Line of Duty Makes Triumphant Return: Series 7 Confirmed After Four-Year Hiatus

BBC’s Hit Police Drama Returns to Screens

After four years of anticipation and speculation, the BBC has confirmed that Line of Duty will begin filming a new series in spring 2026, with show creator Jed Mercurio and lead stars Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston all back on board. The announcement, made in November 2025, has electrified fans who have been eagerly awaiting news since the record-breaking finale aired in 2021.

Line of Duty set viewership records and became the highest-rated drama in the UK since 2002. The series six finale was the biggest drama episode since modern records began in 2002, with 17 million viewers after 28-days. The show’s immense popularity has made its return one of the most anticipated television events in British broadcasting.

What to Expect from Series 7

In series seven AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards, and in this climate, Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings are assigned their most sensitive case yet. Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organized crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator.

The new six-part series, created and written by 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. The cast have expressed their excitement about reuniting, with Martin Compston describing it as a job of a lifetime and Adrian Dunbar referring to the trio as “the Three Amigos”.

Significance for British Television

The return of Line of Duty represents more than just another season of television. Line of Duty is a British police procedural and serial drama created by Jed Mercurio, revolving around Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12), a team inside a fictional police force tasked with “policing the police”. The show has become a cultural phenomenon, setting standards for British crime drama with its intricate plotting and compelling character development.

For viewers, the earliest possible air date could be autumn 2026, though many expect a spring 2027 release based on the BBC’s historical scheduling preferences. As production begins, fans can look forward to the return of one of British television’s most acclaimed series, promising more of the tension, twists, and corruption investigations that made Line of Duty a national obsession.