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Joan… Joan O’Connell… licence to be a jewel thief.
Well, not really, as it’s not a legal act, but as we first see our lead, portrayed by Sophie Turner (X-Men: Dark Phoenix), she’s loaded, and to the tune of The Pretenders’ Brass In Pocket, but then we go back four months earlier.
Her other half, Gary Darvil (Nick Blood – Shamed), is a bastard, who owes money to violent people, causing her to up sticks and head for sanctuary, unfortunately having to put her daughter, Kelly, in care.
However, circumstances lead to her getting a brush with the law and seeing her skating close to the wind, before becoming a shop assistant working in a jewellers with pervy boss Bernard (Alex Blake – The Crown Season 5).
The soundtrack is great with ’80s hits such as Culture Club’s Time (Clock Of The Heart) and the Style Council’s Shout To The Top, but this series is set in 1985, and when she meets her prospective future husband, Boisie Hannington (Frank Dillane – The Essex Servant), the music being played is Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game, first heard as an album track from July 1989, and not even being popularised until just over a year later when it was featured in David Lynch’s Wild At Heart.
As you might expect from the opener to a series, there’s not much to shout about from the first episode – which is where I’m up to so far, as it just introduces the main characters, although I did retch in one scene when she flushes the toilet without washing her hands afterwards! Ewww!
UPDATE: I’ve since watched episodes 2-5, mostly when broadcast, and… it’s fine, but isn’t exactly ‘stealing’ my attention.
UPDATE Episode 6:
Joan begins tonight on ITV at 9pm, and airs on Sunday and Mondays weekly for three weeks. It’s available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD, ahead of its release date of November 4th.
From today, all episodes are on ITVX.
Director: Richard Laxton
Producers: Ruth Kenley-Letts
Creator/Writer: Anna Symon
Music: Harry Escott
Cast:
Joan Hannington: Sophie Turner
Boisie Hannington: Frank Dillane
Gary Darvil: Nick Blood
Kelly: Mia Millichamp-Long
Sue Ashbury: Caroline Faber
Nancy: Kirsty J Curtis
Mrs. May: Dorothy Atkinson
Prisoner: Tina Louise Owens
Paul Fine: Andrew Tiernan
Kirsty: Ella Dunlop
Margy: Jenny Bolt
Tom: Jack Greenless
Dave: Ryan O’Donnell
Sgt Mills: Russell Anthony
Bernard: Alex Blake
Millicent: Allegra Marland
Sean O’Connor: Liam McMahon
Professor Elizabeth Tremayne: Stephanie Street
Don the Gangster: Gary Grant
Mrs Judy Asher: Elizabeth Holland
Linda Foley: Nicola Munns
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.