# Last Seen
**Last Seen** is a six-episode Australian crime thriller series that premiered on Apple TV on September 9, 2026, adapted by screenwriter Kris Mrksa from Ryan David Jahn's 2011 novel *The Dispatcher* and directed by Christian Schwochow[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/last-seen/) • [2](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/programme/b-lj0bsi/last-seen/). [Patrick Brammall](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrick-brammall) heads the cast as Ian Ridley, once a police detective and now an emergency dispatcher, whose daughter Maggie vanished as a young child 11 years before; a distress call from a teenage girl he is convinced is Maggie drives him to do whatever it takes to locate her and pull his shattered family back together[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/last-seen/). The series was the first Apple TV production made entirely in Australia, filmed in the state of Victoria[3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/09/last-seen-review-gripping-apple-tv-thriller-standout-shows-2026).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Six-episode scripted thriller, Apple TV, episodes roughly 44 to 53 minutes[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/78183/last-seen) • [5](https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/find-a-rating/quick-takes/last-seen/) |
| Release | September 9, 2026, with two episodes followed by weekly releases until October 7, 2026[6](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/apple-tv-plus/last-seen-is-the-gripping-new-thriller-now-streaming-on-apple-tv-and-one-star-teases-emotional-storyline-is-heading-somewhere-you-wont-have-anticipated) |
| Source | Adapted from Ryan David Jahn's 2011 novel *The Dispatcher*, which is set in East Texas[7](https://thehollywoodreporter.com.au/2026/09/02/last-seen-brings-a-missing-child-thriller-shot-on-coastal-victoria-to-apple-tv-this-month/) |
| Lead cast | Patrick Brammall (Ian Ridley), Brendan Cowell (Henry Reid), Maxine Peake (Jenna Reid), Jessica Wren (Debbie McGuire), Zahra Newman (Isabel Pena), Daniel Henshall (Donald Reid), Chloe Jean Lourdes (Sarah Reid)[8](https://www.epguides.com/LastSeen/) |
| Reception | 88% Tomatometer from 25 critics and 60% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/last_seen/s01) |
| Setting | Fictional coastal town of Port McKenna, Australia; filmed largely on Victoria's west coast[7](https://thehollywoodreporter.com.au/2026/09/02/last-seen-brings-a-missing-child-thriller-shot-on-coastal-victoria-to-apple-tv-this-month/) |
| Renewal | Not renewed for a second season as of October 2026, though the cast and Mrksa expressed interest in continuing[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/1294858/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
Ian Ridley was a police detective whose life fell apart when his three-year-old daughter Maggie was kidnapped from her bedroom in the fictional coastal town of Port McKenna and never found[11](https://www.avclub.com/last-seen-review-apple-tv-patrick-brammal) • [2](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/programme/b-lj0bsi/last-seen/). Eleven years later he works as a dispatcher for Australia's 000 emergency phone service, the equivalent of the US 911 or the UK 999[3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/09/last-seen-review-gripping-apple-tv-thriller-standout-shows-2026). He is divorced, six months sober with the help of his friend and sponsor Donnie ([Daniel Henshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/daniel-henshall)), and estranged from his ex-wife Debbie (Jessica Wren), who has remarried and is pregnant again[11](https://www.avclub.com/last-seen-review-apple-tv-patrick-brammal).
The story's engine arrives before the famous phone call: the remains of a small child are found in bushland near Ian's home after a storm, and the obvious conclusion is that they are Maggie's[3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/09/last-seen-review-gripping-apple-tv-thriller-standout-shows-2026). Then a distress call from a teenage girl reaches Ian's desk, and he becomes convinced the caller is his daughter[7](https://thehollywoodreporter.com.au/2026/09/02/last-seen-brings-a-missing-child-thriller-shot-on-coastal-victoria-to-apple-tv-this-month/). The girl appears to be Sarah (Chloe Jean Lourdes), the homeschooled teenage daughter of Henry ([Brendan Cowell](https://www.edgepedia.org/brendan-cowell)) and Jenna Reid ([Maxine Peake](https://www.edgepedia.org/maxine-peake)), an overly religious couple living off the grid on an isolated farm; Henry once worked as a janitor at the police station and had access to Maggie if he did take her[11](https://www.avclub.com/last-seen-review-apple-tv-patrick-brammal).
The series reveals the girl's true identity early rather than sustaining a whodunit. Reviewers noted that this choice removes some suspense but lets the show concentrate on the psychological toll of Maggie's disappearance on Ian and Debbie, and on Sarah as a developed character caught in an emotionally impossible situation[11](https://www.avclub.com/last-seen-review-apple-tv-patrick-brammal) • [12](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/last-seen-apple-thriller-tv-review-2026).
### Season 1 episodes
| Episode | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1x01 | The Call | Sep 2026 |
| 1x04 | The Truth | Sep 23, 2026 |
| 1x05 | The Prophet | Sep 30, 2026 |
| 1x06 | The Choice | Oct 7, 2026 |
The finale, "The Choice," centers on an explosive confrontation between Ian and Henry that leaves Sarah at a crossroads[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/78183/last-seen).
