Starz to Binge Release ‘The Missing’

Starz will offer the new season of limited series The Missing for binge viewing when it premieres Feb. 12. There are eight episodes in the second installment of the anthology series.

Starz will also make the season premiere available starting Feb. 6. The episode will be available via the Starz app and on demand, at Starz.com and for non-subscribers through participating cable, satellite, telco and OTT systems.

Starz has dabbled in binge releases in the past, and network brass figured The Missing’s thriller nature would be well served by the strategy. “The Girlfriend Experience and Flesh and Bone experienced considerable growth in binge watching over the course of their seasons, and we believe the same success will hold true for The Missing,” said Starz President/CEO Chris Albrecht said. “The thriller aspect of the season is such an adrenaline rush, that we believe many viewers will want to watch more than one episode at a time. It’s truly addictive storytelling.”

The Missing, about an unsolved case involving a girl who goes missing, is written by Harry and Jack Williams (One of Us, Fleabag) and directed by Ben Chanan (The Last Kingdom, Cyberbully). Produced by New Pictures in association with Two Brothers Pictures and Playground for BBC One and Starz, the new season introduces a new case, new characters and new location.

Episodes will premiere Sunday nights through April 2.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.