EXCLUSIVE: Hearst Networks UK and Canada’s Super Channels are on the hunt for Missing Pieces.
A 20-part true-crime series from Manitoba, Canada-based Black Watch Entertainment has been greenlit, comprising two seasons of 10 episodes shot back-to-back. ITV Studios is attached as the international distributor.
Each hourlong episode will reconstruct a murder using a single, grisly clue: a severed limb, torso or other dismembered body part. It follows how investigators race to identify the victim and uncover what happened, using DNA evidence, missing persons reports, digital trails and forensic analysis.
Each story is also told through contributions from investigators, witnesses, family members and experts closest to each case, which is explored from discovery through to justice.
Missing Pieces qualifies for provincial tax credits of up to 65%, with no Canadian content (CanCon) requirements needed, as Manitoba continues to be a strong option for international productions shooting in Canada.
Furthermore, because Black Watch founder Meghan Duffy is the creator, the production also qualifies for a 25% federal tax incentive.
“We’re always looking for new ways to tell true-crime stories, and Missing Pieces offers a truly unique perspective,” said Duffy. “Each case starts with a single piece of a victim, and we follow investigators as they work backward to uncover what happened, identify the victim and ultimately find the person responsible.”
Duffy is executive producer for Black Watch, with Diana Carter in the same role for Hearst, along with Mark Marabella. Kim Ball is Executive in Charge of Production for Super Channel, and Alison Reid serves as showrunner.
Black Watch, founded back in 2010, has credits including Superchannel and ITV’s Finally Caught and Secrets, Lies and DNA Ties; Lifetime Network’s The Woman With Red Lipstick, I Have to Kill My Neighbor and Match, Meet Murder; CBC’s Moral Injuries: The Art of Jordan Van Sewell; and MarVista Entertainment’s Snowmance.