Highly anticipated new ITV thriller Protection is arriving on screens soon - and the broadcaster has now confirmed exactly when.
Ad
Protection, which stars Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran and Mr Bates vs the Post Office's Katherine Kelly, will officially air on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Sunday 16th March. The second episode will air the following night (Monday 17th) at 9pm.
The official synopsis for the series says: "Witness protection is often glamorised as keeping innocent witnesses safe from harm, but the truth is darker, murkier, and far more complex.
"Many protected people are themselves criminals. It’s a life of moral compromise. It also involves maximum secrecy, false identities, and a world where you can’t trust your own colleagues."
Katherine Kelly as DCI Hannah Wheatley in Protection. New Pictures for ITV and ITVX
The show is based on the first-hand experiences of a long-serving witness protection officer, and focuses on Finneran's Detective Inspector Liz Nyles, who finds herself personally compromised by an affair with a colleague, but determined to fight back and uncover the true source of corruption within her unit.
The synopsis continues: "Navigating the morally-grey, clandestine world of witness protection, Liz’s mission to find the truth will take her deep into the heart of the criminal underbelly and beyond as she becomes more and more torn between caring for her family, her loyalty to her lover and her duty as a police officer.
"This is the story of a smart, tough cop, out of her depth in a world where nothing is as it seems."
The series was first announced in September 2023, and comes from production company New Pictures, which has previously been behind shows including The Long Shadow, Des and White House Farm.
Protection starts at 9pm on Sunday 16th March on ITV1 and ITVX. Episode 2 airs at 9pm on Monday 17th March on ITV1 and ITVX.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
