David E. Kelley is heading to Peacock, as the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service has given a straight-to-series order for the crime drama The Missing from the creator behind Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers and Big Sky. Variety was the first to report the deal.
The Missing is based on the Dror A. Mishani novel The Missing File. The story is about NYPD Detective Avraham Avraham, a man with a strong belief in mankind and guided by his deep sense of spirituality and religious principles. When a seemingly routine investigation turns upside down, Avraham begins to question his own humanity.
Peacock ordered eight episodes of the one-hour drama. Kelley will serve as the writer, executive producer and showrunner.
“We are incredibly fortunate to bring this series to Peacock audiences led by iconic producer David E. Kelley, who has shepherded some of today’s most buzzworthy dramas,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, to Variety.
“I was riveted by Dror’s novels and the character of Avraham Avraham, and jumped at the opportunity to bring both to life,” Kelley said.
The adaptation route has worked well for Kelley in recent years. Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, Big Sky and The Undoing were all based on books before Kelley brought them to TV. Kelley is also no stranger to working with streaming services, creating Big Shot on Disney Plus.
Peacock has been working to build out his slate of original programming. They’ve already had some success with shows like Girls5eva, Rutherford Falls and the Saved by the Bell reboot, while they’re currently developing shows based on Pitch Perfect and a dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, simply titled Bel-Air.
To watch any or all of these Peacock originals, consumers must be signed up for Peacock Premium, which is available as either a $4.99 per month ad-supported subscription or a $9.99 per month ad-free plan.
No information was provided as to when The Missing may premiere on Peacock.
