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In her first regular TV series gig, Ashley Judd is close to a deal to topline ABC’s action series Missing (aka Safe aka Hall of Mirrors). The project, from feature writer Greg Poirier, was once slated for summer but now eyes a fall launch, with early September as a possibility. Missing, whose premise somewhat echoes the Liam Neeson starrer Taken, centers on Becca Winstone (Judd), a devoted single mom who, after her 18-year-old son disappears in Italy where he’d been working on architecture fellowship, takes it upon herself to travel to Europe and track him down. It soon becomes clear that Winstone is a former CIA agent who will stop at nothing to bring her son home alive. Steve Shill, who won an Emmy in August for his directing work on Dexter, is on board to direct multiple episodes of the series, including the opener. He will also executive produce with Poirier, Grant Scharbo and Gina Matthews. Production is scheduled to begin late next month in Rome, Vienna and Prague. Missing, from ABC Studios and Matthews and Scharbo’s Little Engine Prods., was put on fast-track development in early fall with an order for 3-5 backup scripts. WME-repped Judd next stars in the Warner Bros. film Dolphin Tale. Her memoir All That is Bitter & Sweet is being released on April 5. Judd’s only major series gig until now was a recurring role on Sisters.
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I like this. Sounds like 24 with an international locale. She did the “mama grizzly” thing well in Double Jeopardy.
Sounds more like the film Taken with Liam Nelson.
She also recurred on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Lost, Missing…is Misplaced on the schedule for the season after this one?
So how is Taken the Series going to get 22 episodes out of this premise, let alone multiple seasons. Kidnapped failed because people don’t want to watch an arc like this playout for so long.
Kidnapped failed because it had a good pilot but poor execution as a series, and was pretty much something everyone had already seen in Ransom the film. It also premiered the same season as its lesser rip-off at FBC, Vanished, and was the same season as a bunch of other arc-oriented series like The Nine.
If in each episode of this show it has butt-kicking action, it could potentially last. Kind of amazing how one casting win can turn something from ABC’s cheapo summer programming to a flagship fall premiere.
In season 2 her son can join the CIA with her when someone else gets “taken”, the heir to a Saudi oil dynasty. Ash will then travel to the mideast which will allow her to dress in a burka where she can hide her guns. Maybe she can also aid some lady searching for her daughter in the middle east, some kind of “Not Without My Daughter” twist.
Bout time. Great looking gal. Sexy as all. Just an adorable person. The hair. Sin color, eyes and lips. Real sweet too. Just a looker.
Agree, she’s been missing in action too long. Like you, do like her looks, but to add to her nice qualities: her voice. I’ve always liked her voice. “Ruby in Paradise” one of my all-time favorites.
Did you ever see “Come Early Morning?” That was just fabulous. Pure Judd magic. I agree that she has been missed and wish her nothing but luck with this project!
I just hope that this isn’t a carbon copy of Taken starring Liam Neeson. Has anybody seen the script for Missing? Any good?
I’ve read it and it’s by far one of the best Pilots that I’ve come across in a while. It’s nothing like Taken at all. It’s not hard to find people, I suggest you give it a read.
i hate these kinds of shows because if it doesn’t do well in the ratings you won’t get an answer and if it does do well, you have to wait years to get an answer.
This is the only new show for next season that interests me so far. Looking forward to seeing how the promos look. If it’s good, I’ll watch. Ashley’s film career has dried up so it was only a matter of time before she limped her way down to TV.
Would have been cooler if it were a 10 episode a season series on cable. ABC will cancel this. They seem to only like shows where women like to stammer on while in the presence of a “hot” guy. A show with a female Jack Bauer going overseas to do her version of Taken and kicking massive won’t go well with ABC.
I love Judd though.
I really like this show and love Ashley Judd also
@Farber, her role on “TNG” was not significant enough to consider it recurring. However, she was on “Sisters” for a considerable amount of time.
Wasn’t this a Liam Neeson movie?
Halfway through the first season, she finds out that the son was actually a covert CIA operative. She finally finds him, and has to help him stop the shadowy organization he was investigating, and thwarts its plans to destroy the world. Second season, she goes to work for the same division of the CIA her kid works for, and is teamed with a hunky agent who had helped her in Europe. Sadly, the villain for the second season is never revealed, because the show is cancelled after a few episodes because it can’t build on the ratings of it’s “No Ordinary Family” lead-in.
In good news, “No Ordinary Family” is able to make it to its full 12 episode second season commitment because they recast the two kids with actors who have personalities.
I think I’ll just wait on the actual Taken series.Also, is there any word on which network will air The Transporter?
What’s Judd like to work with?
She needed many, many takes (but that was a long time ago), but was “earthy” on the set, for whatever that’s worth. (I’ll let you decrypt the meaning of “earthy”)
earthy?! pot head? hahaha
kidding aside, it’s nice to see her back. i hope the show works out.
She was incredible in Double Jeopardy. Hope this goes to series, Judd kicks some serious ass!
If people don’t stop using the term “mama grizzly” I’m gonna go “papa fucknuts”.
Thanks for that. Amen.
Knock yourself out.
this looks quite promising. I love her!!
She was at Kennedy school with friend who claims she was very erratic and barely lucid at times. Delusional. How is she going to make it work on a network show? I’m a fan but sounds like a difficult road ahead.
Is Ashley Judd nice or mean to the crew on set.
Liam Neeson was believable as he picked off each of the traffikers one by one in finding his daughter.
The Judds have been in the country music business since the 1980s; however, Ashley Judd is one of the Sisters in the NBC drama series which was broadcast from 1990 to 1994, as I put it.
I have heard she is a nightmare on the set. She was the person mentioned in a blind item about having the speaking rocks-she would give you one that meant you could speak to her but also had a mute rock and when she did not want you to speak to her she would hand a person the mute rock. I thought she would be down to earth coming from the south but the stories are always that she is pretentious and mean. Also read recently where Jason Patric said she was arrogant lazy to work with.
I personally feel that ashley is one of the best actress in hollywod, inclding in this category julia roberts, lindsay lohan [when she has her act together] I don’t think her movie career has dried up, maybe all these people who say she is hard to work with are just jealous, she seems like a nice person,it would seem if she was hard to get along with that producers wouldn’t want to work with her , much less put her in the lead role , I for one definately will be watching missing and hope it is a huge success
I`m watching it now but I am very disappointed that its NOT in HD
Loved “Missing”….Ashley Judd is one of my favourite actresses and she is great in this show….the action never stopped and if the rest of the episodes are as good as the first I’m sure this show will be a hit.
Where in Italy was the show that aired on Tuesday, March 27th? It was on the water and looked so beautiful!