Furious Frauds viewers rage that Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker 'deserve better' as they brand ITV drama 'cringingly bad' and 'switch off after 30 minutes'
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It's the latest crime thriller series to land on ITV - starring British TV favourites Jodie Whittaker and Suranne Jones as a former heist artist and her partner in crime.
But Frauds has failed to impress viewers who tuned in for its debut over the weekend, hitting out that the award-winning duo 'deserve better' than the 'cringe' action.
The series, which launched on Sunday on ITV, comes from the mind behind other hit drama series like Hostage and Maryland, writer Anne Mario O'connor.
It follows retired heist artist Sam, played by Doctor Who star Jodie, 43, and her longtime pal and partner-in-crime Bert, portrayed by Hostage's Suranne, 47.
After Bert is released from prison and diagnosed with cancer, the pair are left with very different ideas of where to take their lives next.
While Sam is happy to settle into a quiet life and care for her best friend through her health battle, Bert comes up with a bigger, and all the more riskier, idea.
British TV favourites Jodie Whittaker and Suranne Jones as a former heist artist and her partner in crime in the new ITV drama series Frauds
The drama has failed to impress viewers who tuned in for its debut over the weekend, hitting out that the award-winning duo 'deserve better' than the 'cringe' action
Soon the pair are back in their adrenaline-packed former world of art robbery, pulling in an eccentric team of characters to help them steal a painting.
The synopsis reads: 'Whilst the team must overcome numerous challenges before they can pull off the heist, it’s the power struggle between Bert and Sam that threatens to derail their plans and destroy them both.
'Set against the epic rolling hills of southern Spain and the dark criminal underbelly that casts a shadow over the glistening coast, Frauds is a complex and addictive story of friendship, deception and survival.'
The first episode kicked off with a funeral heist, seeing the duo taking jewels and watches from wealthy mourners as they blended in with the crowd.
But despite the slick action, fans were left unimpressed with Frauds' debut, and took to social media in their droves to complain about the plot and acting.
One wrote: ‘I want to enjoy this but not sure yet. It needs to get better,' as a second agreed: 'These fine actresses deserve better. The money must have been good.'
A third hit out: 'It had so much potential but Jesus Christ that was bad, if Temu did an Oceans 8 version.'
While a fourth dished out their brutal opinion: ‘It’s terrible, gave it a half hour, both characters smart arse dislikeable, cringingly bad dialogue, empty gestures thrown at the camera lens.’
Fans were left unimpressed with Frauds' debut, and took to social media in their droves to complain about the plot and acting
The first episode sees the pair stealing jewels and watches from wealthy mourners at a funeral
It follows retired heist artist Sam, played by Doctor Who star Jodie, 43, and her longtime pal and partner-in-crime Bert, portrayed by Hostage's Suranne, 47 (pictured)
The show, which is available to stream in full on ITVX, consists of six parts.
Aside from its leading ladies, the show has an all-star cast, including Horacio Colomé, Christian Cooke, Talisa Garcia, Elizabeth Berrington and Lee Boardman.
Suranne is also serving as a co-creator on the series, and described the project as being 'a wild' ride and praised the series for turning the heist genre on its head.
She said: 'Working on Frauds with Anne-Marie [O'Connor] and Monumental for the last two years has been a wild ride.
'We took the idea of toxic female friendship and turned it on its head to give the heist genre an emotional heartbeat.'
'I have always wanted to work with Jodie, and now I am.
'I hope you love Bert and Sam and all they get up to as much as we do.'
The release of the trailer will no doubt be welcome for fans of Suranne, in particular, who is currently starring as the fictional British prime minister in Netflix's new drama Hostage.
Frauds continues on ITV1 on Sunday and is available to stream on ITVX.
