BBC's biggest drama ‘to return' after final episode left fans ‘deflated'
It's been reported, months after the alleged return of the corporation's most underrated series, that the central trio have signed a deal to make six new episodes of the crime show as early as this year.
Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar played the roles of Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings in the much-loved drama, which depicted the lives of the team working in a unit tasked with rooting out corruption within the police.
Jed Mercurio's crime procedural, which started in 2012, last aired in 2021.
It drew to an apparent end after finally revealing the identity of 'H' – the name given to a corrupt officer working within the upper echelons of the police.
But there were still threads left unanswered. In the episode's final shot, the statement that 'AC-12's powers to curb wrongdoing in public office have never been weaker' suggests an element of unfinished business.
Viewers widely panned the finale, which was watched by a staggering 12.8 million, as 'disappointing'.
Dunbar previously suggested a new series could take the form of a film or as few as two episodes.
But Compston said in April 2024 that there were 'no immediate plans' for another series.
'It's just getting us all together and stuff. We'd like to but, yeah, these things are a bit complicated. But there are no immediate plans,' he told The Mirror.
In a statement after the end of series six, outgoing BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore said: '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 added: 'Addictive event television, Line of Duty has kept the nation guessing for the last seven weeks, so it's no surprise that last night's jaw-dropping finale set a ratings record.'
She hailed Mercurio as 'a master of his craft', continuing: 'I would like to congratulate him and the entire cast and crew for delivering such an incredible drama series.'
According to The Sun, Mercurio has written most of the storyline for the new episodes, which will start production later this year and could air by autumn 2026.
A source said: 'This is the news Line of Duty fans have been waiting for since the sixth season left them deflated when it aired back in 2021.
'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.'
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