BritBox Sets December Premiere For ITV Crime Drama 'Protection'

In the years since Downton Abbey concluded, it's been interesting to watch the career choices of those involved as they've left Highclere Castle (and the notoriety of their roles within) behind. Former heartthrob Dan Stevens has fully embraced his weirdo character actor era, starring in projects as diverse as Legion, Solar Opposites, Abigail, and, yes, Godzilla x Kong: King of the Monsters. Ingenue Lily James has grown into a compelling movie star in her own right, headlining films like Mama Mia: Here We Go Again and Cinderella, while earning an Emmy nomination for her turn in the biopic series Pam & Tommy. But the most surprising swerve probably belongs to Siobhan Finneran, who went from playing the villainous maid O'Brien to starring in a positive raft of crime dramas like Happy Valley, The Loch, A Confession, The Moorside, and Time.

Now streamer BritBox is set to bring her latest series to the U.S. this December, scooping up the rights to the four-part ITV crime drama Protection, which is based on the real-life experiences of a witness protection specialist who served with the Metropolitan Police for over thirty years, looking after several high-profile cases and informants. In it, Finneran plays Detective Liz Nyles, a witness protection officer in a world where it's difficult to know whether you can trust anyone, from your own colleagues to the people you're meant to be protecting.

When she becomes involved after a shooting occurs at a local safehouse, Nyles will have to find the answers to many questions as she fights to root out corruption in her unit, including why another officer — with whom she herself had been having an affair — was present at the crime scene.