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Everything you need to know about The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe 

The real-life story is set to land on ITV for a four-part series 

the thief his wife canoe
Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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ITV has a new series coming out, and we think it is going to be a huge hit for the network! The Thief, His Wife, and the Canoe follows the real-life story of John Darwin, who faked his own death in order to avoid bankruptcy and claim life insurance. Find out everything you need to know about the series here…

Who is in the cast of The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe? 

Sherlock Holmes and Ray Donovan star Eddie Marsan are set to star as John Darwin, while A Very English Scandal actress Monica Dolan plays his wife, Anne. 

WATCH: While we wait for a trailer, check out the latest trailer for ITV's sitcom Kate & Koji

Speaking about the actors, screenwriter Chris Lang said: "I am beyond delighted to be working with two of the finest actors of their generation. I have admired them both from afar for many years (not in a creepy way though) and cannot wait to see them bring Anne and John Darwin to life." 

What is The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe about? 

The synopsis reads: "The drama focuses on how Anne Darwin became complicit in her husband’s deception as she started to convince the world, their family and friends, the police and insurance companies, that he had gone missing in 2002 whilst canoeing off the coast of Seaton Carew in Cleveland, where the couple owned two large houses with panoramic views of the sea. 

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Will you be watching?

"The deception was to take its toll on Anne who lied to their sons, Mark and Anthony, for five years whilst her husband, in the early days of the fraud, secretly lived in a bedsit next door to the home he shared with Anne. Devastated by the loss of their father, neither son had an inkling their parents were capable of such treachery.

"Anne and John Darwin eventually decided to leave Seaton Carew and move to Panama City to start a new life together before their secret was exposed by the discovery of an infamous photo of them posing in a Panama real estate office in July 2006." 

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A Very English Scandal actress Monica Dolan plays Anne Darwin

What happened to John and Anne Darwin in real life? 

Despite pleading not guilty at her trial, arguing that she was coerced into the plot by John, Anne was found guilty of fraud alongside her husband, and she and John were jailed for over six years. The pair were also ordered to repay £679,073. 

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