ITV's Joan - plot, episodes, cast and filming locations including Birmingham

Game of Thrones megastar Sophie Turner will star in ITV's new drama Joan, airing this weekend

ITV will air its new drama series Joan tonight (September 29) following the life and crimes of Joan Hannington, a notorious jewel thief. The 'exhilarating and emotional' series will see Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner play the role of Joan, a rags-to-riches diamond thief.

The new drama is set in 1980s London, but much of the show was filmed here in Birmingham. Sophie was last year pictured sporting a fur coat on New Street outside a transformed Piccadilly Arcade - she was also spotted in the Jewellery Quarter.

Joan is a six-part drama inspired by real events from the life of Joan Hannington who, over the course of the series, becomes entangled in a 'high-stakes game of survival and reinvention." Here's everything you need to know about upcoming ITV drama Joan.

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What is ITV's Joan about?

In Joan, Sophie Turner plays a devoted young mother desperate to escape a disatrous relationship. When her partner goes on the run, Joan seizes the opportunity to start a new life with her six-year-old daughter and delves deep into the criminal underworld.

A plot teaser shared by ITV reads: "Through sharp intelligence, irresistible charm, and a talent for impersonation, Joan’s journey is a high-stakes game of survival and reinvention. Every heist and every stolen diamond is driven by her singular purpose: to create a secure future for her daughter."

Speaking about playing the role of Joan, Turner previously said: "I'm so excited to be bringing Joan Hannington's fascinating life story to screen in Joan. She is one of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld of London, earning her the nickname 'The Godmother'

"A woman who goes between her thriving and daring career as a jewel thief, all whilst trying to get her daughter back from social services, we see a mother in despair swept up in the exhilarating world of crime."

How many episodes of Joan are there?

Joan is a six-part drama - with each episode lasting an hour. The show will premier on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday, September 29 at 9pm.

The second episode will air the following night on September 30, with all parts being available on ITVX after episode one has aired. You can watch the trailer for the show below.

Who is in the cast of Joan on ITV?

Joan will be headed up by Sophie Turner, who played the role of Sansa Stark in HBO’s fantasy smash hit Game of Thrones. Frank Dillane, known for his roles in The Walking Dead and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, plays Joan's criminal husband Bosie Hannington in the show.

Filling out the cast are:

• Ella Dunlop as Kirsty
• Mia Millichamp-Long as Kelly
• Caroline Faber as Sue Ashbury
• Liam McMahon as Sean O'Connor
• Russell Anthony as Sargeant Mills
• Allegra Marland as Millicent

The filming of Joan in Piccadilly Arcade

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Where was ITV's Joan filmed?

ITV drama Joan was filmed in multiple locations across the West Midlands including Birmingham and Coventry. Filming took place in Birmingham in May 2023.

In May, Sophie Turner was pictured wearing a fur coat on Birmingham New Street beside an old school double-decker London bus with the number 137 and 'Clapham Park' written on the front. The Game of Thrones star was later spotted in the city's Jewellery Quarter.

Elsewhere in the Midlands, an empty row of shops on Hay Lane in Coventry city centre was transformed into a parade for filming, while Regent Street in Leamington Spa saw shops and businesses transformed into a temporary film set. Filming is also said to have taken place in and around Herne Bay in Kent.