Line of Duty remains one of the most gripping crime dramas to ever show on TV, so it’s no surprise that fans are still hankering for a series 7 – four years after it last aired on BBC One.
And they have good reason to hope… As there have been several ‘clues’ that the iconic series will be returning one day in the future.
The series made creator Jed Mercurio a household name, and became the water cooler series of the century when it first aired in 2012. The cast, including Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure, and Martin Compston very quickly became huge stars…
So will they be reuniting for a series 7 of Line of Duty? Here’s everything we know so far…
Vicky McClure played DC Kate Fleming in six series of Line of Duty [Credit: BBC]
Is there a series 7 of Line of Duty?
The BBC has not confirmed that there’ll be a series 7 of Line of Duty, but… There have been plenty of hints that the series will be back one day.
Series 6 aired in 2021, and was sold as the last ever series. However, diehard fans weren’t happy. So much so, that the campaign for more episodes has never really gone away.
And it seems the cast want the series to return too…
In August 2024, Adrian Dunbar revealed he’d be up for returning to his role of Supt Ted Hastings – even though he was ‘retired’ at the end of series 6.
The actor told Good Housekeeping: “We all want another series. We filmed our last series in lockdown, which meant we didn’t get to do anything other than work, so we’re really keen to get together for one last hurrah.”
Line of Duty could be back in 2026
As well as Adrian Dunbar’s comments, another one of Line of Duty’s cast members has shared some more concrete good news.
Christina Chong, who played DI Nicola Rogerson, seemingly let slip some crucial information about the series. She confirmed that talks are officially underway for Line of Duty series 7. The actress admitted that cast had been asked about their availability… Eek!
She told MailOnline: “So I have been asked about a season – is it seven? Yeah. Potentially Nicola Rogerson will be back for season 7.”
Christina Chong, who played DI Nicola Rogerson in LIne of Duty, has confirmed talks are underway [Credit: BBC]
Line of Duty cast in ‘secret meetings’
In April 2025, The Sun reported that a series 7 of Line of Duty was pretty much a done deal. A source told the newspaper that the cast had met up to discuss bringing the show back.
They said: “Jed is close to Vicky, Martin and Adrian and they often meet for dinner, but this time it was different. A topic of conversation was how they could align their schedules in 2025 to ensure Line of Duty 7 happens. The ambition is filming could start this year and series 7 could be on screens by early 2026.”
The report also said that show creator Jed has written most of the storyline for the new episodes, which will start production later this year.
The BBC has consistently declined to comment, but that isn’t a no, is it?
Martin Compston shares news on Line of Duty series 7
Actor Martin Compston, who will soon appear in Red Eye on ITV1, has attempted to dampen the flames somewhat however.
He recently said that a new season would be “a way off” due to their busy schedules.
Speaking to The Sun, he revealed: “We’re always talking about possibilities and schedules and whatnot. Everybody’s got stuff going on at the minute, so I think anything, unfortunately, would be a way off.”
He continued: “But because we’re all so close and we all want the best for the show, we wouldn’t do it again just for the sake of it. If it was just about doing it for the sake of it, we’d have probably done another three series by now.
“We really care about the quality of it. So if we come back, it would be for the right reasons.”
Sorry to sound impatient but, in the words of Ted Hastings: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey, can we just move this thing along before it drives us all round the bloody bend?”
Pretty please?
Steve and Ted sucking diesel in Line of Duty [Credit: BBC]
What happened in series 6?
We’d need an encyclopedic length article to explain exactly what happened in Line of Duty series 6… But suffice to say, it was a bittersweet ending that left some fans bitterly disappointed.
The police drama remains the most watched British drama of the 21st century. It kept us on the edge of our seats for six seasons as superintendent Ted Hastings, DC Kate Fleming, and DS Steve Arnott tried to uncover the mole in the police force known only as “H”.
Well, in the series 6 finale, bungling Det Supt Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle) was unmasked as unlikely arch-villain H. Frankly, no one saw it coming.
The final episode attracted almost 13million overnight viewers – a record-breaking figure.
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