UK streamer ITVX is to look into the life of fake CIA agent and bigamist William Allen Jordan in a three-part doc series.
The Other Mrs Jordan will unpick the life of Jordan, who convinced his British wife Mary Turner Thompson that he was a CIA operative working in counter-terrorism in the early 2000s until she received a phonemail from another woman claiming to be his “other” spouse. In emerged he had multiple marriages, relationships and children elsewhere.
At the center of the doc is the literal and metaphorical search for Jordan, who was in reality a serial bigamist, sexual predator and pathological liar. While the pursuit begins with Thompson, ITV says its “becomes a baton race of women each seeking the truth.”
The series is from Bafta-winning filmmaker Matt Smith for Circle Circle Films, co-produced with October Films for ITV’s streaming service ITVX, and based on Thompson’s books The Bigamist and ThePsychopath. Olivia Isaacs is the director and Nicola Lloyd the commissioner for ITV. Banijay Rights will handle international distribution.
“What a story, so full of twists and turns,” said Lloyd, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment for ITV. “I was gripped from the start. It’s even more shocking when you find out Jordan is still operating now, conning people as we speak. I’m grateful his female victims will have a strong voice in this film.
“The fact a filmmaker of Matt’s calibre is telling the story means as he reveals the layers of the tale, ITVX viewers can lose themselves and binge watch the lot. I’m delighted to be working with him again.”
Circle Circle is behind docs such as Rio Ferdinand’s Tipping Point and Rooney for Prime Video, Rio and Kate: Becoming a Stepfamily for the BBC and London Zoo: An Extraordinary Year for ITV, which was an October co-production. October is known for docs such as Discovery+’s The (Little Blue) Pill That Changed the World and HBO Max’s Beanie Mania and BBC Three’s Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out.
The doc was unveiled at an ITV factual showcase this morning in West London.