Considered by many to be one of thebest British crime series of the 21st century,Jed Mercurio’sLine of Dutyis the acclaimed writer’s most impressive work, managing to weave agripping, twisting mysteryacross nine years and six seasons. In 2021, the show seemed to officially end with the culmination of the series' longest-running puzzle and the reveal of the identity of the mysterious ‘H’.
However, fans were left rather unsatisfied with the final reveal, with many hoping for a return to AC-12, so the controversial final moments could be rectified. In recent months,much has been rumoredaboutLine of Duty’s apparent return, including the show’s star,Martin Compston, saying that a new installment ofAC-12’s hunt to catch “bent coppers"is “way off.” However, it now seems we’ve got the biggest update yet on aLine of Dutyreturn, with the belovedAdrian Dunbar, who plays Ted Hastings, seemingly confirming filming is beginning on a seventh season next year. In an interview withThe Times, Dunbar said:
“We’re really excited about getting our hands on a Line of Duty script, to see what happens to us. Jed is writing. We’ve talked to the BBC. It is down to the BBC to make an announcement, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that next year we’ll be working on a new series. No doubt Jed will think of some interesting twists and turns.”
Adrian Dunbar Felt Like the Rest of Us AboutThatReveal
As mentioned previously, the finale ofLine of Duty’s sixth season left plenty to be desired. After years of build-up, the reveal of H’s identity was utterly disappointing, with many even suggesting it was always a ruse to throw fans off the scent of the true identity, set to be revealed in a future series. Alas, it seems that really was the intended ending, and Dunbar was just as disappointed as us.Saying that the finale “robbed us of a huge denouement,“Dunbar added:
“When you find out it is this idiot, Buckells, it is so frustrating. There is a scene where the three of us are told who it is, and we look at each other and go, ‘What?’ We asked Jed to write that scene because we realised how our audience would feel. But Jed’s point was that police corruption can hang on one cop deciding to ignore one piece of information that comes across his desk.”
Line of Dutyis available on Prime Video right now. Keep up to date with the latest movie and TV news on Collider.
