Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh is set to lead a new six-part ITV crime drama, Protect and Serve, playing a Leeds detective investigating the murder of a teenage boy. The actress, best known for playing Lady Danbury in Netflix’s hit period drama, has also co-created the series alongside screenwriter Helen Black (Time, Joan), with filming scheduled to begin in early 2027.

Produced by Big Talk Studios, the company behind Ludwig and The Outlaws, the new drama will explore the pressures facing a senior police officer as she investigates a murder connected to Britain’s unregulated children’s care homes. The series is currently working under the title Protect and Serve, with further casting announcements expected closer to production.

What Is ITV’s Protect and Serve About?

Andoh will play Detective Inspector Araba Dadzie, an experienced officer working in a homicide and major enquiry team in central Leeds. Having spent years working her way through the police force, Araba now finds herself balancing a demanding career with the responsibilities of caring for her elderly parents and raising her children.

The investigation begins following the fatal shooting of a teenage boy who has been living in a privately owned children’s care home with his brother since their grandfather became ill. Determined to find out why the boy was targeted, Araba and her murder squad begin investigating his life at the home, uncovering troubling questions about the care system along the way.

Described as uncompromising and sometimes obsessive, Araba has earned a reputation as a formidable investigator, although her dedication to the job has come at a personal cost. Her latest case will see her confronting the abuse of power while continuing to manage the pressures of her own family life.

Speaking about the series, Andoh explained why she wanted to explore the issue of children’s care homes, saying: “How do we as a society protect our children? It’s a question that drives Araba, that drives our first season.” The actress also shared her personal connection to Leeds, having lived in the city as a child, with family roots in Yorkshire stretching back generations.

Who Is Behind Protect and Serve?

The drama is co-created by Andoh and Helen Black, who will write all six episodes. Black previously worked as a solicitor representing children in care, and has drawn on that experience throughout her writing career, including her work on the second series of Time. Discussing the new project, Black said she had “long wanted to make a TV show about the care system and the scandal of the profits being made from the most vulnerable children in society”.

Nimer Rashed, whose credits include Netflix’s Harlan Coben adaptations Run Away and Missing You, will direct the series, with Stella Nwimo (Virdee, Gangs of London) producing. Andoh, Black, Kenton Allen, Jenny van der Lande and Chris Clough will serve as executive producers, while ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, will oversee the production for the broadcaster.

For CultureCues, we’re used to seeing Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury in Bridgerton, so we’re looking forward to seeing her in a very different role, especially in a drama she’s helped create herself. The story sounds like it could be a difficult watch at times, but we’re interested to see how it explores the issues surrounding children in care. It’s also good to know that Helen Black has experience working with children in the care system, and we’re hoping that comes through in the writing. We’re looking forward to this one and will be keeping an eye out for more casting news as filming gets underway next year.

Protect and Serve is coming to ITV1 and ITVX, with filming scheduled to begin in early 2027. A release date has yet to be announced.

More From CultureCues

Sherwood to End With Season 3 on BBC as Creator Confirms Early 2027 Release Window

Line of Duty Series 7: First Look at Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Robert Carlyle

Why Are Emmerdale and Coronation Street Not on Tonight? ITV Schedule Change Explained