Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Everything you need to know about BBC's Elizabeth is Missing

Are you going to watch the TV film?

elizabeth is missing
Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
Share this:

The TV adaptation of the bestselling 2014 novel Elizabeth is Missing is airing on BBC One on Sunday night, and if you're anything like us, you're already seriously looking forward to this unique crime drama. Here's everything you need to know about the new TV film…

What is Elizabeth is Missing about?

Elizabeth is Missing follows Maud, an elderly woman struggling with dementia, who becomes convinced that her best friend Elizabeth has gone missing. While her memory gradually grows worse, Maud is certain that something terrible has happened as events begin to collide with an earlier mystery: her sister's disappearance decades earlier. Can Maud discover the fate of both missing women before her dementia erases the clues and the answers are lost to her forever? The novel was a huge success, becoming a Sunday Times bestseller as well as winning the Costa First Novel Award – and for good reason!

elizabeth 2

When will Elizabeth is Missing be on television and where can I watch?

Elizabeth is Missing is a 90-minute TV film, and will air on BBC one at 9pm on Sunday 8 December, and of course will be available on iPlayer afterwards. Speaking about the film, screenwriter Andrea Gibb said: "I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to adapt this beautiful story. Emma has created an extraordinary heroine in Maud – she’s funny, tenacious, loyal – while also giving us a moving portrait of dementia from the inside out."

READ: Everything you need to know about Marvelous Mrs Maisel season 3

elizabeth 5

Who is in the Elizabeth is Missing cast?

Oscar-winning actress Glenda Jackson will be playing Maud in her first television role in 25 years. Speaking about the exciting role, she said: "Emma’s novel and Andrea’s screenplay paint the most striking portrait of a woman in the grip of a devastating condition. I am delighted to be making my return to television to play Maud, a character that's impossible not to be charmed and moved by.”

elizabeth 4

Meanwhile, Happy Valley star Sophie Rundle will star as Maud's sister, Sukey, who went missing when they were teenagers in a series of flashbacks, while Sam Hazeldine will play Tom. Sophie said: "I think it will be poignant and I hope it's life-affirming. I don’t think it’s a damning look at memory loss and dementia, I think it’s a hopeful look at it. This is a very heartfelt and insightful look at what life is like when this sort of thing is happening."

READ: Has Outlander star Sam Heughan's role in Roald Dahl biopic accidentally been revealed?

Is there a trailer for Elizabeth is Missing?

There is indeed, and you can watch it here:

Elizabeth is Missing: Trailer | BBC Trailers