People

Keshet Studios, the US production arm of global content producer and distributor Keshet International (KI), and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios Group, are working together with writer and executive producer David E Kelley on a straight-to-series order for Peacock.

Adapted for US television by David E Kelley (Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers), The Missing will be based on the novel The Missing File, the first in a series of books written by renowned Israeli crime writer Dror A Mishani.

Co-produced by Universal Television and Keshet Studios for Peacock, The Missing tells the story of NYPD Detective Avraham Avraham, whose belief in mankind is his superpower when it comes to uncovering the truth. Guided by a deep sense of spirituality and religious principles, Avraham is left to question his own humanity when a seemingly routine investigation turns upside down.

Already in casting, this eight-episode crime drama will be executive produced by Kelley and his producing partner Matthew Tinker, alongside Keshet Studios’ Peter Traugott, KI’s Alon Shrutzman, Keshet Media Group’s Avi Nir, Keshet Broadcasting’s Karni Ziv and author Dror A Mishani.

Lisa Katz, president scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming says, “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. We’re looking forward to partnering with Keshet Studios alongside Universal Television to bring this compelling, soulful mystery to life.”

Showrunner, writer and executive producer David E Kelley adds, “I was riveted by Dror’s novels and the character of Avraham Avraham, and jumped at the opportunity to bring both to life.”

Keshet Studios’ President Peter Traugott says, “Our lead character, Avraham Avraham, is one we’ve never seen on TV before; his compassion and approach creates a wishfulment aspect to the show, something we believe could not be more timely, and is what TV needs right now. And we are very lucky that he is in the hands of David E Kelley.”

Multi-award-winning writer/producer David E Kelley is behind some of America’s most ground-breaking and distinctive television programs that address contemporary issues such as social justice, diversity, and privilege. He is the creator of Emmy, Peabody and Golden Globe Award-winning series such as Picket Fences, Boston Legal, Boston Public, The Practice, and Ally McBeal. His latest shows include Big Little Lies and The Undoing, HBO’s most-watched series of 2020; ABC’s hit drama Big Sky; and Hulu’s most-watched original series ever, Nine Perfect Strangers.

David E Kelley is repped by literary and talent agency CAA and attorney Michael Gendler, while WME represents Keshet Studios.

Keshet Studios has more than a dozen projects at various stages of development or production, including limited and returning series, short-form dramas, and feature-length films. The studio is currently in production with Echo 3 (based on Keshet 12’s When Heroes Fly) starring Luke Evans, Michiel Huisman and Jessie Collins for Apple TV+, while it’s epic straight-to-series La Brea, co-produced with UTV, is this fall’s top-rated freshman series so far (16M total viewers for its debut episode; #3 in the US Streaming Chart).

Other recent projects include The Baker and The Beauty (ABC) – which trended #1 after being picked up by Netflix; Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (NBC); the critically acclaimed Our Boys (HBO); four seasons of YA drama Dead Girls Detective Agency (Snap); and the studio's first two feature films, The Sound of Silence and Save Yourselves! - both selected for the Sundance Film Festival's US dramatic competition.