Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran leads new thriller with Katherine Kelly
The new series is inspired by "first-hand experiences" of a witness protection officer.
A suspenseful new drama from the creator of White House Farm, Protection, will delve into the complex world of witness protection from the perspective of a compromised police officer.
Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley) will play the lead role of DI Liz Nyles, who is at the centre of a security breach that looks likely to be pinned on her when it emerges she has been having an affair with a colleague.
She makes it her mission to redeem herself and restore the security of her protected witnesses, some of whom are morally questionable characters themselves.
Protection comes from Kris Mrksa (No Escape, White House Farm) and is inspired by the first-hand experiences of a long-serving witness protection officer.
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Mrksa said: "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.
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"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.
"I'm incredibly excited to be working with the team at New Pictures again, in bringing this complex world to life."
Katherine Kelly (The Long Shadow) and Nadine Marshall (Champion) have also joined the project in leading roles.
The supporting cast of Protection includes Barry Ward (Bad Sisters), Chaneil Kular (Sex Education), David Hayman (Sid and Nancy), Nichola Burley (The Gold) and Akiya Henry (Silent Witness).
Polly Hill, ITV's head of drama, added: "The clandestine world of witness protection creates a thrilling backdrop for this intriguing crime thriller written brilliantly by Kris Mrska.
"We’ve attracted an amazing cast including Siobhan Finneran, Nadine Marshall and Katherine Kelly, and I’m delighted to commission the series from Willow Grylls and her team at New Pictures."
Filming is currently taking place in Liverpool under directors Simen Alsvik (The Nest) and Sasha Ransome (COBRA), with the series currently eyeing a premiere date next year.
Protection is coming soon to ITV. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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