ITV's gripping new miniseries Protection premiered on Sunday, March 16, 2025, featuring Siobhan Finneran as Detective Inspector Liz Nyles, exploring the complex and often perilous world of witness protection. Created by Kris Mrksa, the show promises to reveal the gritty realities faced by those within the system, all based on the real-life experiences of seasoned witness protection officers.
Finneran steps back onto the screen after her acclaimed performance in Happy Valley, now portraying Nyles, whose commitment to her job is both challenged and compromised by personal entanglements. The show delves deep, asking audiences to ponder the ethical ambiguities surrounding witness protection and law enforcement.
The plot follows DI Nyles as she navigates not only the responsibilities of her position but also the difficulties presented by her extramarital affair with a colleague. Driven by the need to maintain the integrity of her unit amid corruption and peril, she becomes determined to find the real source of the malaise afflicting her team. According to ITV’s synopsis, "this is the story of a smart, tough cop, out of her depth in a world where nothing is as it seems." Her mission continues as she becomes increasingly torn between her family obligations, loyalty to her lover, and duty as a police officer.
Protection's premiere was also notable for the intense and sometimes shocking content of its first episode. Some viewers were taken aback by specific scenes, including one involving the shooting of a dog, which spurred outrage on social media. "Oh the dog did get shot! OMG," exclaimed one viewer, highlighting broader concerns about violence depicted on screen. Another viewer posted, "Started watching #protection on @itv They shot the dog I'm done," illustrating the emotional weight the show's narrative bears.
This six-part miniseries is structured with each episode running approximately one hour, focusing on the various crises DI Nyles faces. Filming took place between July and September 2023, capturing local settings across north-west England, including areas like Liverpool and Runcorn, where the series does not shy away from the murkier blues of its subjects. Locations reflect the themes of isolation and conflict within the witness protection framework.
The ensemble cast across the series includes Katherine Kelly as DCI Hannah Wheatley, Barry Ward as DS Paul Brandice, Nadine Marshall, Chaneil Kular, and several others, portraying skeptics within and outside the witness protection unit. Viewers are likely to explore the lengths to which these characters go to uphold their duties and the personal costs attached to their decisions.
Protection has intrigued audiences not only through its thrilling storyline and character arcs but also through its insightful commentary on witness protection's darker side. What might seem like glamorous safety often conceals difficult moral dilemmas and complex human emotions. The show's narrative reflects the challenging dynamics involved, such as the constant suspicion and distrust inherent within the police system itself.
Future episodes, beginning March 17, 2025, will maintain this suspenseful momentum, leading the audience through revelations and dilemmas faced by DI Nyles and her team. Every aired episode continues to piece together the fragmented storylines and character backstories, enhancing the tension and deepening stakes.
Viewers can consume the entire six-episode narrative at once on ITVX, making for significant binge-watching potential, or tune in weekly via ITV1. The arrangement plays with audience engagement, inviting both immediate gratification and suspenseful anticipation of following events.
Perhaps the retelling of familiar narratives about police corruption and personal sacrifice wouldn’t resonate without the poignancy of Finneran’s portrayal. Critics have pointed out the show’s entanglements with typical tropes of the genre, such as the flawed detective needing redemption and the personal sacrifices required to achieve professional goals. Still, Protection manages to carve its niche, conditioning audiences to expect the unexpected with every turn of the story.
"Working on protection was such an incredible experience... it was challenging but a great learning process," expressed young star Tilly Kaye, who plays Amy McLennan, reflecting on the emotional weight her character bears as the sole survivor of her family’s harrowing ordeal—a testimony to the harsh realities faced by witnesses under protection.
With the narrative poised to unravel more secrets about the hidden layers of corruption and personal dilemmas, Protection promises to keep audiences at the edge of their seats, challenging their notions of safety and trust, both within the police force and the wider world. It's set up to be not just another procedural but rather, hopefully, something fresh and insightful.