BBC and HBO tackle crucial Five Days in a gripping investigation
Who's who
The Family
Leanne Wellings (Missing)
Leanne (Christine Tremarco) is 29, single-minded and perpetually late. Leanne is on her way to visit her grandfather with her children and their new dog when she suddenly disappears. Det Sgt Barclay is convinced that finding Leanne is a question of distinguishing her real life from her secret life.
Matt Wellings
Matt (David Oyelowo) is Leanne's husband. Matt finDet Sgt it difficult to deal with the fact that the police want him to cry for the cameras while everyone's thinking, "nine times out of 10 it's the husband who did it". To compound things, he doesn't know if he can trust the very few people who stand by him.
Ethan Wellings
Ethan (Lee Massey) is Matt and Leanne's seven-year-old son. When his world is turned upside down, Ethan's worries suddenly become bigger than what to do with his Action Man.
Rosie Wellings
Rosie (Tyler Anthony) is Ethan's little sister, a lively girl who loves dressing up as a fairy. But after her world is torn apart she almost stops talking altogether. Does Rosie know anything about her mother's disappearance or is she a four-year-old in deep trauma? The truth will out.
Tanya Wellings
Tanya (Lucinda Dryzek) is a 14-year-old from hell. She's full of attitude and low on reserve. Matt is not her father and, on the whole, she'd rather leave her train crash of a family behind and move to France to be with her real father. However, when the pressure's on, Tanya is forced to come to terms with her family and the truth about her own father.
John Poole
John (Patrick Malahide) is Leanne's father and a warm grandfather with a gentle touch. John's need to do the right thing and his love for his daughter puts him under a lot of pressure and threatens to drive him over the edge.
Barbara Poole
Barbara (Penelope Wilton) is John's wife and Leanne's mother. Barbara is a natural pessimist and is always disappointed by other people's standarDet Sgt – especially her daughter's. Barbara's got a sweet spot for Matt but even that could eventually turn sour.
Grandad
Vic Marsham (Edward Woodward) is "Greats" to Tanya and Ethan. He's a cantankerous octogenarian who likes flowers, dogs and cigarettes – much to Leanne's chagrin. Vic has his own reasons to feel guilty about Leanne's disappearance.
The Stranger
Sarah Wheeler
Sarah (Sarah Smart) is a career-focused recruitment consultant making a packet until her life gets sidetracked by the Wellings. Suddenly drawn into their lives, her relationship with Matt gradually becomes closer which doesn't please all of the family. Then, as her own story emerges, it becomes clear there's a reason why her empathy with the family is so strong.
The Police
Det Supt Barclay
Barclay (Hugh Bonneville) is the senior investigating officer on the case. But his background as a uniformed inspector in traffic means that his colleagues don't always respect him. Riled by his team, and under pressure from his boss, Barclay is determined to build an investigation on solid evidence but he desperately lacks enough of it.
Det Sgt Amy Foster
Det Sgt Foster (Janet McTeer) is a feisty career detective with a wry sense of humour. Amy is on the verge of retirement but, with no hobbies and no family, policing has been everything for her. At first, Foster has no time for Barclay and utter disdain for his murder hypothesis. As time goes on, however, she has to admit that her boss may have a point – and that he might not be quite so unattractive after all.
PC Farnes
Simone Farnes (Nikki Amuka-Bird) is the family liaison officer who looks after Matt's family. But she finds it difficult to strike the right the balance between being the family's best friend and a police officer on a murder investigation.
Press Officer Tops
Defne Topcu (Michelle Bonnard) is the police force's beleaguered press officer. She has to feed the demands of an insatiable media but Barclay isn't making her job any easier.
The Press
Josh Fairley
Josh Fairley (Al Weaver) is a rookie reporter on the local weekly paper. He stumbles upon the story of Leanne's disappearance when he happens to meet the missing woman's grandfather, Vic, in the old people's home where he's been sent to cover a golden wedding anniversary.
Mic Danes
Mic (Phil Davis) is a reporter for a national tabloid; he's the kind of hack who earns his crust muck-raking in an expensive suit. Mic's relationship with Barclay is more complex than it initially appears. Mic can be faster than the police on some parts of the investigation – but then he doesn't have to play by the same rules and can be more than a little economical with the truth.
The Loner
Kyle Betts
Kyle (Rory Kinnear) is a bit of a creep. He's unemployed, friendless and wholly uncharismatic. In fact, Kyle is one of those people to whom the world doesn't really pay very much attention. But there is more to Kyle than meets the eye.
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