## Production and adaptation
Kris Mrksa adapted Jahn's novel, and Christian Schwochow (*The Crown*) directed all six episodes[2](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/programme/b-lj0bsi/last-seen/) • [12](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/last-seen-apple-thriller-tv-review-2026). Although the source novel takes place in [East Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/east-texas), a United Kingdom location was initially contemplated during early development; Australia was ultimately chosen as the setting because the country's vastness makes it plausible for a child to remain undiscovered while living near home.[7](https://thehollywoodreporter.com.au/2026/09/02/last-seen-brings-a-missing-child-thriller-shot-on-coastal-victoria-to-apple-tv-this-month/)
**Filming locations.** Most of the shoot took place on Victoria's west coast, including the Shipwreck Coast, with the real town of Portland, Victoria standing in for Port McKenna. Shooting also took place in Warrnambool, on the [Mornington Peninsula](https://www.edgepedia.org/mornington-peninsula), and in the Upper Yarra Valley, where a farmstead in the foothills stood in as the Reid family's property. Of all the locations, the farthest flung was Warrock Station, a homestead dating from the colonial era close to the border with [South Australia](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-australia), which had previously never hosted a film crew.[7](https://thehollywoodreporter.com.au/2026/09/02/last-seen-brings-a-missing-child-thriller-shot-on-coastal-victoria-to-apple-tv-this-month/)
Chloe Jean Lourdes made her screen debut in the series[7](https://thehollywoodreporter.com.au/2026/09/02/last-seen-brings-a-missing-child-thriller-shot-on-coastal-victoria-to-apple-tv-this-month/). The show was rated TV-MA in the United States and self-rated by Apple TV in New Zealand, with content warnings for material that may disturb, drug use, offensive language, dangerous behavior, and violence[1](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/last-seen/) • [5](https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/find-a-rating/quick-takes/last-seen/).
## Release and reception
The series premiered globally on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, with two episodes released at once, followed by one episode weekly until the finale, "The Choice," on October 7, 2026[6](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/apple-tv-plus/last-seen-is-the-gripping-new-thriller-now-streaming-on-apple-tv-and-one-star-teases-emotional-storyline-is-heading-somewhere-you-wont-have-anticipated) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/78183/last-seen).
Critical response was strongly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds an 88% Tomatometer from 25 reviews and a 60% Popcornmeter audience score[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/last_seen/s01). The 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"[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/last_seen/s01).
**Critical themes.** Luke Buckmaster of *The Guardian* called it "one of the standout shows of the year," praising Schwochow's muscular direction and Brammall's portrayal of an ordinary person profoundly changed by extraordinary circumstances[3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/09/last-seen-review-gripping-apple-tv-thriller-standout-shows-2026). Jack Seale of *Radio Times* gave it 5/5, writing that Brammall captures both the resilience of a man who has learned not to be entirely defined by grief and the brittleness of a man who could so easily break[2](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/programme/b-lj0bsi/last-seen/). Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com argued that the show's relative lack of shocking twists allows more nuanced character work than most streaming thrillers, though he found some of the cops felt like exposition devices[12](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/last-seen-apple-thriller-tv-review-2026). [The A.V. Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-a-v-club)'s review, graded B-, concluded the series works better as a family saga than a crime thriller, with predictable twists but a grounded central performance[11](https://www.avclub.com/last-seen-review-apple-tv-patrick-brammal).
## Future
As of October 2026 the series had not been renewed for a second season; TV Insider reported that the cast and executive producer and writer Kris Mrksa seemed open to continuing the story[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/1294858/).
## References
1. [Last Seen, Apple TV Press](https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/last-seen/)
2. [Last Seen, Radio Times programme page](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/programme/b-lj0bsi/last-seen/)
3. [Last Seen review – this gripping Apple TV thriller is one of the standout shows of the year, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/09/last-seen-review-gripping-apple-tv-thriller-standout-shows-2026)
4. [Last Seen, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/78183/last-seen)
5. [Last Seen, New Zealand Classification Office](https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/find-a-rating/quick-takes/last-seen/)
6. [Apple TV series Last Seen is the 'gripping' new thriller now streaming, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/streaming/apple-tv-plus/last-seen-is-the-gripping-new-thriller-now-streaming-on-apple-tv-and-one-star-teases-emotional-storyline-is-heading-somewhere-you-wont-have-anticipated)
7. [Last Seen brings a missing-child thriller shot on Coastal Victoria to Apple TV this month, The Hollywood Reporter Australia](https://thehollywoodreporter.com.au/2026/09/02/last-seen-brings-a-missing-child-thriller-shot-on-coastal-victoria-to-apple-tv-this-month/)
8. [Last Seen, epguides Titles & Air Dates Guide](https://www.epguides.com/LastSeen/)
9. [Last Seen: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/last_seen/s01)
10. [Will There Be a 'Last Seen' Season 2?, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1294858/)
11. [Apple TV's Last Seen is a better family saga than crime thriller, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/last-seen-review-apple-tv-patrick-brammal)
12. [Last Seen review: Apple thriller values characters over twists, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/last-seen-apple-thriller-tv-review-2026)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Drama and prestige series (individual series) › Crime and thriller series › Psychological and domestic thrillers*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license