Frauds review: Jones and Whittaker fight typecasting in bold heist drama

At a time of funding woes and fragmenting audiences, widely marketable detective shows and true crime dramas have come to dominate our schedules more than ever, seemingly leaving little room for much else.

By design, Frauds isn't wholly original – its influences in the heist caper genre are clear to see – but its vibrant setting and eccentric leads still offer a welcome break from smartly dressed sleuths standing morosely against a grey sky.

Indeed, between all of the violent atrocities and calculating sociopaths in our TV diet, it's no wonder that the country seems perpetually on the cusp of a nervous, paranoid breakdown. Frauds is a holiday by comparison.

The story picks up after loose canon Bert (Jones), a fraudster and thief, is released from prison on compassionate grounds due to ill health, bringing her back together with former partner-in-crime, Sam (Whittaker).

It isn't long before old habits rear their head, with the quiet sundown that Bert had promised swiftly mutating into a pitch for one last job, intended to leave a lasting impact – and potentially set Sam up for life.

As is tradition, a crew is assembled, including magician's assistant Jackie (Elizabeth Berrington), forgery pro Bilal (Karan Gill) and mentor figure Miss Take (Talisa Garcia), all of whom are overlooked and facing pressures of their own.

Alas, the full potential of this line-up doesn't present itself until the third episode (by far the strongest of the first half), which sees our gang finally collaborate on a mission where their chemistry rapidly builds.

Prior to this, Frauds drags its feet through a flat introduction, where perhaps the most memorable moment is Bilal eagerly guzzling a can of room-temperature baked beans – mainly for how it made me feel viscerally nauseous.

(Let the record show that I am a chronic beans-on-toast eater, but cold from the can is just wrong – and I'm sorry, but it's something I won't budge on.)

That this moment has lingered so long in the mind exposes not just my own firmly held beliefs around cupboard essentials, but also that Frauds is at its best when being silly or downright bizarre.

In the first two episodes, too long is spent airing Bert and Sam's historic grievances (as well as creating a few new ones) in scenes that creak as Jones and Whittaker get settled into these new roles.

Frauds represents a striking departure for both of its prolific stars (a fact acknowledged on the press tour), but neither actor immediately disappears behind the hair dye, fake tattoos and elaborate costumes deployed here.

Jones just doesn't quite fit the mould of a reckless, bawdy burnout, nor Whittaker as a brooding, angry thug, although their respective roles do become more believable as the series progresses and your brain has a chance to recalibrate.

Of course, actors should be given the chance to escape typecasting and flex new muscles – and fans of this duo can expect to see just that – but Frauds is arguably a case of too much, too soon.

At least that, again, speaks to its ambition as a work of genre fiction clearly trying to defy expectations of not just its lead actors, but of primetime programming more broadly.

Having only seen the first half, I can't yet say whether Frauds will stick the landing; but if it doubles down on the zany action, team camaraderie and genre elements in the chapters to come, then we might yet have something as enjoyable as it is admirable.

Frauds premieres ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 5th October 2025.

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