Joan is a British crime drama miniseries created by Anna Symon for ITV. Sophie Turner plays real-life character Joan Hannington, a figure known as "the Godmother" by certain aspects of the British criminal underworld. Paul Frift serves as producer and the series is directed by Richard Laxton.

Joan
GenreCrime drama
Created byAnna Symon
Based onI Am What I Am: The True Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief
by Joan Hannington
Written by
Directed byRichard Laxton
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
  • Ruth Kenley-Letts
  • Jenny Van Der Lande
  • Neil Blair
  • Richard Laxton
ProducerPaul Frift
Production companies
Original release
Network
Release29 September (2024-09-29) –
14 October 2024 (2024-10-14)

Synopsis

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The series features Hannington's journey from housewife and mother to petty offender, diamond thief and criminal mastermind in 1980s London.[1]

Cast

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  • Sophie Turner as Joan O'Connell-Hannington
  • Frank Dillane as Boise Hannington
  • Mia Millichamp-Long as Kelly
  • Kirsty J. Curtis as Nancy P
  • Gershwyn Eustache Jr. as Albie
  • Tomi May as King
  • Laura Aikman as Val
  • Alex Blake as Bernard
  • Jack Greenlees as Tom Fordwick, window salesman

Production

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The six-part series was announced in November 2022 with Sophie Turner cast as Joan Hannington. It was created by Anna Symon, adapting from Hannington's 2002 memoir I Am What I Am: The True Story of Britain's Most Notorious Jewel Thief, with the pair meeting as Symon was writing the series.[2] The project comes from Snowed-In Productions[3] and is co-produced in association with All3Media International – who handled distribution of the show outside the United Kingdom – and the CW – which aired it in the United States.[4] The series was picked up to air in Canada by CBC Gem, where it released all six episodes on October 11, 2024.

Casting

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Frank Dillane was revealed to be joining the cast in May 2023.[5] In an early scene in which Dillane's character first meets Joan, the bartender is played by Joan Hannington's real life son Benny.[6]

Filming

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Filming for the series began in May 2023 in Herne Bay, Kent.[7] Filming also took place that month in Walsall and Birmingham, England.[8] Filming also took place in August 2023 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and in September 2023 in Malvern, Worcestershire, with other filming locations in the Jewellery Quarter and Chillington Hall, Wolverhampton.[9]

Broadcast

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The series premiered in the United Kingdom on ITV1 and on its streaming service ITVX, on 29 September 2024.[10] In Scotland it was broadcast on STV and made available on STV Player. It premiered in the United States on The CW on 2 October 2024, as a part of its 2024–25 television season. In Bulgaria, it premiered on 28 October 2024 on Epic Drama. [11][12][13]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.K. viewers
(millions)
1"1.1"Richard LaxtonAnna Symon29 September 2024 (2024-09-29)4.14
2"1.2"Richard LaxtonAnna Symon30 September 2024 (2024-09-30)3.80
3"1.3"Richard LaxtonAnna Symon6 October 2024 (2024-10-06)3.99
4"1.4"Richard LaxtonHelen Black7 October 2024 (2024-10-07)3.80
5"1.5"Richard LaxtonAnna Symon13 October 2024 (2024-10-13)4.30
6"1.6"Richard LaxtonAnna Symon14 October 2024 (2024-10-14)4.18

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an 87.5% approval rating with an average rating of 6.9/10, based on 13 critic reviews. The website's critic consensus states, "Sophie Turner shines like a diamond in Joan, a stylish crime drama that pays dividends with its 1980s period detail and feminist edge."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 65 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favourable" reviews.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Peppin, Hayley. "Sophie Turner to star as Britain's most successful jewel thief, Joan Hannington". Harpers Bazaar. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  2. ^ Hibbs, James (9 November 2023). "Sophie Turner to play jewel thief Joan Hannington in ITVX drama". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  3. ^ Whittock, Jesse (9 November 2022). "Game Of Thrones' Star Sophie Turner Lands Lead Role In True-Crime Drama 'Joan' For ITVX". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  4. ^ Rice, Lynette (18 May 2023). "CW In Production On Jewel Thief Drama Starring Sophie Turner; 'The Librarians' Spinoff In Works". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  5. ^ Rice, Lynette (18 May 2023). "CW In Production On Jewel Thief Drama Starring Sophie Turner; 'The Librarians' Spinoff In Works". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  6. ^ Cormack, Morgan (29 September 2024). "Joan star Sophie Turner explains real-life episode 1 Easter egg". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  7. ^ Bowles, Millie (15 May 2023). "Filming begins in Herne Bay for ITV drama Joan, starring Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner". Kentonline. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  8. ^ Leach, Harry (24 May 2023). "Game of Thrones star reportedly filming new ITV show in Jewellery Quarter". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  9. ^ Queenborough, Marcus (29 September 2024). "Behind the scenes of ITV's Joan when it was filmed in Birmingham". Birmingham Live.
  10. ^ Sarrubba, Stefania (18 September 2024). "Sophie Turner's ITV drama confirms release date". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  11. ^ Heritage, Stuart; Abbott, Kate (28 December 2023). "'Guaranteed to be a banger': the 50 must-see TV shows for 2024". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  12. ^ Rowan, Iona (19 May 2024). "Sophie Turner's new jewel thief show lands release window". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (20 June 2024). "The CW Sets Fall Premiere Dates For Final Season Of 'Superman & Lois', 'WWE NXT', 'Sullivan's Crossing', 'The Chosen' & More". Deadline. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Joan: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Joan: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
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