Sophie Turner's Upcoming Jewel Thief Drama 'Joan' Lands at The CW

The CW isn't often the first network that comes to mind when you think of programming of particular interest to Anglophiles, but that may be changing quicker than many of us expected. The network is under new management, who appear eager to save money and reach a broader swath of viewers than its recent teen-focused slate of shows. As part of this shift, The CW is busily greenlighting new unscripted programming and signing on to acquire and/or co-produce multiple foreign productions from both Canada and the U.K.

One of the network's first new pick-up announcements is the ITV true crime drama, Joan. The CW is boarding the project as a co-producer, with plans to air the six-part series in 2024. Based on the real-life story of the notorious 1980s British jewel thief, Joan stars Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner as Joan Hannington, whose exploits ultimately earned her the nickname of "The Godmother" in the London underworld during the 1980s.

The series will see Turner play Hannington from her early days as a young mother in her twenties trapped in a disastrous marriage to a violent criminal. When he disappears, she decides to do whatever it takes to make a better life for herself and her six-year-old daughter, using her talent for impersonation and performance to adopt new identies and ultimately transforming herself into a criminal mastermind and professional diamond thief.