History Series / BodyguardUK2018

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:One of the suicide bombers attacking Heath Bank Primary School grins before the timer sets off the bomb]].

* VillainTeamUp: The ultimate plot to kill Julia, between [[spoiler:Luke Aiken's London gangsters]] and [[spoiler:Nadia's jihad cell.]]

* CuttingTheKnot: A great deal of the conflict is about whether or not Julia is right to introduce a surveillance bill. [[spoiler:Ultimately, the people opposed to it have conspired to kill her and plenty other innocent people besides, so it's left as a moot point.]]

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Julia readily presents herself as one of these. At least she ''says'' she's well intentioned...

* BritainIsOnlyLondon: Other than a trip to Chequers, it's set in and filmed almost entirely within central London.

* [[CIAEvilFBIGood MI5 Evil, Met Police Good]]: Played with. MI5 are not shown in a particularly flattering light [[spoiler: urging Montague to not order visible preventive measures against a terror attack in case it tips the attackers off, and seemingly providing her with blackmail info against the Prime Minister so she can take stage a soft coup)]], whereas the Met's [=SO15=] and Protection Command are shown to view her collusion with the security services as a threat to democracy. However, after [[spoiler: Montague is killed in the St. Matthews College bombing, it is the Met who are keen to close the case fast and pin blame on Tahir Mahmood, whilst MI5 appear not to jump to conclusions and want to investigate properly]].

''Bodyguard'' is a British BBC One/ITV drama series, created and written by Jed Mercurio (showrunner of the critically acclaimed BBC police series ''Series/LineOfDuty''). Starring Creator/RichardMadden and Keeley Hawes in leading roles, the first episode aired on August 26, 2018 with a rating of [=10.40m=] viewers in the country; the series went on to become the biggest new BBC drama in at least a decade. It's also going to be released worldwide (except Britain/Ireland) via Netflix.

** [[spoiler:Played with for the final bomb vest which is built with both a dead man's switch ''and'' detonators wired to the straps. The EXPO explicitly states it won't be defused by cutting a wire - disabling it it requires jumping the control board and only then can the wires to the battery be cut]].

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Consistently averted, with many people urging David to seek professional help in order to deal with his [=PTSD=] - but he turns down any offers of assistance. [[spoiler:Until the very end of course at Sampson's recommednation]].

* LiteralMetaphor: Officer Kim Knowles, working security in front of a crowd of angry protesters, says she can deal with all the screaming but "it's the eggs that are getting on my tits." "On my tits" is British for "on my nerves," but the front of her shirt has in fact been splattered with eggs.

** The Metropolitan Police ARV that pulls in front of the school and immediately opens fire on the terrorists approaching truck, causing it to veer off the road and crash before it can reach the school gates. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, one of the occupants survives long enough to detonate the payload once the truck is surrounded by armed officers, killing 5 of them]].

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:One of the suicide bombers attacking Heath Bank Primary School grins before setting off the bomb]].

''Bodyguard'' is a British BBC One/ITV drama series, created and written by Jed Mercurio (showrunner of the critically acclaimed BBC police series ''Series/LineOfDuty''). Starring Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes in leading roles, the first episode aired on August 26, 2018 with a rating of [=10.40m=] viewers in the country; the series went on to become the biggest new BBC drama in at least a decade. It's also going to be released worldwide (except Britain/Ireland) via Netflix.

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:The plot between Mike Travis and Rob [=MacDonald=] against Julia. They merely intended to make her look stupid on stage to make her back down on [=RIPA-18=] and had no involvement at all in the bombings]].

'''Beware of spoilers since the show is airing as of September 2018.'''

* AndYourLittleDogToo: [[spoiler: Nadia feeds her co-conspirators with news that David has a family after he reveals as such when getting a statement from her, [[ForTheEvulz just to be a colossal arsehole.]]]]
* ActionGirl: Kim Knowles, a protection officer working alongside David. Several female [=CTSFOs=] are also seen.

* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Nadia Ali, after being exposed as the bomb maker that supplied the conspiracy with their [=IEDs=] openly expresses her desire to kill and maim others in the name of her religious practices with nothing but a empty-eyed glare and a quiet smile brimming with sadistic glee.]]

