The First Images From 'Frauds' Have Serious 'Thelma & Louise' Vibes

As the famous saying goes: In this house, we support women's rights. But we also support women's wrongs. (I'm not sure this saying is actually all that famous, but it's certainly something I say around my house a lot.) Either way, this essentially seems to be the entire premise behind the forthcoming ITV drama Frauds, a high-stakes heist caper that follows the story of a pair of women with a long and complicated history who must join forces once again after a decade of separation to pull off a seemingly impossible crime 

The series stars Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) and Suranne Jones (Hostage) as Sam and Bert. The two women are described in the press materials as "a complex duo", which is almost always code for exes of some stripe, be it lovers, spouses, or some other form of partners. Apparently, the pair once ran cons together for a living, but their grift train ended when they were caught, and Bert was sent to prison while Sam was not. Released on compassionate leave (why, exactly, is not yet clear), Bert tracks Sam down in Southern Spain with a new and specific plea: One last job, an art heist for old times' sake—well, that and a pile of cash. 

The hook here appears to be not just the intricacies of the job the pair will be asked to pull off, but the messy wreckage of Bert and Sam's relationship. Can either of them trust the other? Should they? And if not, who's going to try to turn who in first? If the first look photos are anything to go by, the pair's quest will take them to unexpected places (both literally and figuratively speaking) and involve everyone from an infamous forger to a talented illusionist.
 

Here's the series synopsis. 

Frauds is led by the complex duo, Bert and Sam, whose intertwined past resurfaces in the setting of Southern Spain after a decade of separation.

As Sam has sought a low-key life, Bert’s release from a Spanish prison for compassionate reasons reignites her ambition for one final, significant score. On the pretext of one final, multi-million-pound art heist, Bert attempts to lure Sam out of retirement, but at what cost?  Can Sam stay one step ahead of her former friend, who is clearly capable of treachery? Or will the push and pull of their toxic friendship see them both ruined before they are able to pull off the job?

Alongside Whittaker and Jones, the series also stars Talisa García (Baptiste) as Miss Take, who hosts drag bingo at a club on the Costa del Sol but who wants more from life; Karan Gill (COBRA) as Bilal, allegedly the world’s greatest forger; and Elizabeth Berrington (Good Omens) as Jackie Diamond, magician’s assistant to her husband, known as  The Great Diavolo. The ensemble cast includes Kate Fleetwood (The Wheel of Time), Lee Boardman (The Crow Girl), Christian Cooke (That Dirty Black Bag), Abdul Salis (Beyond Paradise), Javier Taboada (Velvet) and newcomer Thais Martin. 

Writer Anne-Marie O’Connor (MaryLand) penned all episodes; director Giulia Gandini (Shetland) helms the series with Pat Tookey-Dickson producing. Jones, O’Connor, and Tookey-Dickson all executive produce alongside Debra Hayward, Alison Carpenter, Jill Forbes, Alison Owen & Katie Kelly for Monumental Television, part of ITV Studios.  

Frauds doesn't have a premiere date or an American distributor yet, though it's slated to air on ITV and stream on ITVX before the end of the year.