ITV's new thriller with Happy Valley and Grantchester stars drops gripping trailer

ITV has dropped the nail-biting trailer for its upcoming thriller series, Protection – and we can't wait for this one. 

Starring Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran and The Crow Girl star Katherine Kelly, the six-part series follows DI Liz Nyles (Finneran), who finds herself at the centre of a security breach within her witness protection unit.  

The trailer opens with a man entering the home of a family and firing a gunshot. When the police arrive, it's revealed that the targets of the shooting were in witness protection. 

Siobhan's character, who promises to get to the bottom of it, is then heard saying: "I'm neck deep in it," before Ace Bhatti's character warns her: "Then keep your head down and your mouth shut."

The trailer ends with a wounded police officer telling DI Liz Nyles: "Don't trust anyone".

© ITV

The series is based on the first-hand experiences of a long-serving witness protection officer and is penned by acclaimed screenwriter Kris Mrksa. It features a cast of familiar faces, including Nadine Marshall (Champion, Sherwood), Andrew Knott (Gavin and Stacey, Grantchester), Barry Ward (Bad Sisters), Chaneil Kular (Sex Education), David Hayman (Sid and Nancy), Nichola Burley (The Gold) and Akiya Henry (Silent Witness). 

According to the synopsis, the show is about "what happens when the system breaks down" and centres around DI Liz Nyles, who finds herself at the heart of such a breach. 

© MATT SQUIRE, ITV

"Personally compromised by an affair with a colleague, she is 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," continues the synopsis.

"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. 

© ITV

"With a deft narrative that engages from the outset, Kris Mrksa creates suspenseful twists and with every hairpin turn perfectly navigates the story to ensure the audience won't know who to believe and who is telling the truth."

Writer Kris described the show as a "suspenseful conspiracy thriller" which also explores "complex moral questions, about how far we should be prepared to go in order to serve the greater good". 

He added: "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."

Protection is coming to ITV and ITVX this spring.