Could Line Of Duty Make A Return?

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, 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 seasons.

Written by Jed Mercurio (the man behind Bodyguard, Trigger Point, Breathtaking and upcoming thriller Trinity), 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 new antagonists (and famous faces) 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 found the ending frustrating. ‘When you find out [the long-term secret series antagonist, H] is this idiot Buckells, it is so frustrating,’ he tells The Times in a new 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’.

‘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,’ he adds.

With that loose end finally tied up, we finally said goodbye to Line of Duty for good. Or did we?

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Line Of Duty Series 7: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

Line of Duty could return for a seventh series, says star Adrian Dunbar. In an interview with The Times, he confirmed the series’ lead writer Mercurio has been working on new scripts which Dunbar, Compston and McClure are ‘really excited about getting [their] hands on, to see what happens to [the characters].’

‘We’ve talked to the BBC,’ Dunbar adds. ‘It is down to the BBC to make an announcement, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that next year we’ll be working on a new series. No doubt Jed will think of some interesting twists and turns.’

Back when the Line of Duty finale aired in 2021 it set a ratings record for the BBC, with the chief content officer at the time Charlotte Moore describing the series as ‘addictive event television’. Back then, the BBC seemed very keen to continue despite ‘H’ being revealed. ‘I’m looking forward to having a conversation with the team about where we go next and what the future of the series might be,’ Moore said. She added that Mercurio is ‘a master of his craft’.

However the future of Line of Duty was ultimately scuppered by its success: the core trio were almost immediately snapped up to star in new projects, meaning their schedules couldn’t align for some time. Four years on, the hubbub has died down considerably – but hopefully the BBC still believes in Line of Duty‘s future potential.

These new rumours of a Line of Duty revival follow loose-lipped Dunbar telling Times Radio series 7 was on the cards back in November 2024. ‘All the signals and everything is [positive], but until the script hits the desk, you can’t be 100 percent sure,’ Dunbar said back then. ‘We’re all hoping that someone somewhere will make an announcement and say, “Yes, it’s happening”. And we can all take it from there. I can tell you one thing… The day they announce it, it’s going to burn up the internet.’

And that’s not all: sources say Mercurio, Dunbar, McClure, Compston and the wider Line of Duty production team have met up on multiple occasions to discuss the future of the show and ‘clear space in their calendars next year to commit to making the show.’

Release Date

If all goes to plan, Line of Duty series 7 should air by 2027. That said, back in April, The Sun reported Mercurio had ‘written most of the storyline for the new episodes’ and Line of Duty series 7 ‘could air by autumn 2026’. Some sources confirm filming is set to get underway in 2025, which would make a 2026 premiere very feasible.

WATCH

Fancy a rewatch? All six seasons of Line of Duty are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. In the US, episodes are available on Hulu and Prime Video.

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