The Thief, his wife and the Canoe - ITV

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

I’m watching, and I don’t completely hate it, but I’m not convinced Anne was as innocent in all of this as she’d like us to believe. And whilst they were hardly the most glamorous couple in the world, they’ve made them (her, in particular) far more dowdy than they seemingly were.

And being from the north-east myself, I’m not impressed that they’ve consciously made everything look as run down as possible. I know Seaton Carew is hardly Venice Beach, but I’m not buying that their actual home made the house in Father Ted look flashy and modern.

It’s all a bit heavy handed in its portrayal of the frumpy, dim couple from a slummy northern backwater who were a bit too think and a bit too greedy.

 

[Scotch Mist]

I haven't watched any of this yet but remember the story well when it was in the news.
I was more appalled at the way they treated their sons than the actual fraud. How could they pretend and lie about the father being dead? What a ghastly thing to do to them.

The wife may have been controlled by her selfish husband to a certain extent but she still went along with it. Now he's apparently married to someone else so she lost the trust of her sons for nothing really.

 

[ElectricDreams]

I've just put it on and the accents are annoying me already. The actors are doing Tyneside instead of a Teeside one. Why is this so hard for people to get right?

I'm sick of the 'grim up north' portrayal as well.

I feel like the rest of the country see "The North" as one generic area where its a bit grim and we all talk like Geordies. It's like saying everyone from London has a Cockney accent.
I have to laugh whenever I travel up the A1/A19 and the road signs say "The North" as if it's just one place. When you're generally underrepresented on TV something like an accent seems more important than it probably is.

 

[Scotch Mist]

I've watched all the episodes now and I did end up feeling sorry for Anne. Her husband was a coercive git and she was weak going along with his plans.

It must have been terrible for the sons, they were the victims in this. I'm guessing that they no longer see their father as he now lives in the Philippines with his new wife. It seems typical that a man like Darwin would bugger off and start a new life abroad eventually.

 

[Bol85]

I think it’s ace. I’m really enjoying it. I vaguely remember the story from being a kid. It’s BONKERS. I can’t believe it’s a true story. I know it’s in part an imagining but the facts alone are bonkers!

Im from Yorkshire. I don’t care how the north is portrayed. Where I live is a beautiful part of the country & I thank my lucky stars I live here. I’d rather people thought it was shit so they don’t come here I know it’s lovely so the southerners keep on imagining it’s awful. My large 4 bed detached cost me £300,000. My in-laws live in a smaller house worth £750,000 in a similar area down south. Mad.

 

[sh1tsandgiggles]

I’m currently on the bit where he returns claiming amnesia and he’s sat on the sofa with the boys looking through the photo album pretending not to recognise anything and “catching up”


how could someone do that to their children IRL?! Unbelievably cruel. What a tosser!

like someone said previously…. If this hadn't ACTUALLY happened, this would be the most shittest unbelievable drama itv had ever made! As it goes I’m quite enjoying it- but I agree about the accents.

 

[LowCalCalzoneZone]

Yeah, I don't think having her narrating it is a great idea - she's not really a victim and she went along with it all

I recommend the episodes of the British Scandal podcast that covered the case - they go into a lot more detail in the circumstances leading up to it and the police's point of view too, which is really interesting. It's a fascinating case but i'm not sure dramatising it gets that across well. I'll stick with it though and see

 

[Chunkeylaydee]

Was thinking, JD’s current wife says he’s gone to Ukraine… do you think she’s about to claim insurance when he is missing?

 

[Happy Lady]

The bit I can't get my head around was that they owed so much money, yet owned twelve houses! So why didn't they sell houses to pay their debts, instead of him going through with his shady pretend death?

 

[Chunkeylaydee]

I remember this being in the news. Looking forward to it starting tonight at 9pm.

 

[Webster1357]

It’s such an outrageous story that I’d never believe it had it not really happened

That's so true, if it had been a drama (probably a Channel 5 one) I would have wondered who'd written such an outrageous pile of shit! Knowing it was a true story made it really interesting though, I enjoyed it.

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

Was thinking, JD’s current wife says he’s gone to Ukraine… do you think she’s about to claim insurance when he is missing?

She’s quoted as saying he has very good life insurance, but I think they’re either trolling the press or just straight out lying as I cannot imagine a notorious, elderly life-insurance fraudster would manage to acquire life insurance from any provider.

He hasn’t gone to to fight in Ukraine. He’s a self-serving narcissist in his seventies. They’re just making shit up for publicity.

 

[ElectricDreams]

I'm quite enjoying it though being a local, the accents are annoying me, as is the fact they are not actually filming in Seaton Carew!

 

[Millennial Pink]

Just finished it. I'll harp on about the accents one more time. I don't think there was a single Teesside accent in the show at all, not even the side characters?

Anyway, I really struggled to feel any sympathy for Anne whatsoever. I'm glad that she hasn't completely lost touch with the two lads, but in the end, she got what she deserved. I wonder if it would have been better narrated by another character or not at all?

 

[Millennial Pink]

I've just put it on and the accents are annoying me already. The actors are doing Tyneside instead of a Teeside one. Why is this so hard for people to get right?

I'm sick of the 'grim up north' portrayal as well.

 

[mgmhs]

Just finished it. I'll harp on about the accents one more time. I don't think there was a single Teesside accent in the show at all, not even the side characters?

Anyway, I really struggled to feel any sympathy for Anne whatsoever. I'm glad that she hasn't completely lost touch with the two lads, but in the end, she got what she deserved. I wonder if it would have been better narrated by another character or not at all?

I got that John & Anne we’re from Collieries around Durham and had only recently moved to Seaton… so their accents wouldn’t be of a Teessider. However during the scenes with the Police (with Cleveland Police emblazoned in the background) not one of them spoke with a Teesside accent either. Didn’t even try

I got that John & Anne we’re from Collieries around Durham and had only recently moved to Seaton… so their accents wouldn’t be of a Teessider. However during the scenes with the Police (with Cleveland Police emblazoned in the background) not one of them spoke with a Teesside accent either. Didn’t even try

I still haven’t recovered from Karl Pilkington’s appearance either… couldn’t take him seriously haha!

 

[DowntoearthDawn]

I know he’s a selfish man but to lie to your children is wicked. I think they’ve forgiven her, she is very lucky.

 

[Libbylulu]

It’s such an outrageous story that I’d never believe it had it not really happened

 

[DowntoearthDawn]

The bit I can't get my head around was that they owed so much money, yet owned twelve houses! So why didn't they sell houses to pay their debts, instead of him going through with his shady pretend death?

I though that too and when the police searched the house they didn’t spot the secret door?

 

[Giggling Squid]

We watched this, and like someone else said - if it wasn't true it would be too far fetched to be believable!

I enjoyed it, not know the area or accents that didn't really bother me. I found it interesting, I struggle to believe that Anne was as innocent as she made out but equally John was a complete control freak, and I wonder if over the year she'd just been ground down by him and lost the ability to stand up to him. I can't imagine choosing to lie to your kids like she did for so long.