ITV commissions Adjoa Andoh crime drama Protect and Serve

ITV has commissioned Protect and Serve, a six-part crime drama starring Adjoa Andoh as Leeds detective DI Araba Dadzie. Andoh co-created the series with writer Helen Black, and filming is scheduled to begin in early 2027. ITV has not announced a release date or further casting.

The drama follows Dadzie as she investigates the shooting of a teenage boy who lived with his brother in a privately owned children’s care home. The boys had entered the home after their grandfather fell ill, according to the series synopsis. Dadzie and her team work to establish why the teenager was targeted and identify his killer.

The story is set in Leeds and places the investigation against the issue of children’s care homes. ITV drama director Polly Hill said Black’s scripts would uncover a scandal in privatised children’s homes, while the character’s experience would show the cost of becoming a high-ranking Black policewoman. The care-home allegations are part of the drama’s fictional premise and the creative team’s stated themes.

Andoh plays a detective balancing her work with responsibilities involving her elderly parents and children. In a description of the role, she said Dadzie had risen...