Robert Carlyle To Star In The Line Of Duty Comeback
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2 weeks ago
Following months of rumours, BBC confirmed the police drama will return at the end of 2025 – and now we know more...
When its explosive sixth and final series aired in 2021, social media was alight with commentary on and theories about long-running crime drama Line of Duty. Starring Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar as DI Steve Arnott, DI Kate Fleming and Superintendent Ted Hastings respectively, three cops in Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12), the series aired from 2012 until the finale in 2021, which involved a big reveal: the true identity of ‘H’, the elusive character AC-12 had been hunting for, well, six series.
Written by Jed Mercurio (the man behind Bodyguard, Trigger Point, Breathtaking and upcoming series Trinity and a yet-to-be-titled Man Utd Drama), for almost a decade the action was religiously followed by superfans and casual watchers alike, all gripped by the intra-police scandals and investigations. Over the course of six series, a slew of antagonists (and famous faces, one per series) rise and fall as Arnott and Fleming untangle complex cases, weeding out corrupt police officers (aka ‘bent coppers’), including DCI Tony Gates (Lennie James), DI Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes), Sergeant Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays), DCI Roseanne Huntley (Thandie Newton), DS John Corbett (Stephen Graham) and DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald). But it’s safe to say the conclusion left fans disappointed when lacklustre recurring character DSU Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle) was revealed to be ‘H’.
Even star Dunbar wasn’t satisfied with the ending. ‘When you find out [the long-term secret series antagonist, H] is this idiot Buckells, it is so frustrating,’ he told The Times in an interview. The core trio even asked Mercurio to add a shot into the script showing Hastings, Fleming and Arnott looking at each other incredulously when the news is revealed, ‘because we realised how our audience would feel,’ Dunbar says. He says the ending ‘robbed us of a huge denouement’, adding, ‘but Jed’s point was that police corruption can hang on one cop deciding to ignore one piece of information that comes across his desk.’
With that loose end finally tied up, fans believed they were finally saying to goodbye to Line of Duty for good. But now, the BBC has revealed the series will be back for a seventh series – and who our new villain will be…
(BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill)
Line Of Duty Series 7: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More
Turns out the rumours were true after all: the BBC announced in November 2025 that a new six-part series of Line of Duty is in the works. ‘We couldn’t be more delighted to be returning for a seventh [series],’ says Mercurio. ‘Corruption in this country is supposed to have come to an end while Line of Duty was off air so I’ve been forced to use my imagination.’ Filming is set to begin in Belfast in spring 2026, with the central trio Compston, McClure and Dunbar all returning to reprise their roles.
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What Will Happen?
The show will focus on police anti-corruption, but there’s a key change to the plot: AC-12 has been disbanded and renamed the Inspectorate of Police Standards. Arnott, Fleming and Hastings are assigned ‘their most sensitive case so far’, which centres around Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, ‘a charismatic officer celebrated for a string of takedowns of organised crime’, who is accused of being a sexual predator – as well as his reporting Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO) DC Shaun Massie whose previously detached demeanor changes drastically when his boss finds himself in hot water.
The Cast
Each series of Line of Duty comes with a guest lead, from Stephen Graham to Thandiwe Newton, Keeley Hawes to Lennie James. Taking up the baton for the series 7 comeback is Full Monty star Robert Carlyle, who says he is ‘delighted to be given the opportunity to join such an exceptional cast for series 7 of Line of Duty,’ adding he has ‘been a huge admirer of Jed Mercurio’s work for many years’.
Distinguished by his lilting Glaswegian accent and dexterity across comedic and villainous roles, Carlyle is best known for starring in the likes of Trainspotting (1996) and 28 Weeks Later (2007), but recently gained a younger legion of fans thanks to his role in the American fantasy drama Once Upon A Time (2011–18). Most recently, you might have spotted him in ITV’s phone hacking drama The Hack.
ROBERT CARLYLE as Dave Cook in The Hack. (ITV)
In Line of Duty, Carlyle will star as Detective Constable Shaun Massie, a Specialist Rifle Officer, veteran marksman and self-appointed loner who keeps himself to himself. Operating with TO-7 to take down organised crime groups, when his commanding officer DI Gough is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie’s typically gruff and detached demeanor transforms into something drastically different.
Line of Duty creator Mercurio (who will also direct a few episodes in series 7) describes working with Carlyle as ‘a career highlight,’ complimenting the actor’s ability to bring ‘mesmerising power and depth to every role’.
‘I know viewers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what his character will do next, and why,’ Mercurio teases.
As always, Compston, McClure and Dunbar will anchor the series – and their excitement to return is palpable. ‘Line of Duty has been a job of a lifetime,’ says Compston. ‘Not only in terms of the show’s success but the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with I now call some of my closest friends. I can’t wait to pull the waistcoat on again and get the team back together.’
McClure, meanwhile, says she ‘can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again.’
Line of Duty series 6. (BBC Pictures)
Release Date
The BBC has confirmed Line of Duty series 7 will air in 2027, but nothing more specific just yet. Filming is scheduled to commence in spring 2026. We think it will air in March 2027, following the trend set by series 3 to 6.
All six series of Line of Duty are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. In the US, episodes are available on Hulu and Prime Video.
