A new drama based on the first-hand experiences of a long serving witness protection officer is coming to ITV. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Kris Mrksa, the show will be produced by New Pictures, who have brought hit shows such as The Missing, Des, and The Long Shadow to our screens in recent years.
Here's what writer Kris had to say: "Protection is a suspenseful conspiracy thriller, but it also explores some complex moral questions, about how far we should be prepared to go in order to serve the greater good. The murky world of witness protection, where hardened criminals are often sheltered, in the hope that they will help bring down other criminals, provides the perfect context for examining these thorny issues."
Protection trailer
The captivating trailer unfolds with a tense scene as a man enters a home to kill members of a family, who are revealed to be in witness protection.
Siobhan Finneran's character DI Liz Nyles appears with an onslaught of police cars and ambulances, as one of her colleagues is wheeled past.
She's later questioned in an intense interview scene by Katherine Kelly as DCI Hannah Wheatley and Nadine Marshall as DCI Amanda Kelman, who asks her "How close were you to DS Brandice?".
"I'm neck deep in it," Liz says after it's implied that she has been having a secret affair with a married colleague. She's told by Ace Bhatti's character: "Then keep your head down and your mouth shut."
In the final shot, a man lying in a hospital bed warns Liz, "Don't trust anyone...".
Protection cast
Siobhan Finneran - best known for her roles in Happy Valley, Benidorm and The Stranger - is playing the lead role of Detective Inspector Liz Nyles.
Actress Katherine Kelly (also from Happy Valley series 2) will be in the show as DCI Hannah Wheatley. She has appeared in Coronation Street, as well as several ITV dramas, including Cheat, Liar, Innocent and more recently, ITV's The Long Shadow, which was based on a real case.
Also taking on a lead role is Nadine Marshall who will be playing DCI Amanda Kelman. She has starred in Sherwood, Time, Save Me and Trigger Point.
Full Protection cast list:
• Siobhan Finneran as Liz Nyles
• Katherine Kelly as DCI Hannah Wheatley
• Nadine Marshall as DCI Amanda Kelman
• Barry Ward (Bad Sisters) as DS Paul Brandice
• Chaneil Kular (Accused) as DS Raj Kholi
• David Hayman (Fisherman's Friends) as Sid Nyles
• Nichola Burley (Wuthering Heights) as Gemma Brandice
• Akiya Henry (Macbeth) as DS Sue Beardsley
• Alec Newman (Dune) as Edward Crowther
• Catherine Tyldesley (Coronation Street) as Helen McLennan
• Tom Christian (Four Lives) as DI Tommy Jardine
• Adam Long (Happy Valley) as Patrick Ellis
• Jodie Price (One Day) as Jasmine Nyles
• Andrew Knott (The Secret Graden) as DI Richard Bewley
• Ace Bhatti (Cardiac Arrest) as DCI Arun Kapoor
• Tilly Kaye (Last Tango in Halifax) as Amy McLennan
• Charlotte Mills (Behind Her Eyes) as DS Rachel Gordon
• Jonathan Cake (Rebecca) as John Gibson
• Ian Pirie (Calibre) as Assistant Chief Inspector Rory Davenport
• Zora Bishop (Hijack) as Rezan Crowther
• Syrus Lowe (The Five) as DC Noel Taylor
• Nick Moss (Slow Horses) as Freddie Howard
• Joseph Millson (Banished) as Elliot Hughes
• Reuven Walker (Brassic) as Arlo Crowther
• Louise Lee (Time) as Nurse
• Naomi Yang (Wolfe) as Irene Kim
• Kris Hitchen (Trigger Point, Sorry We Missed You) as Jimmy McLennan
• Waj Ali (Honour) as Soran Ahmadi
• Anthony Flanagan (Shameless) as DCI Amos Wilson
Protection synopsis
Here's what to expect from the show according to ITV: 'Protection is about what happens when the system breaks down. It’s about a police officer, Detective Inspector Liz Nyles (Siobhan Finneran), who finds herself at the heart of such a breach; personally compromised by an affair with a colleague, but determined to fight back, and uncover the true source of corruption within her unit. To redeem herself, the reputation of her lover, and to keep her witnesses safe. Even if they don’t always deserve it.
"Navigating the morally-grey, clandestine world of witness protection, Liz’s mission to find the truth will take her deep into the heart of the criminal underbelly and beyond as she becomes more and more torn between caring for her family, her loyalty to her lover and her duty as a police officer. This is the story of a smart, tough cop, out of her depth in a world where nothing is as it seems.'
When does Protection start on ITV?
There is no exact release date for Protection yet, although ITV has announced that it will be available in early spring.
Filming started in Liverpool in September 2023. However, the US air date was the 29th of December, as viewers there got to see it first on BritBox.
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who is passionate about TV, film and theatre. She enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, playing board games and spending time with her pet dogs, tortoise and chickens.