Line of Duty to return to TV screens

Line of Duty will return to the BBC for a seventh series with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reprising their roles.

The show last aired in 2021, and the series six finale was the biggest drama episode since modern records began in 2002, with 17 million viewers after 28-days.

The series averaged a massive 16 million viewers making it the biggest drama across the market since 2018*.

The new six-part series, created and written by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions in association with ITV Studios for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, will start filming in Belfast in Spring 2026. Further cast will be announced in due course.

In series seven AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards. Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are assigned their most sensitive case so far.

Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?

Creator, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio says: “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.

“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.”

Vicky McClure added: “It goes without saying I’m so excited Line of Duty is back!

“I can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, we’ll see you soon!”