice" | Christian Schwochow | Kris Mrksa | 7 October 2026 |
Release
The series premiered globally on Apple TV on 9 September 2026 with two episodes, followed by one each week.
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 88% approval rating with an average rating of 7.2/10, based on 25 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Last Seen serves its mystery in bold spades, taking a story of familial tragedy to the brink of heart-wrenching and engrossing, while Patrick Brammall's performance takes this series to the next level". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 78 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian gave the series 5 out of 5 stars, calling it "riveting television" and "one of the standout shows of the year". Brian Tallerico gave it 3 out of 4 stars on RogerEbert.com, praising the "nuanced character work".
References
- 1 2 3 4 Story, Hannah (8 September 2026). "Patrick Brammall and Brendan Cowell star in Aussie child abduction thriller Last Seen". ABC News. Archived from the original on 8 September 2026. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Slatter, Sean (2 July 2024). "Patrick Brammall to lead AppleTV+ crime thriller series 'The Dispatcher'". If.com. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- 1 2 3 Vlessing, Etan (1 July 2024). "Patrick Brammall Thriller 'The Dispatcher' Gets Series Order at Apple TV+". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ↑ Otterson, Joe (1 July 2024). "'Colin From Accounts' Star Patrick Brammall to Lead Apple TV+ Series Adaptation of 'The Dispatcher'". Variety. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (1 July 2024). "Patrick Brammall Thriller 'The Dispatcher' Gets Series Order at Apple TV+". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
The Dispatcher, set in Australia, is adapted by writer and executive producer Kris Mrksa from author Ryan David Jahn's book of the same name.
- 1 2 White, Peter (26 March 2025). "Apple's 'The Dispatcher' Rounds Out Cast Including Maxine Peake As Christian Schwochow Joins As Director". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ↑ "Last Seen – Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ Craig, David (1 July 2024). "Colin from Accounts star Patrick Brammall leads Apple TV+ thriller The Dispatcher". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ↑ Geisinger, Gabriella (31 March 2025). "'The Dispatcher' starring Patrick Brammall, Maxine Peake begins Australia shoot". Screen Global Production. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- 1 2 Buckmaster, Luke (9 September 2026). "Last Seen review – this gripping Apple TV thriller is one of the standout shows of the year". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- ↑ "Apple TV unveils first look at gripping new thriller "Last Seen" starring Patrick Brammall, and sets global premiere for Wednesday, September 9, 2026" (Press release). 27 May 2026.
- ↑ "Last Seen: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
- ↑ "Last Seen: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
- ↑ Tallerico, Brian (8 September 2026). "Last Seen review: Apple thriller values characters over twists". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 10 September 2026.