The fiction tracks the work of the Brigada Central de la Policía's Grupo 2 de Desaparecidos (transl. 'Group 2 of Missing People') police unit led by Santiago Abad (Juan Echanove) after the incorporation of Inspector Sonia Ledesma (Michelle Calvó).[1][2] It also features the police collaboration with an association for support of missing person cases, 'Ayuda Desaparecidos'.[1]
Created by Curro Royo [es] based on an original idea by Javier Ugarte, Jorge Guerricaechevarría and Patxi Amezcua [eu],[5][6] the first season of Desaparecidos was produced by Mediaset España in collaboration with Plano a Plano.[7] The writing team of the first season was formed by Curro Royo, Miguel Ángel Fernández, Irene Olaciregui, Mercedes Cruz, Juan Vicente Pozuelo, Joaquín Górriz and Eva Peris,[6] whereas the episodes were directed by Miguel Ángel Vivas (who directed the key episodes),[8] Inma Torrente and Jacobo Martos.[9] Shooting took place in 2019 in Madrid.[10]
Featuring a running time of around 72 minutes, the 13 episodes comprising the first season were released on Amazon Prime Video on 19 June 2020.[8]
While Mediaset España renovated Desaparecidos for a second season, they broke the collaboration with the production company Plano a Plano, due to financial disagreements,[6] tasking instead the production of the second season to Unicorn Content, the company led by Xelo Montesinos and Ana Rosa Quintana.[11]