"1-800-Missing" (2003) TV series 2003-2006

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Creators:

Glenn Davis
William Laurin

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

2 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Common sense. Sixth sense. Together they're the FBI's newest team.

Plot Keywords:

Vision | Missing Person | Phone Number In Title | Dream | FBI

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Caterina Scorsone	...	Jess Mastriani (54 episodes, 2003-2006)
Vivica A. Fox	...	FBI Agent Nicole Scott (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Mark Consuelos	...	FBI Agent Antonio Cortez (36 episodes, 2004-2006)
Justin Louis	...	Assistant Director John Pollock (36 episodes, 2004-2006)

Also Known As:

Missing (UK) (USA) (second season title)
Porté disparu (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Australia:M | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Riverdale Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

NDG Productions

Trivia:

Based on the series "1800 Where are you" by Meg Cabot

Quotes:

Janey Cooper: Would you like a muffin?
Jess Mastriani: Oh, my God!
Janey Cooper: I make them myself.
Jess Mastriani: You're dead!
Janey Cooper: Try one.
Jess Mastriani: I don't want a muffin!
Janey Cooper: You have to be careful on this job, it could get you killed.
Jess Mastriani: No, it *did* get you killed, you're dead!
Janey Cooper: I'm not dead. If I were dead I wouldn't be able to look you in the eye and tell you, you are screwing up again.

Soundtrack:

This Dream is Real

"Have you seen this show? Call this number if you have any information that can help the investigation."

With a lot of series revolving around police work, including a handful or so already dealing specifically with this particular aspect/type, this needed a niche, something to call its own. What they came up with is to have the lead, Mastriani(who works as a psychic for the FBI, tracking down people who have gone missing), have strange visions, that are puzzle pieces relating to whatever case she's currently working on. If this sounds like a plot device and even a deus ex machina... then you're kinda right. It was, on several occasions. The role is played by Caterina Scorsone, a young Canadian girl who carries it quite well. Acting is a mixed bag at times. Quality ranges a bit. Where the first season was fairly straight-forward, the second replaces all characters but the main(and that was not entirely well-received, as viewers had grown attached to the people and relationships), stylizes it somewhat(adding, among other things, Vivica A. Fox and a new theme song with more of a rock music flavor), and gives it an "edge", represented by the attitude of the new token Black cast member, and Justin Louis as the tough-as-nails FBI Director Pollock. There was good and bad to the changes. I can imagine some abandoning it after so much of what they were(at the very least) used to being tossed out the window, in spite of the move clearly intending to attract a larger audience. I like both groups of episodes, in different ways. It was a classic crime-drama, with focus on the people. Then it became action-driven and cool, resembling newer television efforts in the genre. It never really stopped being a mostly passable mystery, and kept you guessing fairly nicely. I recommend this to fans of the concept, especially the supernatural portion. 7/10