The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe episode guide: How many episodes are there of the ITV drama?

19 April 2022, 14:54

Watch the ITV trailer for The Thief, His Wife And The Canoe

How many episodes are there of The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe and how can I watch it?

The unbelievable story of John Darwin has been transformed into new ITV drama The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe.

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The series is based on John and his wife Anne Darwin, who created a scheme to get them out of thousands of pounds worth of debt.

But how many episodes are there of The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe and when is it next on?

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How many episodes are there of The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe?

There are four episodes of The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe, with the first kicking off on Sunday, April 17 on ITV.

These are being shown over four consecutive nights, finishing on Wednesday, April 20.

You can watch them at 9pm on ITV or you can catch up on ITVHub.

The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe episode guide:

Episode 1 - Sunday 17th April

The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe will kick off the story of John Darwin when he and his wife moved to Seaton Carew in Hartlepool.

In the first episode, the couple reveal they have bought two houses which are adjoined, with one side being turned into a B&B.

As they get themselves into more money problems, John decides he wants to fake his death in a canoe accident to claim his life insurance money.

They successfully pull the scam off and John goes into hiding, while Anne consoles her sons, Mark and Anthony.

Episode 2 - Monday 18th April

In the second instalment, John successfully applies for a passport to create a new identity, while forcing Anne to demand an inquest into his death so they can get the insurance pay-out.

This seems to work and the cheques arrive, with couple planning a new life together in Panama.

Episode 3 - Tuesday 19th April

After they attempt to move to Panama to start a new life, John decides he wants to come home and later turns up at a police station claiming to have suffered from amnesia.

Journalists hunt down Anne in Panama and the story starts to unravel as a photograph of the two of them emerges.

Episode 4 - Wednesday 20th April

The truth comes out as Anne and John are interviewed by the police, and the case goes to trial where Anne pleads not guilty on the grounds of marital coercion.

But the pair both face prison sentences, with their sons initially refusing to speak to them.

Based on an unpublished manuscript written by journalist David Leigh, who was the first journalist to find and interview Anne in Panama, the series was created by screenwriter Chris Lang.

He said: “If I'd tried to sell this project as an original story, it would never have got further than the pitch. 'It's just too far-fetched, Chris, no one would ever believe that any of that could actually have happened. Except it did. All of it. And I loved writing every, single, word."