We prayed for it, we hoped for it, and now our prayers have been answered. The hit police drama Line of Duty is returning for a seventh season, four years after we thought it had ended for good in 2021.
The BBC has confirmed that a new six-part series, written by the show’s creator Jed Mercurio, is on the way and will start filming in Belfast in the spring, which means we’ll be looking at a new series likely towards the end of next year.
Even better, all of the original cast look to be returning: Vicky McClure (who has said she is “so excited” about the series’ return) as Kate Fleming, Adrian Dunbar as Ted Hastings and Martin Compston as Steve Arnott.
"What a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year,” Dunbar added.
The Three Amigos are no more, though. In the blockbuster 2021 finale – which drew a record breaking 17 million viewers – the gang discovered the truth behind the criminal mastermind known as ‘H’ (no spoilers here).
When it ended, the team said there were no plans for any more series. But of course, that means nothing in an age where Gavin and Stacey has made not one, but two triumphant one-off returns to the small screen, and where Peaky Blinders is getting not one, but two new series. Ever since then, fans have been clamouring for a return, despite Mercurio’s apparent unwillingness to say anything about it.
So, what do we know? Apparently, the series will open with AC-12 disbanded, and rebranded.
Now called the Inspectorate of Police Standards, our central trio are still working to tackle corruption within the force – according to the BBC, their job "has never been more difficult, and, in this challenging climate, [the trio] are assigned their most sensitive case so far.”
What case is that? Well, it might have something to do with Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, an officer within the force whose record of success in taking down organised crime gangs is suddenly called into question after he’s accused of being a sexual predator.
But his case could be a distraction from a far greater threat. Basically, it’s all to play for, and we can’t wait.
Line of Duty itself became one of the biggest TV shows in the country when it first aired in 2012. It attracted guest stars including Stephen Graham, Thandiwe Newton and Kelly Macdonald with its stories of corrupt officers and AC-12, the unit in charge of “policing the police.”
In a statement accompanying news of the relaunch, Jed Mercurio said that “we couldn't be more delighted to be returning for a seventh [series]."
“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.”
