Bridgerton favourite Adjoa Andoh confirmed to lead new 'bittersweet' ITV crime drama

ITV has commissioned Protect and Serve, a six-part crime drama starring Adjoa Andoh as a Leeds detective uncovering the scandalous truth behind a teenager's murder.

The Bridgerton star co-created the series and will appear as Detective Inspector Araba Dadzie, who exists in the "squeezed middle" while juggling her profession, elderly parents and children.

DI Dadzie has spent a long career rising through the ranks of the police force as a woman of colour and "knows what it costs to stay there".

Protect and Serve finds her investigating "the tragic shooting of a teenage boy, who has been living in a privately owned children's care home with his brother since his grandfather fell ill".

The synopsis continues: "Determined to discover why the boy has been targeted, Araba and her murder squad team, begin to piece together his life in the care home as they strive to bring his killer to justice."

Andoh's brand new role is described as "uncompromising and often obsessive" with a "bleak sense of humour" and a "passionate love for the job".

"She is driven by her desire to offer protection to the vulnerable and retribution to those criminally abusing their power in the city she loves," according to ITV.

Andoh's recent work as Lady Agatha Danbury in Bridgerton and its prequel Queen Charlotte has earned her a new generation of fans. Previously, she had been known for roles in Casualty, Doctor Who and Law & Order: UK, among various other credits.

Star and co-creator Andoh commented: "Our crime show is set in the great city of Leeds. I love this city and I love the city's football club Leeds United.

"I lived in Leeds as a child and half my English family have been Yorkshire sheep farmers going back to the 1600s – hence the setting."

Andoh teams with Time season 2 writer Helen Black and ITV drama commissioner Polly Hill, with the trio united in their drive to explore a particular social issue.

"As mothers, the national disgrace of our unregulated children's homes is something we are all shocked by," shared Andoh. "How do we as a society protect our children? It's a question that drives Araba [and] drives our first season."

Black added that she has "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, of Harlan Coben adaptations Run Away and Missing You, will direct Protect and Serve, with filming due to commence in early 2027.

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Authors

David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.