* AlphaBitch: Julia is frequently portrayed in this way, especially in political tussles, particularly in relation to Anne Sampson.

** [[spoiler: CS Lorraine Craddock is the real deal, in the pocket of organised crime]].

* DeskJockey: David is frequently assigned to mundane admin work when he's judged to be too personally involved or a security risk. Events conspire to bring him back to the fore of course.
* DrinkOrder: David'll have a beer. [[DrowningMySorrows Sometimes more than one]].

* ForcedIntoEvil: Nadia, one of the would be train bombers who Budd convinces to surrender at the start of the series. Whilst he is talking with her and preventing her from being shot by the trigger happy [=CTSFOs=] surrounding the train, she tells him her husband basically forced her into becoming a suicide bomber and she doesn't want to die.
** [[spoiler: Massively subverted in the finale, where she reveals that she was not only the leader of the train bomb operation, she also sold a further bomb of a similar type to organised crime boss Luke Aitkens that was then used to kill Julia Montague, as well as building more herself. In addition, she fed DS Budd false intelligence about the security services that would end up being a part of his frame-up. ]]

* HoneyTrap: [[spoiler:Chanel. Willingly fallen for by David in order to flush out the person behind the assassination]].
* ItsPersonal: For David once his kids are targeted and [[spoiler:more so when he becomes romantically entangled with Julia Montague]].

* LondonGangster: Played with - [[spoiler:Luke Aiken is a prominent London crime lord involved in (at the very least) gun running, police corruption, extortion and murder, but [[UsefulNotes/BritishAccents he speaks with]] a subdued [[OopNorth North East/Geordie accent]] indicating he's not a native Londoner]].
* MarriageOfConvenience: What David and Vicky Budd's marriage seems to have become. They are separated and seeing other people, but are still legally married so David can remain in his children's lives, and so they get his pension payout should be be killed in the line of duty.
* TheMole:
** [[spoiler:Rob [=MacDonald=] is Mike Travis' mole inside Julia's inner circle]].
** [[spoiler:Tahir Mahmood is made to ''look'' like a terrorist mole, but is actually the FallGuy]].
** [[spoiler:Chanel is one for Luke Aiken within Julia's entourage]].
** [[spoiler:CS Lorraine Craddock is Luke Aiken's mole within the police]].

* NotSoStoic: Despite being nigh-unflappable in life-threatening scenarios, David is this due to his [=PTSD=]. He nearly has a panic attack in a lift when security is urgently requested... with the incident in question to be revealed as an upset employee throwing a petulant tantrum after being sacked.
* PapaWolf: David is fiercely protective of his children - indeed, of his family as a whole even though his marriage is collapsing around him - and takes any threat to them extremely seriously.

* SergeantRock: Despite his fragile mental state, David certainly qualifies.
* ShellShockedVeteran: David has suffered a great deal of emotional and physical trauma as a result of his tour in Afghanistan.
** David's former squad-mate Andy Apsted is a more serious variation who leads a counselling group ''Veterans for Peace'' trying to help prevent future conflict. [[spoiler:This culminates in him making an assassination attempt on Julia Montague]].

* SWATTeam: Metropolitan Police [=CTSFOs=] are brought into the train hijacking in the first episode after Budd was able to get the conductor to call it in.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Consistently averted, with many people urging David to seek professional help in order to deal with his [=PTSD=] - but he turns down any offers of assistance. [[spoiler:Until the very end of course]].

* YoungerThanTheyLook: When Budd is sent with DS Rayburn to interview Nadia in prison, she is accompanied by both her solicitor and an "appropriate adult", suggesting she is under the age of 18 (although there are certain circumstances where an appropriate adult would legally have to be present for someone over 18).

** [[spoiler:Paul Ready is Mike Travis' mole inside Julia's inner circle]].

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:The plot between Mike Travis and Paul Ready against Julia. They merely intended to make her look stupid on stage to make her back down on [=RIPA-18=] and had no involvement at all in the bombings]].

* AsHimself / NewscasterCameo: Both [[TheBBC The BBC's]] Andrew Marr and Laura Kuenssberg appear in-universe.