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Missing Dial

2016–Ongoing1 season6 episodesMidcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

In July of 2014 Cody Roman Dial Jr., the son of legendary explorer, Roman Dial Sr., vanished trying to complete a solo trek in the most dangerous jungle in Central America. The evidence quickly led the Dial family to believe foul play was involved. Now one of the most legendary adventurers in the world is going on his highest stakes expedition yet. He and his team of former FBI agents will retrace the steps of Roman Jr. to finally figure out what happened to his son.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Missing Dial?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Missing Dial to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Missing Dial?

Missing Dial earns 1 badge: Unsettling.

Reception

Is Missing Dial worth watching?

Missing Dial's Midcredits score is the 31st percentile of all shows, from 79 ratings (very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional). 57% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

31st percentile

Better received than 31% of shows

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

24th percentile among Documentary30th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)38th
Approval (how many liked it)27th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

68 /100

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

38th percentile of all shows

27th percentile among Documentary36th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

57% liked it

27th percentile of all shows

23rd percentile among Documentary25th percentile among 2010s
57% rated it 7–1043% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

13th percentile

79 ratings across platforms

26th percentile among Documentary18th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2016 · 6 episodes

  • S1E1
    S1E1

    Vanished

    May 22, 2016
  • S1E2
    S1E2

    Prime Suspect

    May 29, 2016
  • S1E3
    S1E3

    Into the Jungle

    Jun 5, 2016
  • S1E4
    S1E4

    The Interrogation

    Jun 12, 2016
  • S1E5
    S1E5

    A Father's Plea

    Jun 19, 2016
  • S1E6
    S1E6

    The Confrontation

    Jun 26, 2016Finale

Watch experience

What is Missing Dial like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you unsettled.

Setting

  • Contemporary
  • Realistic
  • Wilderness
  • Institutional

How it leaves you

  • Unsettling
  • Thought-provoking

Story

  • No archetype

What it asks of you

  • Even-paced
  • Engaged
  • Heavy
  • Open-ended

Themes

  • Justice
  • Grief
  • Survival

Feelings

  • Tense
  • Melancholic
  • Contemplative

Style

  • Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
  • Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
exact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Heaviest: middle
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe series treats the disappearance with grave respect and maintains an investigative, moody atmosphere.
The rideThe series maintains sustained tension through the investigation, with a melancholic undercurrent from the personal loss; the emotional weight likely peaks when evidence and leads are uncovered.
StructureThe investigation unfolds chronologically, following the search step by step.
Episode formatEach episode likely pursues a specific lead or aspect of the investigation (the 'case'), while the overarching arc is Roman Sr.'s search for his son over the season.
Season formatWith one season aired and the series ongoing, the current season follows a single investigation; a potential future season would likely cover a different case or development.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves the viewer with lingering questions about the disappearance and a sense of unease about the unresolved case.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe series follows a real-life investigation into a disappearance, not a narrative plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% (this title) · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsGrief · 4% of showsSurvival · 12% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on a father's quest for answers about his son's disappearance, seeking justice against potential foul play while grappling with loss and the dangers of the jungle.
StanceThe documentary questions what happened to Roman Jr., examining evidence and motives without a fixed conclusion, centered on Roman Sr.'s personal quest.

The world

Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Adam Sanborne
SettingCentral American jungle and investigative offices
MusicThe score likely underscores tension and emotional gravity during investigative sequences.

Cast and crew

Who is in Missing Dial?

Cast

Ken Fournier
as Host
Kim Cooper
as Dog Handler

Crew

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TMDB's suggestions for shows like Missing Dial include Mysteries at the Museum (2010), The Reluctant Traveler (2023) and Long Way Up (2020).

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