PROTECTION: NEW THRILLER FROM DES PRODUCERS SET FOR ITV

ITV have commissioned new 6x60' thriller, Protection, from New Pictures. The series is from the producer of Des and The Missing and written by screenwriter Kris Mrksa.

The series will star Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley) in the leading role alongside Nadine Marshall (Champion) and Katherine Kelly (The Long Shadow) and will premiere on ITV1 before being available on ITVX.

Additional casting includes Barry Ward (Bad Sisters), Chaneil Kular (Sex Education), David Hayman (Sid and Nancy), Nichola Burley (The Gold) and Akiya Henry (Silent Witness).

Based on the first-hand experiences of a long serving witness protection officer, Protection is about what happens when the system breaks down. It’s about a police officer, Detective Inspector Liz Nyles (Siobhan Finneran), who finds herself at the heart of such a breach.

She's personally compromised by an affair with a colleague, but determined to fight back, and uncover the true source of corruption within her unit. To redeem herself, the reputation of her lover, and to keep her witnesses safe. Even if they don’t always deserve it.

Kris 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: “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.”

Willow Grylls and Charlie Hampton 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.”

The series will air on ITV1 and ITVX later this year.