Joan, ITV1 review - the roller-coaster career of a 1980s jewel thief

If you’re looking for an advertisement for how crime doesn’t pay, Joan will do very nicely. Written by Anna Symon, this six-part series is based on the memoirs of real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington, whose light-fingered accomplishments earned her notoriety back in the Eighties. Some apparently referred to her as “The Godmother”, though they don’t here.

Stepping boldly and brassily into the lead role is Sophie Turner (who, once upon a time, played Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones). We first meet her when she’s living with Gary, a brutal, womanising thug who she eventually decides to leave after a traumatic home invasion by some gangsters to whom Gary owes money. The only good thing she manages to salvage is her young daughter Kelly (Mia Millichamp-Long, pictured below with Turner), though she has to be re-homed by Social Services thanks to Joan’s disastrous circumstances.

Turner’s performance skilfully maps the poles of Joan’s combustible personality. Frequently reduced to an emotional wreck by her inability to be a good enough mother to Kelly, a burden which weighs her down throughout the narrative, she’s also fuelled by ferocious ambition and has a genius for adopting a new persona when required. For instance, when she’s been living rough on the street, she happens to overhear a conversation between two wealthy women who are off on a shopping spree for diamonds. It’s a eureka moment, and Joan sets about making herself into a perfect facsimile of a jewellery expert, visiting up-market jewellers and picking the brains of the salesmen. Not the least of her achievements is a sudden and miraculous ability to talk posh, not dropping her aitches and sounding like a minor royal (the Birmingham locations standing in for Mayfair also strike a bit of a bum note).

Joan’s new-found skills land her a job as a jewellery salesperson, and her glamorous image-overhaul has the proprietor, Bernard (Alex Blake), virtually prostrating himself at her feet. She jump-starts her life of crime by stealing some diamonds, which she swallows ("Best bank in the world is your tummy,” Hannington wrote in her memoir. “Best safety-deposit box invented.")

It’s when she’s trying to find a buyer for the diamonds that she first meets Boisie Hannington (Frank Dillane, familiar from The Walking Dead). As professional crooks go he’s actually quite a nice guy, and favours a rational approach to his work rather than charging around like a rogue psychopath. Before long, Joan and Boisie are turning themselves into crime’s First Couple, pulling off scams like switching fake jewels for the real ones with aplomb. There’s strong support from Gershwyn Eustache Jnr as Albie, Boisie’s omni-capable fixer.

However, success breeds over-confidence. The wheels start coming off when they steal a George Stubbs painting, which Joan is convinced is too hot for them to handle. When the Provisional IRA start getting involved, her instincts are proved horribly correct. The ending, we might say, is contained in the beginning.

But Joan makes for brisk and breezy viewing, easily keeping you aboard for all six episodes. A steady diet of Eighties pop hits (Eurythmics, Human League, the Style Council, Soft Cell etc) adds some period atmosphere. But mostly it’s about the consistently magnetic Turner, and it’s not hard to imagine that this role could translate into more major big-screen action. So maybe crime does pay after all.

• Joan continues on ITV1 at 9pm on Sundays. All episodes available on ITVX

• More TV reviews on theartsdesk