Line Of Duty is back! Show creator Jed Mercurio CONFIRMS hit drama will return as all three members of AC-12 agree to reprise their roles and Martin Compston admits he ‘can’t wait to get the team back together’
Line Of Duty will officially return with a seventh series, with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reprising their roles.
Jed Mercurio’s hit thriller The series’ sixth finale, which last aired in 2021, comes as the biggest drama episode since modern records began in 2002, recording 17 million viewers after 28 days.
But fans were left disappointed by the controversial ending to series six, when incompetent Det Supt Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle) was unmasked as ‘H’, the shadowy criminal mastermind behind police corruption.
Hoping to win back fans, the new six-part series will begin filming in Belfast next spring.
In the seventh series, AC-12 was disbanded and rebranded as the Police Standards Inspectorate, with Martin, Vicky and Adrian returning to their roles.
Fighting corruption has never been harder, and in this challenging environment, Steve Arnott (Martin), Kate Fleming (Vicky) and Ted Hastings (Adrian) are tasked with the most sensitive case yet.
Line Of Duty is back! Series creator Jed Mercurio has confirmed that the hit series will return, with all three members of AC-12 agreeing to reprise their roles when filming begins in the spring.
Martin Compston, who plays Steve Arnott, enthused: ‘I can’t wait to put the vest back on and get the team back together.’
Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic police officer acclaimed for taking down a string of organized crime, has been accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator.
So is Gough’s situation being used as a deliberate distraction from a larger threat still operating in the shadows?
Speaking about the series’ return, Martin enthused: ‘Line of Duty has been the work of a lifetime. I now call some of my closest friends, not just in terms of the success of the show, but in terms of the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with.
‘I can’t wait to put the vest back on and get the team back together.’
Vicky added: ‘Needless to say I’m so excited Line of Duty is back! I can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, see you soon!’
Adrian said: ‘As we count down the AC12 days of Christmas, what a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be filming together again next year.
‘I am delighted with the news and look forward to these volatile twists and turns.’
Meanwhile creative writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio said: ‘Everyone involved in Line of Duty is deeply grateful to the fans of the series.
Vicky added: ‘Needless to say I’m so excited Line of Duty is back! I can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, see you soon!’
Fans were left disappointed by the controversial ending to series six and the unmasking of incompetent Det Supt Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle, pictured) as ‘H’.
Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio added: ‘We’re privileged to have had so many of you follow the ups and downs of AC-12 over the previous six seasons, and we couldn’t be happier to be back for season seven’ (filmed in 2019)
‘We’re privileged to have had so many of you follow the ups and downs of AC-12 over the previous six seasons, and we couldn’t be happier to be back for the seventh time.
‘While Line of Duty wasn’t live, corruption in this country needed to end, so I had to use my imagination.’
Simon Heath, CEO and creative director of World Productions, added: ‘There have been many landmark reunions in recent years, but few have been as eagerly anticipated as the return of AC12. It’s a privilege to be back with a terrific new chapter in Jed’s Line of Duty story.’
The final series averaged 16 million viewers, making it the biggest drama on the market since 2018.
BBC Drama Director Lindsay Salt said: ‘Line of Duty is loved by audiences and critics alike and its fantastic ratings are a real testament to the success of Jed’s script, the fantastic team at World Productions and the work of all the cast and crew.
‘I’m delighted that Line of Duty will return to filming soon after four long years and can’t wait for BBC viewers to get back into their seats.’
Some disappointed fans were left with unanswered questions at the end of series six as Jed took to social media to respond to backlash.
He acknowledged that the episode ‘divided opinion on social media’, but found a ‘much less extreme picture’ when reviewing viewer research.
He tweeted: ‘1. No one disputes the divided views of the Line of Duty finale on social media, but audience research so far shows a much less extreme picture.
‘We knew a ‘bad’ ending would be viewed less favorably by some viewers, but all 7 episodes varied by less than 10% in average audience rating…’
Jed continued: ‘2. The study determines episode ratings based on a random survey of viewers rather than sites like imdb, where ratings can be skewed by users who are strongly motivated to record their momentary anger/loneliness.
Some disappointed fans were left with unanswered questions at the end of series six as Jed took to social media to respond to backlash.
‘3. 1000 random viewers submitted scores from 1-10, which are used to calculate the Appreciation Index (AI) as a score out of 100. The “Down” finale’s AI was only 7 points below the next lowest in Season 6 (Episode 1)…’
Jed concluded his words as follows: ‘4/4 These numbers will of course not stop the debate, nor should they; it’s all still part of the common TV viewing experience. Thanks again for watching.’
He also clarified his statement as follows: ‘An explanation was requested regarding certain figures.
‘I’m not allowed to reveal the AI figures, but in terms of LoD they are at the top end of the BBC1 drama range, including the finale, with over 50% of those surveyed rating the finale 9/10 or 10/10.’
