The bizarre true story of former teacher and prison officer John Darwin and how he faked his own death to avoid excruciating debts has been adapted for television and will premiere in Australia this week. Titled The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, it follows Darwin as he begins his ‘fake death’ approach to evade accountability and claim life insurance. He and his wife deceive authorities and even their children into thinking that he had died in a canoeing accident, only for him to reappear five years later.
All episodes are available on streaming TV in Australia and using this guide you can find out how and where to watch them.
What’s in this Guide?
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe preview
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe may sound like an amusing title but the events comprising the new show are real. The story of former teacher John Darwin who was believed to have died while paddling out to sea, only to turn up alive some years later, has sent waves of intrigue within and outside his home town of Seaton Carew in northern England.
The Darwin household was on the brink of bankruptcy after purchasing two houses, accumulating massive debts. As a solution to his impending financial doom, John Darwin faked his own death with the help of his wife, Anne Darwin, to collect his life insurance money. He then moved next door to where his family lives to ride his ‘death’ out until his prolific travels to check properties abroad.
Ultimately, the Darwins chose Panama as a potential destination to set up a new life. Checking properties there, they forgot the one thing that needs to be avoided when hiding and pretending to be dead – photographs! Even after that, the couple embarked on numerous travels with Anne selling their home and moving to Panama.
John eventually returned to England after Panama’s visa laws became stricter and pretended to have amnesia. His wife, meanwhile, donned expressions of shock and elation, oblivious that there’s still that photograph of them together in Panama. There’s a whole lot more twists and turns in this infamous ‘fake death’ fraud, which you can watch with all episodes dropping at once in Australia!
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe is created by Chris Lang for ITV based on a memoir published by journalist David Leigh.
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe Australia release date
You can watch four episodes of the new drama on 8th September 2022 with all episodes dropping at once. They’ll be available for streaming on demand on BINGE, Foxtel and Foxtel Now. The series also drops on BritBox from 17 August 2023.
| The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe | Running Time | Streaming Services |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 | 46 mins | Foxtel Now / BINGE / BritBox |
| Episode 2 | 46 mins | Foxtel Now / BINGE / BritBox |
| Episode 3 | 46 mins | Foxtel Now / BINGE / BritBox |
| Episode 4 | 46 mins | Foxtel Now / BINGE / BritBox |
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe trailer
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe trailer is now out. You can watch it below.
Which streaming services show The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe?
In Australia, BINGE and Foxtel have exclusive access to stream all episodes. The TV series also begins streaming on BritBox starting August 2023.
| Streaming Services | The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe Australia |
|---|---|
| BINGE | Yes |
| Foxtel | Yes |
| Foxtel Now | Yes |
| BritBox | Yes |
Best internet streaming plan
Best internet streaming plan
Benefits
How to watch The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe on Foxtel Now
You can watch The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe on Foxtel‘s BBC First channel. Fortunately, BBC First is already part of the standard Foxtel Plus bundle. With Foxtel’s latest offers and deals, new customers can even save for up to 12 months on plan fees.
You can also watch the show when you sign up for Foxtel’s streaming service, Foxtel Now. Even easier for new customers, Foxtel still offers a free 10-day trial to access everything on its platform. After your free trial period expires, the Foxtel Now base pack, called the Essentials pack, is only $25 per month.
Premium packs like Drama Extra, Sport, and Movies can be added to your base plan.
How to watch The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe on BINGE
Another option to stream the limited series is BINGE. Fortunately, they still offer a 14-day free trial, so new customers can explore heaps of shows and movies before signing up.
You can then choose from three streaming tiers to watch the best BINGE shows on demand. A Basic with Ads plan costs $10 per month and allows you to stream in HD on one device. An ad-free Standard Plan is $16 per month and enables you to enjoy standard or high definition on two devices.
The BINGE Premium Plan ($18 per month) is the last alternative, allowing you to stream on up to four screens/devices in SD or HD. All BINGE plans come with no lock-in contract so you can cancel anytime.
How to watch The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe on BritBox
UK content-dedicated streaming service BritBox offers complete episodes of The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe as well. To start streaming, simply sign up for BritBox’s 7-day free trial. If you want to continue watching the series, a BritBox monthly plan only costs $8.99 per month after the trial ends. You can also subscribe for a year and pay only $89.99, reducing the monthly cost to $7.50 per month.
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe cast
Playing the role of canoe conman John Darwin is Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) and playing his conniving wife Anne Darwin is Monica Dolan (A Very English Scandal). Check out the complete main cast of The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe below.
Other shows on streaming TV you might like
The Foxtel Now library offers a wide range of the best shows on television and the latest blockbusters you can stream online, which you can explore by checking out what’s on Foxtel.
When it comes to streaming awesome content, you can find similar titles when exploring what’s on BINGE as well, since both streaming services mostly have the same TV show and movie catalogue.
Then there’s British TV-dedicated streaming service BritBox, which also offers heaps of exciting content and a growing list of originals. Find out what’s on BritBox this month to browse more titles.
So you can easily stream top shows with the likes of Succession, House of the Dragon, Happy Valley, The Walking Dead, and more. We have made a few more suggestions if you’re wondering what to watch now. Check them out below.
Supported streaming devices
You can stream episodes of the new series about a man faking his own death to avoid bankruptcy on devices like Apple TV, Telstra TV, and more. Here is a list of compatible devices that you can use to stream your favourite shows with BINGE, Foxtel, Foxtel Now, and BritBox.
Devices supported on BINGE
- PC/Mac: Yes – Web browser only (Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge); supported on
MacOS : 10.12+ & Windows: 10+ - iOS Mobile Devices: Yes – iOS15+ including Apple iPhones/iPads
- Android Mobile Devices: Yes – Android Phone/Tablets OS 8+
- Google Chromecast: Yes – Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast 3rd Generation + & Chromecast w/ Google TV
- Google TV Streamer: Yes
- Apple TV: Yes – 4th Gen or higher; tvOS 15+
- Hubbl small device: Yes
- Hubbl Glass: Yes
- Amazon Fire TV Stick: Yes
- Android TV: Yes – OS version 8.0+ and above on selected devices
- Samsung TV: Yes – 2017 models or later
- LG TV: Yes – selected 2018 models or later
- Hisense TV: Yes – selected 2020-2024 models
- Gaming Consoles: Yes – PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox (Series X, Series S, One S and One X)
Devices supported on Foxtel/Foxtel Go
- PC/Mac: Yes – Web browser only (Chrome for PC; Chrome & Safari for Mac)
- iOS: Yes – Devices with iOS 9.35 or above
- Android: Yes – Devices with Android 5.0 and above (Android 13 beta versions are not supported)
- Google Chromecast: Yes – Via casting (only on Multiroom service)
- Google Nest: Yes – Via compatible Chromecast device connected or built-in to your TV
- Apple TV: Yes – Via AirPlay (only on Multiroom service)
- Smart TVs: Yes – Via casting only (only on Multiroom service)
Devices supported on BritBox
Streaming Devices
- Apple TV (4th generation and higher)
- Android TV (Android OS 5.0)
- Fetch TV
- Foxtel iQ3, iQ4, or iQ5
Smart TV
- LG Smart TV (2017 versions or newer)
- Samsung Smart TVs (versions of Tizen 2.3 or newer)
- Hisense TV
Mobile devices
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android
Casting
- AirPlay
- Chromecast
Web Browsers
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, MS Edge, and Internet Explorer on Mac or Windows desktop/laptop
Unfortunately, BritBox isn’t currently available on games consoles like the Nintendo Switch.
