ITV has commissioned a new six-part heist drama “Frauds,” bringing together BAFTA winners Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker as former partners in crime reunited after a decade apart. The series, created by Jones and writer Anne-Marie O’Connor, promises to deliver a fresh take on both the heist genre and female friendship.
The story follows Sam (Whittaker), who has built a quiet life in Southern Spain, and her former grifting partner Bert (Jones), who is released from a Spanish prison after ten years with plans for one final job. Their reunion, triggered by Bert’s compassionate release following a terminal cancer diagnosis, threatens to unravel Sam’s peaceful existence as she’s drawn back into their complex and potentially dangerous relationship.
“We took the idea of toxic female friendship and turned it on its head to give the heist genre an emotional heartbeat,” said Jones, who serves as executive producer through her production company TeamAkers. “I have always wanted to work with Jodie, and now I am.”
The series, which has recently begun filming in Spain, is produced by Monumental Television in association with ITV Studios. Director Giulia Gandini (“The Split,” “Shetland”) will helm the project, with Pat Tookey-Dickson producing.
This marks the second collaboration between Jones and O’Connor, following their successful ITV drama “Maryland,” which averaged 6.2 million viewers. O’Connor, who penned the series, commented: “Suranne and I wanted to take a look at the importance and fierceness of female friendship and to do it using the propulsive heist genre.”
Set against the picturesque backdrop of Southern Spain’s mountainous region, “Frauds” explores whether Sam and Bert can overcome their past for one final multi-million-pound art heist, or if their toxic friendship will lead to their downfall.
Helen Ziegler, Senior Drama Commissioning Editor at ITV, praised the project as “a unique take on a heist show” with “a complex, surprising friendship” at its core. The series will air on ITV and STV and be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player, with international distribution handled by ITV Studios.
