And I'm using the term "Twin Peaks" loosley, but basically the story of a detective/police sergeant/Private Investigator/Homeless Vigilante/etc searching for the killer of a town sweetheart is a bit overplayed I'm not saying that a missing person isn't just as played out, but I think it would be more entertaining to watch and follow along with. I realize that when Twin Peaks first came on the air back in the early 90's/late 80's it was conceived as a "whodunit", and in order to have a murder mystery you have to have a body which I understand wholeheartedly, however if say the town sweetheart just vanished one day after school (or before) with no trace of where she went it creates more tension and more suspense and I think you can still have a "whodunit" -like atmosphere with a majority of the main cast acting as suspects/potential motivators for the disappearance of the local girl.

I think it would/could work if it was played out correctly, that is if there weren't any loose ends and if the story was engaging enough to draw in weekly viewers.  The missing person plot works in my opinion because of the kind of suspense/drama that you get from not knowing whether you are looking for your loved one's remains or if she is still alive, it can work both ways (and a surrealist like David Lynch could use that to his advantage) you could say that was both murdered (possibly a fake body or a doppelganger) and vanished (abducted by UFO/alternate reality, etc) and just explain these little concurrences as the story evolves.

"This is the Girl."