Dare to imagine a Sunday evening without a new crime drama to binge? Luckily you don’t have to.
Siobhan Finneran and Katherine Kelly lead the cast of Protection, ITV’s latest crime series that’s sure to get people talking as it explores the murky world of witness protection.
Filmed across the North West, Protection is based on the real experiences of a Metropolitan Police witness protection officer
Here’s all you need to know about Protection, where it was filmed and how to watch.
What is Protection about?
Protection follows long-serving witness protection officer Liz Nyles who finds herself at the heart of a security breach and personally compromised by an affair with a colleague.
Determined to fight back and uncover the true source of corruption within her unit, DI Nyles is on a mission to redeem herself and keep her witnesses safe, even when they’re criminals themselves.
Navigating the morally-grey world of witness protection, Liz will have to venture into the criminal underbelly and beyond in her fight for truth and justice, while becoming increasingly torn between caring for her family or carrying out her duty as a police officer.
Check out the trailer below for a taste of the drama.
Where was Protection filmed?
Filming took place between July and September 2023 in the North West of England.
Filming took place between July and September 2023 across the North West of England, including Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, Sefton and Runcorn.
The production used the following filming locations:
- Olive Mount Community Centre, Edgewell Drive, Liverpool
- Score Lane, Childwall, Liverpool
- Western Drive, Cressington, Liverpool
- Runcorn Shopping City, Southway, Runcorn
- Formby Point Caravan Park, Lifeboat Road, Formby
- Wavertree Police Station, Wavertree Road, Liverpool
- Windermere Crescent, Ainsdale, Southport
- Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool
- Princes Docks, Princes Parade, Liverpool
- Bridgewater Foundry, Victoria Road, Runcorn
- Kinglake Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool
- Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral
- Delamere Forest, Cheshire
- All Saints Church, Childwall, Liverpool
- Smalley Avenue, Woolton, Liverpool
Is Protection based on a true story?
While the events of Protection have been dramatised, the series is based on an idea by a witness protection specialist who served in the Metropolitan Police for 30 years.
Their identity is being kept top secret but it has been revealed that during their time working in witness protection, they looked after a number of high-profile cases and informants, including war criminals and terrorists.
How can I watch Protection?
Protection hits screens at 9pm on Sunday, 16 March on ITV1 with the second episode following at the same time on Monday, 17 March.
Episodes will then run on Sunday and Monday evenings for the next two weeks.
The series consists of six episodes with each lasting approximately an hour in length.
All episodes will be available to stream on ITVX from Sunday, 16 March.
Who is in the Protection cast?
Siobhan Finneran stars as Detective Inspector Liz Nyles. The actress is best known for her roles in Happy Valley, Benidorm and Downton Abbey.
Katherine Kelly takes on the role of DCI Hannah Wheatley. After finding fame on Coronation Street, she has since won acclaim for gritty roles in dramas such as The Long Shadow and Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
The wider cast includes Barry Ward (Bad Sisters), Chaneil Kular (Sex Education), David Hayman (Sid and Nancy), Nichola Burley (The Gold) and Akiya Henry (Silent Witness).
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