New ITV Thriller in the Works

ITV has commissioned the thriller Protection, starring Siobhan Finneran, Nadine Marshall and Katherine Kelly.

Written by Kris Mrksa, the series stars Finneran (Happy Valley, Time, The Stranger, A Confession) in the lead role as Detective Inspector Liz Nyles, who finds herself at the heart of a witness protection breach. New Pictures (Des, The Missing, Dalgliesh) is producing in association with All3Media International.

Protection is based on an idea by a witness protection specialist who served in the Met for 30 years. During his time in witness protection, he looked after a number of high-profile cases and informants, including war criminals, terrorists and criminals of all kinds.

Marshall (Champion, Sherwood, Trigger Point) and Kelly (The Long Shadow, Bloods) also take starring roles in the six-part series.

All3Media International will also represent exclusive worldwide distribution rights for the show.

The thriller will premiere on ITV1 and be available for streaming on ITVX.

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. 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.”

ITV’s head of drama, Polly Hill, 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.”

New Pictures’ co-founder and CEO, Willow Grylls (Des, The Missing, The Long Shadow) and Charlie Hampton (The Spanish Princess, The Deceived), executive producers, said: “Kris Mrksa has created an exciting and compulsive thriller that takes us into the often-hidden world of witness protection with some incredible female characters at its heart, led by the brilliant Siobhan Finneran, Nadine Marshall and Katherine Kelly.”