Crime drama fans won’t want to stop watching ITV’s heart-pounding new thriller
It's a reliable Sunday night-watch.
Siobhan Finneran brings her all to ITV’s newest six-part thriller, Protection, based on the real-life experiences of a witness protection officer.
For lovers of Line of Duty, Unforgotten and The Fall, this fresh show is a bite-sized version of all the tropes you love best, from scandalous affairs to high-stakes action to gritty underground crime syndicates that come with a mountain of trouble.
The series, created by Kris Mrksa, follows DI Liz Nyles (Siobhan), ‘a single mum, juggling a difficult divorce and a sick father [who] finds herself at the heart of a security breach within her witness protection unit.’
When a family she is looking after fall foul to a deadly game, she must take a frightened and traumatised 12-year-old girl under her wing who may prove more vital to piecing together this mystery than she could have ever realised.
As her personal and professional life begin to crumble beneath her, can she outrun the forces that are deadset against her?
The British public has a natural curiosity for the aspects of national security that are hidden under lock and key. It’s why we love everything from James Bond to Apple TV Plus’ Slow Horses to Jenna Coleman’s The Jetty.
The show comfortably falls into the British crime drama genre we all know and love (Picture: Thomas Wood)We’re given purchase into the mysterious world of high-stakes policing and security that otherwise feels so far removed from our everyday life.
And it’s no different in Protection, which treads into the dangerous world of witness protection, an area of policing not often given a dedicated show, as opposed to serving as a side story of a wider plot.
The real-life influences only serve to make the narrative feel more authentic, and there’s a tremendous pace to the story that reels you in and doesn’t let up.
At times, some scenes or interactions seem somewhat contrived or far-fetched and pull you out of the action.
It can come in the form of cringe-inducing flashbacks or, occasionally, eye-roll-inducing decision-making from certain characters that is there solely to propel the plot forward.
The ITV series does what it says on the tin – but not much more (Picture: ITV)And given British TV’s fascination with gritty crime dramas, I’m not sure it does quite enough to strike out on its own in a genre teeming with extraordinary storytelling and powerhouse casts.
Beyond its unique premise, it makes a good watch that slightly falls short of becoming a classic you would find yourself returning to time and time again.
What is masterful, however, is Siobhan’s acting. The veteran actor is clearly comfortable with this genre, previously starring in the likes of BBC hit Happy Valley and heart-pounding prison drama Time.
And she brings her years of experience to the role, adding a subtle gravitas to show that it sorely needs to ground itself.
You can palpably feel DI Nyles’s anxiety crescendo as the situation grows more and more complex, creating a spider-web of problems it’s difficult to see a way out of.
Siobhan is clearly comfortable in this style of role (Picture: ITV)Her chemistry with the rest of the cast is also delightful to watch, especially with fellow actor, rising star Chaneil Kular, who is best known for previous turns in Sex Education and Netflix thriller Accused.
By this point, ITV has an easy formula for Sunday night thrillers that appeals to its demographics, and Protection doesn’t waver from this tried-and-tested aesthetic. A crowd-pleaser, one might say.
It may not be a show everyone will write home about, but I will be suggesting it to my mum for her next watch.
At its core, for lovers of the genre, it hits all the right notes for a classic British crime drama that hooks you in and leaves you wanting more at every twist and turn.
Protection airs on ITV on Sunday, March 16.
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