Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has given fans a glimpse of the upcoming series of Line of Duty.
The long-anticipated seventh series of the popular police procedural is currently filming, with AC-12 once again on the trail of the elusive figure known as ‘H’.
Fans will remember the backlash that followed the 2021 finale of series six, when Det Supt Ian Buckells, played by Nigel Boyle, was revealed as the architect of institutional corruption.
The six-part instalment will pick up with the former AC-12 officers after the anti-corruption unit was dismantled and restructured.
Martin Compston reprises his role as DI Steve Arnott, joined once again by Vicky McClure as DI Kate Fleming and Adrian Dunbar as Superintendent Ted Hastings.
Now, Mecurio has shared a pic of Dunbar in character, looking out across a busy office, captioned with one of his most famous phrases: “There's only one thing I'm interested in and one thing only and that's bent coppers.”
Since the show’s debut in 2012, the police drama has become one of the BBC’s biggest successes, frequently drawing audiences in excess of 10 million at its peak.
Announcing the new series, Mercurio said: “Everyone involved in Line of Duty feels enormous gratitude to the show's fans. We're privileged to have had so many of you follow the ups and downs of AC-12 over six previous seasons and we couldn't be more delighted to be returning for a seventh.”
He added: “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.”
Mark Bonnar is also returning to the series as Mike Dryden, and speaking to The Standard, the Scottish actor, 57, said he was “totally blown over” to be asked back after more than a decade.
“I can’t say too much obviously about storylines, but the scripts that Jed [Mercurio] has written are just fantastic,” he added.
“I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to go back. It’s one of the biggest shows in the country and it’s a real honour to work on that show. It’s very special indeed. So yeah, I’m thrilled to be back in the fold at AC-12.”
