Il ladro, sua moglie e la canoa

If this had been fiction it would have been written off as ridiculous.

The fact that it is true makes it even more unbelievable.

It is hard to imagine what was going through John Darwin's mind to think he could get away with it, although he was ably assisted by such institutions as the passport applications and coroner's offices.

Top performances by Monica Dolan and Eddie Marsan.

It was hard to keep a straight face when Karl Pilkington was on screen.

I didn't really expect to be watching this series on ITV, but as I'm from Hartlepool I just had to take a look. I was happily surprised, mainly because of Eddie Marsan's performance is outstanding.

He is both endearing, manipulative and a delusionalist.

Endearing because of his smooth tongue. Manipulative in his seduction of his wife and a delusionalist for thinking he could get away with any of it.

Yes, it's true, this is not Seaton Carew, but the usual state of affairs for films telling you they are somewhere they are not.

As for the goof of the accent being from 25+ miles up the coast, that is totally wrong. The two stars have a very good Hartlepool accent. It isn't Geordie by a long stretch.

To get there you have to go through a few coastal territories, with what are called the 'Pit Yackers' of the old mining villages of Horden and Easington. Then we hit Sunderland, with the Mackems (famous for the Netflix series 'Sunderland Till I Die') and then, finally we get to Newcastle, home of the Geordie. For communities so close, geographically speaking, there is such a rich diversity of dialect.

So in this review, let's hear some praise for the dialect coach! They have done a great job here.

Beyond that, yes you know the outcome, but the journey is so rich, you will love the story, the characters and the performances of the lead talent.

New four part series based on the bizarre disappearance of John Darwin who faked his own death to escape his creditors.

Written by Chris Lang who created the brilliant 'Unforgotten' I had high hopes for this and wasn't disappointed. Both leads Monica Dolan and Eddie Marsan were outstanding, production values were high and the script was inch perfect. The jaunty score was lovely and set the tone beautifully.

Really enjoyed this series from start to finish, a quality TV drama in all respects, well done to all those involved in the making of it.

Parts are slow , but the acting is superb . You loathe the characters you are supposed to and feel sorry for the others . It gets better and bette and was such an interesting story , yet so hard to believe . Worth watching.

Truth is stranger than fiction!

John Darwin decides to fake his own death in a canoeing accident, in order to receive the insurance money, his wife Anne reluctantly goes along with his plan.

I truly enjoyed every single minute of this four part series, if this was purely fictional, you'd be busy saying how you need to suspend your disbelief, even in part four, you'll be pinching yourself that it's based on real life events.

It's amazingly well made, it has a very realistic vibe, I particularly enjoyed the third episode.

Monica Dolan, for many years she's been my favourite actress, and let's be honest, she is captivating here as Anne, Marsan is equally brilliant as John, talk about sensational casting.

Next time you see someone walking across the road with a canoe, just wonder what they're up to.

Captivating drama, 9/10.