Line of Duty series 7: BBC finally confirms the AC-12 team will be back chasing bent coppers in 2026
Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey - it's officially coming back!
Line of Duty will be back for a series 7, BBC One has finally confirmed after five long years of speculation, teasing, and manifesting it in the shower every morning.
There have been plenty of clues over the past few years that the acclaimed crime drama would be coming back. After all, the cast wanted it, creator Jed Mercurio wanted it, and – most importantly – the fans wanted it!
Today (Tuesday, November 18) the broadcaster revealed that the fictional anti-corruption unit AC-12 will be back hunting bent coppers.
It’s just the news we needed in the dark days after the end of Blue Lights series 3… Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming series 7 of Line of Duty.
Is there a series 7 of Line of Duty?
BBC One has now confirmed that there will be a series 7 of Line of Duty, and cast and crew will start filming any day now.
Line of Duty remains one of the most gripping crime dramas on TV ever, so it’s no surprise that fans have been hankering for a series 7.
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… Which is why, in part, series 7 of Line of Duty took so long to get finalised.
Series 6 aired in 2021. The BBC sold it as the last ever series. However, fans were left divided by the ending. So much so, that the campaign for more episodes never really went away.
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Creator, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio said: “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.”
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What is the plot?
In Line of Duty series 7, AC-12 has been “disbanded and rebranded”. They are now called the Inspectorate of Police Standards.
BBC One tells us: “Anti-corruption work has never been more difficult. And, in this challenging climate, Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings are assigned their most sensitive case so far.”
We’re introduced to potential new villain Detective Inspector Dominic Gough. He’s a “charismatic officer” getting kudos for taking down a string of organised crime gangs. But he stands accused of abusing his position of trust to act by acting in a sexually predatory manner. But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?
Who’s in the cast of Line of Duty series 7?
Martin Compston, 41, returns as Steve Arnott, a role he’s played since the very first series in 2012. Since appearing in the award-winning show, the Scottish actor has TV shows including The Rig, Vigil, Traces, and Our House. He’ll soon replace Richard Armitage in the upcoming series 2 of Red Eye.
Talking about the series returning, Martin Compston said: “Line of Duty has been a job of a lifetime. Not only in terms of the show’s success… But the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with I now call some of my closest friends. I can’t wait to pull the waistcoat on again and get the team back together.”
Nottingham-born Vicky McClure, 42, is back as Kate Fleming. She’s also been in the series from the very first episode. She’s also known for This Is England, Trigger Point, Broadchurch, Alex Ryder, and the recent thriller Insomnia.
She said: “It goes without saying I’m so excited Line of Duty is back! Can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, we’ll see you soon!”
Will Adrian Dunbar be back?
Saving the best for last, the legend that is Adrian Dunbar reprises his role as Ted Hastings. The Northern-Irish actor, 67, is known for his long career in TV and film but, most recently, he’s appeared as the titular hero in Ridley.
Adrian Dunbar added: “As we count down the AC-12 days of Christmas what a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year. Delighted with the news and looking forward to those mercurial twists and turns.”
Also returning to Line of Duty for series 7 will be:
- Shetland’s Mark Bonnar as former Deputy Chief Constable Mike Dryden.
- Game of Thrones’ Owen Teale as Chief Constable Philip Osborne.
- Sherwood’s Perry Fitzpatrick as DS Chris Lomax.
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Christina Chong as DI Nicky Rogerson.
Who is in the guest cast?
BBC One has now announced further casting for the return of Line of Duty series 7. The guest series lead will be The Full Monty star Robert Carlyle. Robert will play Specialist Rifle Officer DC Shaun Massie.
Tom Weston-Jones will play Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, leader of Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7). A charismatic officer who has won plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, Gough is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is his case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows? Tom Weston-Jones is known for his roles in Warrior, Dickensian, and Coppers.
TO-7 will also feature:
Line of Duty newcomers include:
- This City is Ours’ Laura Aikman as DC Paula Beckman.
- Girl Taken’s Levi Brown as DC Luke Tobin.
- Ackley Bridge’s Amy Leigh Hickman as DC Nira Rashid.
- Motherland’s David Calder, Toxic Town’s Steven Elder, Vigil’s Dominic Mafham, Rocks’ Sarah Andre White, Believe Me’s Aimee Powell, and Under Salt Marsh’s Naomi Yang also appear in undisclosed roles.
Where is it filmed?
The new series will start filming in Belfast in spring 2026.
Series 1 was filmed in Birmingham, but subsequent series were filmed primarily in Northern Ireland. However, the show is set in an unnamed city.
All the clues series 7 of Line of Duty was happening
Fans have had good reason to hope, as there have been several ‘clues’ that the iconic series would be returning one day.
In August 2024, Adrian Dunbar revealed he’d be up for returning to his role of Supt Ted Hastings. Despite the fact the force ‘retired’ him at the end of series 6.
The actor said: “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.”
More recently, Adrian appeared to confirm a series 7 of Line of Duty was definitely going ahead. He told The Times: “We’re really excited about getting our hands on a Line of Duty script, to see what happens to us.”
As well as Adrian Dunbar’s comments, another one of Line of Duty’s cast member 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 were officially underway for Line of Duty series 7. The actress admitted that cast had been asked about their availability…
In April 2025, The Sun reported that a series 7 of Line of Duty was pretty much a done deal, and the cast were trying to align their schedules.
How many episodes is it?
The new series will be six parts of one hour each. We already know this won’t be long enough.
Series 1 of Line of Duty was five instalments, but all subsequent series were six episodes – apart from series 6 which was an extra special seven hours. All series are still available to watch on BBC iPlayer here.
When’s the start date?
Line of Duty series 7 is set to start filming any day now in Northern Ireland.
BBC One has confirmed it will land on our screens in 2027.
What happened in series 6?
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 AC-12 – a fictional anti-corruption unit – investigated corruption within the police force. The team, including superintendent Ted Hastings, DC Kate Fleming, and DS Steve Arnott, tried to uncover the mole in the police force known only as “H”. they also became three of the most iconic TV characters of all time.
In the series 6 finale, AC-12 finally found out the identity of ‘H’, or the ‘Fourth Man’ who they had been chasing. Bungling Det Supt Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle) was unmasked as the unlikely arch-villain H.
Thirteen million viewers tuned in to the final episode, which was a record-breaking figure. However, many fans claimed they were “disappointed”, citing it an “anti-climax”.
