Apple TV+ unveils first look at Australian thriller Last Seen starring Patrick Brammall
Apple TV+ has released the first look at its upcoming Australian thriller Last Seen, confirming the six-part drama starring Patrick Brammall will premiere globally on Wednesday, 9 September 2026.
Previously announced under the working title The Dispatcher, the series marks one of the streamer’s most significant Australian drama projects to date, combining international production partners with a large-scale film shoot spanning metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
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The drama stars Brammall as police detective Ian Ridley, whose life was shattered after the disappearance of his young daughter Maggie 11 years earlier.
Now working as a police dispatcher, Ian becomes convinced his daughter is still alive after receiving a distress call from a teenage girl he believes is Maggie.
According to Apple TV+, Ian’s search to reunite his family will push him to extreme lengths.
“Police detective Ian Ridley’s life fell apart 11 years ago when his young daughter Maggie disappeared without a trace.
Now working as a police dispatcher, the only thing that has kept him going is his implacable refusal to accept that she might be gone forever.
When he receives a distress call from a teenage girl he is certain is Maggie, he will stop at nothing to find her and reunite his broken family, whatever the cost.”
The series was first announced by Apple in July 2024 under the title The Dispatcher, with the company confirming a six-episode order, Brammall in the lead role and Kris Mrksa attached as writer and executive producer.
At the time, the project was described as an adaptation of Ryan David Jahn’s 2011 novel The Dispatcher.
Ahead of release, the production has now been retitled Last Seen.
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The project represents a major investment in the Victorian screen industry, with VicScreen previously confirming the production was supported through the Victorian Screen Incentive program.
According to the agency, the series was expected to create 730 jobs and inject more than $45 million into the Victorian economy.
VicScreen also positioned the production as a major regional Victorian screen project, stating that regional Victoria would “take centre stage” in the thriller.
Filming took place across several Victorian locations, including Portland, Warrnambool, the Mornington Peninsula, the Yarra Valley and Docklands Studios Melbourne.
Production also reportedly utilised the historic Warrock Homestead near Casterton during filming of the series climax.
The drama brings together London-based production company 60Forty Films, known for Hijack, Slow Horses and Down Cemetery Road, alongside Melbourne’s Werner Film Productions, whose credits include The Newsreader, Riot and Clickbait.
The cast surrounding Brammall includes Maxine Peake, Brendan Cowell, Daniel Henshall, Jessica Wren, Zahra Newman and newcomer Chloe Jean Lourdes.
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Apple’s first-look announcement also confirmed Christian Schwochow serves as director and executive producer on the series.
Schwochow previously directed episodes of The Crown, including the acclaimed Moondust episode, as well as the political thriller Munich: The Edge of War.
Writer and executive producer Kris Mrksa is known for work on Requiem, No Escape and White House Farm.
The series arrives during a strong international run for Brammall, who recently appeared in The Devil Wears Prada 2 alongside Anne Hathaway, playing the character Peter.
The Australian actor also entered production on Last Seen following a Silver Logie nomination in 2025 for Colin from Accounts, the comedy series he co-created with wife Harriet Dyer.
While Apple’s announcement describes author Ryan David Jahn as a “CWA John Creasey Dagger Award-winning author”, the award was specifically won for his debut novel Acts of Violence.
His novel The Dispatcher, which inspired Last Seen, was separately longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.
The original novel became known for its noir-style storytelling and “real-time” tension, elements that appear central to Apple’s adaptation.
Apple TV+ confirmed the series will debut with two episodes before shifting to weekly releases through early October.
Last Seen premieres Wednesday, 9 September 2026 on Apple TV+, with Episodes 1 and 2 launching together followed by weekly episodes until the finale on Wednesday, 7 October 2026.
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