Movies

Siobhan Finneran’s ITV crime drama doesn’t deserve the Happy Valley comparisons – but it’s fine

BBG News

Review based on Protection episode 1 – spoilers follow.

In the opening 15 minutes of its debut episode, the new ITV crime show Protection presents two deceased bodies, a police officer near death, and a lifeless dog. However, despite these intense circumstances, this crime drama on ITV seems to be missing something essential, leaving viewers unimpressed.

After the tremendous achievement of the BBC’s critically acclaimed series Happy Valley, audiences are eager to watch Siobhan Finneran in another police drama – and this time, she will be donning a police badge herself.

But beyond her involvement, the comparisons really need to stop there.

The accomplished actor leads the charge well, inviting an immediate intrigue of her character DI Liz Nyles. Not only has she got a high-stress job protecting witnesses, Nyles is also caring for her sick father and is engulfed in a secret affair with her married colleague (who, for added mystery, turns out to be the aforementioned wounded officer). She is equal parts fierce and empathetic, which is everything you want from a detective that’s literally running the show.

The introduction of Katherine Kelly’s DCI Hannah Wheatley brings about another layer and a delicious rivalry, with the promise that these two capable and headstrong women will be going head to head. The rest of the characters are left to somewhat fade into the background, but that’s of no fault to the performances from the rest of the cast (which includes Chaneil Kular – who you are definitely left wanting to see more from).

The safety of the family residing in a secure shelter is threatened when a security lapse exposes them, key witnesses in the trial against a high-ranking criminal figure, to potential harm, prompting increased police surveillance.

The decision to springboard the story using witness protection means that Protection has the tall order of setting that scene, as it’s an area that’s not been explored much before in on-screen drama. As a result, the dialogue becomes a little clunky in places in order to explain certain protocols or processes to the audience.

Where Unforgotten has cold cases, and After the Flood has, well, a flood, this angle does at least serve as Protection’s USP in what some might say is an oversaturated genre. Even if the jury is out as to whether or not it’s been done successfully.

Protection‘s first episode feels much more like a vessel for painting the scene, and setting up what’s to come, rather than providing a moment to really grip you or draw you in. In fact, if you’ve seen the trailer there won’t be much here that you didn’t go into it already knowing – which isn’t so much a criticism, but more an observation for those that have kept up with the pre-release marketing.

The main plotline involves a significant, encompassing secret suggesting a complex conspiracy, and this aspect tends to resemble common ground. However, the protective element of the narrative gets lost amidst this thread, making the show appear less unique than it initially seemed.

You are also thrown straight into the deep end when it comes to the character of the ‘big bad’ crime boss, meeting him for the first time outside the court house and with very little context of what brought him there. Tommy Lee Royce, he is not.

This means you end up with little to no investment in the idea of seeing him get his comeuppance, and so your stake in the show is entirely dependent on whether you care about Nyles and her untangling of the increasingly messy web she finds herself in.

To put it simply, Finneran is the star of the show; this could satisfy some viewers, but not all.

Protection is an average, middle of the road, crime drama; it doesn’t reinvent the wheel or particularly stand out from the crowd. It’s not event TV, but it is watchable Sunday night viewing.

Protection is airing on ITV and is available to stream on ITVX.

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2025-03-17 01:53

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