For Gale Howard as Graham Kelton, the role is particularly difficult. When we first encounter him at the start of the pilot, he is trying to negotiate with a kidnapper to save a little boy. Things go wrong, and the boy dies dramatically. When we meet Kelton again, it’s obvious that the incident has so troubled him that he has left the FBI for some time. As a result, we see Kelton both as a forceful agent, and as a vulnerable man.

“Obviously, it’s the mystery, the story, that keeps him plugged into all the other stories,” explains Howard. “It’s a character-driven show and there is an emotional level to it. For instance, we’re having a conversation and trying to track where Sara may or may not be and put the pieces together, while we also have a moment, a real story, going on between us, which is really challenging.”

"So I was scared of it at first and a little overwhelmed by it, but now that I’m in it, it’s really fun to try and keep those two things happening at the same time. My character has another aspect, a more personal, private, family aspect, as well. But sometimes I go home and I feel like I’ve done one job, and I’ve done another job of playing two different people. There is the investigator and then there’s the guy, right, so trying to synthesize those things."

In addition to this, there’s a hint of something more- a DaVinci-esque intrigue behind all the action. Hints Josh Berman,“Our conspiracy is based on real historical events.”

Says Paul Redford, “Well, I was just going to add to what Josh just said. As for the overall conspiracy, that’s one (of) the things we want to keep you tuned in for, because that’s going to take many surprises. When we say the word “conspiracy,” that can mean a lot of things. I mean, we’re in a world where the word “Kabul” appears on the front page of the papers these days. I think we all have an idea that there are people pulling strings, that there are things we are not being told. And in the arena of our show, that’s kind of one of the things we wanted to bring out.”

Just to be sure that we don’t make the mistake of thinking this will be anything like a pure procedural, producer and director Mimi Leder says, “There will be tons of action, lots of emotion and lots of thrills. This show is a - I see it as a character-driven thriller. We’re going to get into the characters, and every episode will have a big action-set piece.”

Concludes producer Josh Berman, “Well, at the end of the pilot, we don’t necessarily know that she was actually kidnapped. She could have just disappeared. I don’t want to give away some surprises that we have in the first couple of episodes. But, again, there is nothing straightforward about this show. And I think we’ll keep the viewers guessing.”

"Vanished" premieres right after "Prison Break" on Monday, Aug.21, 2006, at 9pm et/pt, only on FOX!