Happy Valley stars team up for new ITV thriller inspired by real-life – and it looks incredible
Happy Valley stars Siobhan Finneran and Katherine Kelly are teaming up for ITV's new thriller series, Protection – and it looks gripping.
The six-part series, which is created by White House Farm and No Escape writer Kris Mrksa, follows what happens when "the clandestine and morally grey witness protection system breaks down". Intrigued? Keep reading to find out more…
The series, which comes to ITV this Spring, follows DI Liz Nyles (Finneran): a single mum juggling a tricky divorce and a sick father, who finds herself at the centre of a security breach within her witness protection unit.
The synopsis continues: "Professionally compromised by a secret affair with a colleague, she is determined to uncover the true source of corruption within the police. Liz will stop at nothing to redeem herself, the reputation of her lover, and to keep her witnesses and her own family safe. Even if it means breaking all the rules.
![DI Liz Nyles [Siobahn Finneran]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/k0IHjGV3.2I.BcZUEJs8VQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/hello__263/333a85e793ea37399af194bf18096f74)
"This is the story of a tough but increasingly isolated and under suspicion police officer as she is pulled into a dangerous conspiracy where nothing is as it seems."
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Nadine Marshall (Champion, Sherwood, Trigger Point) also stars in the series, alongside Barry Ward (Bad Sisters, Save Me) and Chaneil Kular (Sex Education).
The first-look images give us a glimpse at Siobhan as DI Nyles, while showing Katherine's character at a crime scene and Nadine's character looks worried while standing in a dimly lit room.
Simen Alsvik (Fenris, The Nest) and Sasha Ransome (Cobra, McDonald & Dodds) direct the series, which is inspired by a real-life witness protection officer who served in the Met for 30 years and acted as a series consultant. 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.
Penning the show are Kris Mrksa, Polly Buckle and Giula Sandler.
The upcoming thriller is produced by the multi-award-winning production company New Pictures (Des, White House Farm, The Long Shadow, Dalgliesh).
Meanwhile, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Willow Grylls (Des, The Missing, The Long Shadow) and Charlie Hampton (The Spanish Princess, The Deceived) serve as executive producers for Protection, alongside Elaine Pyke and Kris Mrksa.
