ITV Protection filming locations - where was the tense drama made
The ITV show, described as a "gripping new thriller", stars Siobhan Finneran and explores the murky world of crime and corruption
The new ITV thriller, Protection, is based on the first-hand experiences of a long serving witness protection officer and is airing this weekend. The ITV show, described as a "gripping new thriller", stars Siobhan Finneran and explores the murky world of crime and corruption.
When a family under witness protection are brutally killed, DI Liz Nyles (Finneran) is tasked with untangling a web of deceit. The official synopsis states: "Witness protection is often glamorised as keeping innocent witnesses safe from harm but the truth is darker, murkier, and far more complex."
It adds: "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."
The series was mainly filmed across several locations in the north-west of England, with filming taking place two years ago back in 2023. Liverpool Film Office has confirmed that the series was filmed primarily in Liverpool and the surrounding areas. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
Those areas included Birkenhead, Runcorn, Wirral, Knowsley, Sefton and Halton. Filming locations included Runcorn Shopping City, Formby Point Caravan Park, Wavertree Police Station, Liverpool Hope University and Arrowe Park Hospital, Princes Docks in Liverpool and Delamere Forest amongst other places.
The brand new series will premiere on Sunday evening, March 16, with the first episode airing at 9pm on ITV and ITVX. On the same day, all six episodes will be available to watch on the streaming service, ITV X, if viewers fancy a binge watch. The second episode will then be aired at 9pm on Monday evening, March 17, on ITV.
The show's synopsis explains: "Based on the first-hand experiences of a long serving witness protection officer, Protection is about what happens when the system breaks down. It's about a police officer, Detective Inspector Liz Nyles (Siobhan Finneran), who finds herself at the heart of such a breach; personally compromised by an affair with a colleague, but 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. 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. 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."
Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.