Protection

There's no gloss in Protection, and that's exactly why it lingers. Across six taut, emotionally bruising episodes, this BBC drama delivers a quietly blistering takedown of a system that promises safety, then disappears the moment it matters.

Written by Kris Mrksa and led by a career-best performance from Siobhan Finneran, Protection doesn't rely on genre gimmicks or manufactured cliffhangers. Instead, it roots itself in something far more disquieting: the reality of British witness protection, and what happens when even the people sworn to uphold justice are forced to make morally corrosive compromises.

Finneran plays DI Liz Nyles with remarkable restraint. Every decision, every silence, feels loaded. She isn't the usual telly cop with a tortured backstory... she's just a woman doing an impossible job, one compromise at a time, until the ground disappears beneath her. Her performance never begs for sympathy, which is precisely why it earns it.

The pacing is deliberate, but never dull. Each episode deepens the psychological stakes, moving from procedural discomfort to full-blown ethical crisis without ever raising its voice. It's beautifully directed, especially in the moments between action: hushed corridors, flickering eye contact, late-night phone calls. It's in those spaces that Protection truly thrives.

This is not a show about big twists or neat endings. It's about failure - institutional, emotional, human. And yet, it's never cynical. It's simply honest.

Some viewers may find the finale frustrating in its lack of resolution. But that's the point. There are no heroes here, no neat redemptions. Just the question: what happens when the system meant to protect becomes the thing to fear?

In a landscape cluttered with noise, Protection stands out by whispering the truth - and it cuts deeper because of it. Unflashy, unfaltering, unforgettable.

One of the finest British dramas of the year.

I had high hopes for this with such a strong writer and cast, and it's nice to get a different perspective (witness protection) to the usual procedural. Unfortunately though it's confusing, full of holes and has that annoying thing where people who have presumably reached management or leadership by being good at their job for many years suddenly start making frankly daft decisions. At the same time rules that apply to everyone else are exempt for important characters in order to give them space to further the story. It gets increasingly confusing and annoying so by the denouement I'd really stopped following/caring what was going on.

Siobhan's Character is a dullard. Wardrobe has her dressed poorly with an awkward walk. When confronted with dangerous situations she's a bit of a deer in headlights. Granted, that's the script she was given so it's her character to do very little in those situations.

While I say this when only viewing three episodes, that is halfway through the show so her character is well established as a poor decision maker. While this drama takes place in the UK, it apparently doesn't have any CCTV every other UK show utilizes. So as I advance to each new episode, I'm having more questions about her decision making skills that have me wanting to just stop watching.

A family in the care of DI Liz Nyles is gunned down at their safe house, just before they are due to give evidence against big shot criminal Edward Crowther. Liz has been having an affair with fellow officer DS Paul Brandice, is it possible her affair compromised the family?

It's an excellent drama series, if Line of Duty and similar dramas are your thing, then this will very much be up your Street, it has all the hallmarks, intensity, shocks, surprises, dodgy coppers, it's all there.

It doesn't dip, it maintains its intensity throughout, after an explosive first episode, the intrigue continues, very good all the way through to the excellent series finale.

At times you will need to suspend your disbelief, as there are a few moments that'll have you scratching your head, wondering how on Earth.

It's wonderful to see Siobhan Finneran playing a leading role, she's such a versatile actress, there's nothing she cannot do, there's big news at the moment that Benidorm is due to return, hopefully we'll see Janice back.

Super supporting cast including Jonathan Cake, Alex Newman and the wonderful David Hayman.

Catherine Kelly's character is loathsome, talented actress, but DI Wheatley is horrid.

I'd love to see Nyles return for a second series.

8/10.

I am disappointed by a couple of issues in this series. To begin with how can these professional witness protectors fail to check the girl's backpack where she has a surf tablet, not believable. Then the scene where the room in the hospital is left totally unguarded leading to yet another death. Professional witness protectors, no wonder people don't want to be witnesses.

The acting is really good, the intrigue is quite gripping and the story line is quite good however the issues I mentioned are enough to make me give the program such a low rating.

A sad reflection is that the amount of crime solving programs from all countries that involve corrupt police must be an indication that corruption within police forces worldwide is very common and very worrying.