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A police officer loses his daughter; eleven years later, he hears her voice on the emergency phone. The Australian series premieres on September 9th – directed by a filmmaker from Rügen who previously worked on "The Crown" and "Bad Banks".
Apple TV has released the trailer for "Last Seen," confirming the premiere date: The six-part series will air starting Wednesday, September 9. Based on a novel published in German under a different title, it was filmed entirely in the Australian state of Victoria. It joins a packed fall lineup, which we are continuously updating in our overview of Apple TV's fall 2026 releases.
Key Facts at a Glance
- "Last Seen" starts on September 9th with two episodes, followed by one new episode per week until October 7th.
- All episodes were directed by the German director Christian Schwochow, who also serves as executive producer.
- The main role is played by Patrick Brammall, known from "Colin from Accounts"
- The source material is by Ryan David Jahn and was published in German under the title "Der Cop"
- The series and the novel differ in setting, time frame, and character names
What it's about
Ian Ridley was a police officer until his daughter Maggie disappeared without a trace eleven years ago. Today he works as a dispatcher in an emergency call center and has never come to terms with the possibility that she might be dead.
Then he receives an emergency call from a girl, and he is convinced he recognizes Maggie's voice. From that moment on, he does everything in his power to find her – regardless of the consequences for himself and the rest of the family.
Alongside Brammall, the film stars Maxine Peake, Brendan Cowell, Daniel Henshall, Zahra Newman, Jessica Wren, and Tobias Muhafidin. Chloe Jean Lourdes makes her film debut in one of the leading roles.
A director from Rügen guides you through all the episodes
For German-speaking audiences, the most interesting aspect is the person behind the camera. Christian Schwochow, born in Bergen auf Rügen in 1978, directed all the episodes and is also the executive producer.
His path to success led through both German and international productions: He received the German Television Award and the Grimme Prize for "Bad Banks," in addition to "Bornholmer Straße," "Deutschstunde," "Paula," and "Je suis Karl." Internationally, he directed seven episodes of "The Crown" as well as "Munich – In the Face of War."
It's unusual for a German director to be solely responsible for an entire Apple series – most series productions distribute the directing duties among several people. Schwochow had already done this once before with "Bad Banks," directing all six episodes of the first season himself.
What the series changes compared to the novel
The novel was published in 2011 as "The Dispatcher" and is available in German as "Der Cop" from Heyne Hardcore, translated by Ulrich Thiele. A comparison with the television series version reveals three differences:
| Detail | Novel | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the main character | Ian Hunt | Ian Ridley |
| scene | Small town in East Texas | Victoria, Australia |
| Time since the disappearance | seven years | eleven years |
The core remains the same: a father in an emergency call center, a phone call, a missing daughter named Maggie. What has changed is primarily the setting – the small Texas town becomes the Australian state where filming also took place.
A clarification regarding the author's award: Jahn received the CWA John Creasey Dagger for his debut novel, not for "The Dispatcher." The latter was merely longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.
Six episodes until the beginning of October
The broadcast schedule follows Apple's usual pattern with a double launch and weekly continuation:
| Date | Contents |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, September 9 | Episodes 1 and 2 |
| Wednesday, September 16 | Episode 3 |
| Wednesday, September 23 | Episode 4 |
| Wednesday, September 30 | Episode 5 |
| Wednesday, October 7 | Episode 6 |
This means the first season comprises six episodes. That's a tight run for a thriller with a family theme – for comparison, "Hijack," also produced by 60Forty Films, had seven episodes per season.
Why Wednesday is unusual
The day of the week is noteworthy. Apple traditionally launches series on Fridays; a Wednesday premiere is less common and places the episodes in a week when Apple is likely to be in the spotlight anyway. The iPhone event, which will dominate news coverage for days, is expected in the second week of September.
In practical terms, this means that if you want to keep an eye on the series, it's better to check the media library on Wednesday mornings than on weekends. Whether Apple deliberately tied the release date to the event or whether the production schedule was simply the deciding factor is impossible to judge from the outside.
Apple TV's fall TV lineup is taking shape
With "Last Seen," the next title has been confirmed for a fall season in which Apple is offering significantly more drama than in recent years. Alongside this production, other releases include Neuromancer and the second season of Women in Blue. The August lineup details the month's programming. (Image: Apple)
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