Siobhan Finneran leads the Protection cast as DI Liz Nyles, a witness protection officer who finds herself at the centre of a dark and terrifying conspiracy.
The six-part series, sure to be one of the best ITV dramas of the year, begins in shocking fashion when a key witness is gunned down before he can testify against a drug lord, before DI Nyles finds herself on a twisting journey to get to the truth.
After embarking upon an affair with a colleague who's a prime suspect in the investigation to find put who betrayed Liz's unit, she also finds herself under suspicion — but who can she trust as she sets out to clear her name? [Note Protection starts on ITV1 on Sunday, March 16 at 9 pm and drops as a boxset on ITVX on the same day].
Who's who in the Protection cast
DI Liz Nyles (Siobhan Finneran)
Liz works in the secretive and high-stakes world of witness protection. Caring by nature, she's also principled, in control, and scrupulous about the security of her witnesses, always going above and beyond to keep them safe. Driven by a strong sense of duty, Liz has always put others first, both at work and at home. But recently she has decided to take something for herself and has launched into an unwise affair with her married, more junior colleague DS Paul Brandice — a thrilling and illicit romance that she must keep secret, or risk destroying her reputation and career.
DCI Hannah Wheatley (Katherine Kelly)
DCI Wheatley is a senior officer in the Professional Standards Department, which investigates corruption in the police. She has risen rapidly through the ranks of the force and established herself as an exacting and forbidding operator – exactly the person you don’t want investigating you for corruption. She believes in fairness and is careful not to let personal instincts get in the way of her judgment. Or so she claims. A closed book, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of her.
DCI Amanda Kelman (Nadine Marshall)
DCI Kelman is a senior officer in the Professional Standards Department, which investigates corruption in the police. She has risen rapidly through the ranks of the force and established herself as an exacting and forbidding operator – exactly the person you don’t want investigating you for corruption. She believes in fairness and is careful not to let personal instincts get in the way of her judgment. Or so she claims. A closed book, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of her.
DS Paul Brandice (Barry Ward)
When we meet DS Paul Brandice, he is the quiet, charming and enigmatic man in Liz’s office. The newest recruit to the witness protection unit, Brandice is something of an unknown quantity but appears to his colleagues as a reliable and principled detective. He is also secretly locked in an illicit and passionate affair with Liz, which began shortly after he joined the unit. There is a duality to Brandice. He has the grit and steeliness required of those in high-pressure jobs, but with a wit and charm that come so easily to him, he makes it hard for Liz to be sure she trusts the right man…
DS Raj Koli (Chaneil Kular)
DS Koli is Liz's partner in the protection unit. A loyal and diligent detective, Raj admires the dedication of those around him. A people person by nature, Raj is brilliant at bringing recalcitrant witnesses onside and in making them feel safe in his care. He’s particularly good with kids (being a family man himself) and always knows when to bring levity to a situation.
Sid Nyles (David Hayman)
Liz’s dad and a former DCI in both Lancashire and Liverpool, indeed something of a legend in the police. He always prided himself on his integrity as a police officer and was known for his old-school no-nonsense manner. However, there’s quite a tricky history between him and his daughter. After his wife died, Sid dedicated himself to his work and became a rather absent father in the process. Teenage Liz had to step up and parent her younger sister, a sacrifice that Sid has never quite recognized. With his health deteriorating, there’s a sense that time is running out for Sid to repair things with his daughter.
Jimmy McLennan (Kris Hitchen)
A white-collar career criminal who worked as Eddie Crowther’s accountant. He never intended on a life of crime, but fell into it in his twenties, when Eddie purchased the bookies he was running and offered him a job. Jimmy fell in love with his newfound wealth but as the business expanded, so did the paranoia. Sitting at the financial helm of an illicit empire, Jimmy was privy to secrets which have now put a price on his head. In a desperate attempt to save his life and that of his family, he agreed to testify against his old boss and so entered the witness protection programme.
DS Sue Beardsley (Akiya Henry)
Liz’s colleague in the witness protection unit. A conscientious police officer with tact and sensitivity, Sue brings exactly the calm, kind demeanour that is needed when dealing with frightened witnesses. She’s also highly trustworthy and discreet, with a sharp intuition and an inquisitiveness which will see her go far in the realm of covert policing.
Jasmine Nyles (Jodie Price)
Liz’s daughter. At sixteen years old, Jasmine is very much caught between childhood and adulthood, eager to break free from her parents but also very much attached to home. A child of a fairly acrimonious divorce, Jasmine grew up pretty quickly and still finds it tricky to navigate between her parents. She’s ultimately much closer to her mum than her dad, who, though he gives her lots of freedom, doesn’t step up and support her in the way she needs. This is why, despite her sometimes frictional relationship with her mum, Jasmine ultimately feels much more at home in Liz’s house.
Amy McLennan (Tilly Kaye)
Jimmy McLennan’s 12-year-old daughter. Having lived quite a sheltered and pampered life – in which she knew basically nothing about the reality of her dad’s criminal involvement – Amy finds the experience of witness protection particularly destabilising. Cast adrift from her friends, family and home comforts, she is a lonely child who longs to return to her old life.
DI Rick Bewley (Andrew Knott)
The man in charge of the investigation seeking to put Crowther behind bars. An experienced and energetic detective who has spent years in a losing battle against organised crime, Bewley is determined not to give up now. He’s known Liz for many years, and they have a solid working relationship founded on mutual trust, becoming something of a sounding board to each other. But when Bewley’s loyalties are tested, he may find that his personal relationships don’t ultimately count for as much as his professional ones.
DCI Arun Kapoor (Ace Bhatti)
Head of the witness protection unit. Arun is an occasionally grouchy but outwardly fair-minded paternal figure who champions Liz and is a staunch defender of all those in his team. He’s a highly experienced and confident detective who understands the politics of the police — although he is not immune to pressures from above and may be more self-serving than he first appears.
DI Tommy Jardine (Tom Christian)
Wheatley’s second in command in the Major Investigation Team. Jardine is a loyal officer who seems to follow his boss to the letter. He’s rigorous in his investigations and has no qualms about applying pressure on people during questioning; but can also be quite ham-fisted sometimes, and his motives are often opaque.
Eddie Crowther (Alec Newman)
With staff at his beck and call and a son at an elite private school, Eddie bears all the hallmarks of a prosperous businessman, a working-class boy done good, a flashy philanthropist. Having made his money in the booming drugs trade, Crowther enjoys his untold wealth but is always looking over his shoulder: after all, he knows that his respectability is ultimately façade, that it could all come crashing down in a second. Beneath it all, Eddie Crowther is Manchester’s most ruthless and formidable criminal.
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