Line Of Duty series seven could be ‘three or four episodes’, says Adrian Dunbar

Alex Green, PA Acting Deputy Entertainment Editor

Line Of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has said the hit police drama could return for a seventh series of “three or four episodes” or “two 90-minutes” specials.

The 64-year-old actor, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings in the BBC show, told The Times the final decision on the storyline is “entirely down” to creator Jed Mercurio.

He is set to reunite with Mercurio and co-stars Martin Compston and Vicky McClure on Monday, August 29th for a curry, and suggested they “might hear something” about more episodes then.

The sixth series of the police drama, which aired from March to May in 2021, was a ratings success, with its dramatic finale revealing the identity of the mysterious corrupt officer H.

Despite bringing a long-running storyline to an end, it also left the door open for another series.

Dunbar said: “There’s a big appetite for more Line Of Duty. It could be three or four episodes; I don’t think there’s going to be six, for some reason.

“It might be two 90 minutes. But it’s all entirely down to Jed what the storyline is going to be. It’s a big ask for him.”

He added: “It’s going to be really good. Maybe someone’s going to die. Someone’s going to be under threat

“He doesn’t mind killing characters off. Maybe he’ll kill us all off. A terrible car crash when we’re rushing to the scene of a crime? We’ll have to leave it to him.”

The final episode of the BBC One series saw Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells, played by Nigel Boyle, unmasked as the mysterious H, the corrupt police officer at the top of a criminal conspiracy.

In June, Compston prompted speculation among fans when he posted a photo of himself having dinner with McClure, Dunbar and Mercurio, captioning the image: “Talking tattoo designs”.

The group previously agreed they would get “AC-12 million” tattoos in reference to the show’s anti-corruption police unit if they reached 12 million viewers.