1 day Ago By Caroline Frost
Police thriller Line of Duty ’s millions of fans will be hoping reports in the UK media of the show’s return are more than wishful thinking. The BBC drama about police corruption and the officers charged with hunting down the malefactors finished after six series and a huge audience for its finale in 2021. But some fans expressed their disappointment that the grand denouement – the identity of mysterious villain ‘H’ – failed to live up to audience expectations.
Now The Sun newspaper reports that writer Jed Mercurio and three main stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar have committed to return for a seventh series, to start filming in January 2026. Related Stories Russell Brand Charged With Rape And Sexual Assault 'The Capture' Renewed For Season 3 At BBC The newspaper quotes a TV insider confirming : Watch on Deadline “The BBC almost immediately requested more episodes to continue the story, but the success of the show meant Vicky, Martin and Adrian were instantly snapped up for other projects. “But after several meetings with Jed [Mercurio, creator and writer] and the production team, they’ve finally managed to clear space in their calendars next year to commit to making the show.
” Deadline has reached out to Mercurio for comment. The hit drama, which debuted in 2012 and moved from the smaller audience BBC2 to the flagship channel BBC1 in 2017, made stars of McClure, Compston and especially Dunbar, who gained a huge fanbase for his ad-libbed use of Northern Irish sayings, including his triumphant “now we’re sucking diesel” when investigations seemed to be going well. The 2021 finale drew a domestic audience of 13.
1million viewers, making it the highest-rated UK drama since records began in 2002. The show can now be seen internationally on Netflix and other platforms..
