BBC thriller returns with AC12 dismantled and a new high stakes investigation underway
The BBC has confirmed that Line of Duty will return for a seventh season, ending years of speculation about the future of the acclaimed crime thriller. The announcement brings Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar back to screens as the core trio of investigators whose pursuit of corruption has shaped one of the most successful dramas in modern British television.
The series, created by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions, has been absent from broadcast schedules since Season 6 concluded in 2021. During that time fans have repeatedly called for closure on long running plotlines concerning organised crime networks and the question of whether institutional corruption had truly been exposed. The BBC had remained silent on future plans, but industry rumours suggested the show was never fully off the table. The confirmation now brings an end to years of uncertainty.
Filming will begin in Belfast next year, with further casting announcements expected in due course. The production will again take place in Northern Ireland, which has served as the backdrop for the series since its earliest seasons and has become closely associated with the show’s visual identity. The return of the original leads ensures continuity in a series where the personal and professional evolution of its characters has been central to its appeal.
Season 7 opens at a time of major upheaval within the fictional policing landscape. AC12, the celebrated anticorruption unit at the heart of the drama, has been disbanded and reconstituted as the Inspectorate of Police Standards. The move reflects a political climate within the show in which internal scrutiny has become increasingly difficult and public confidence in policing is shown to be under strain. This reorganisation places Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings in a very different environment from the one viewers have become familiar with.
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Their new assignment involves an exceptionally sensitive case. Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, an officer whose success in dismantling organised crime groups has earned him widespread praise, faces serious allegations of abusing his position to target vulnerable women. The prospect of a high profile officer exploiting his authority places the protagonists in a morally complex and politically explosive situation. As they begin their inquiry, questions arise about whether the accusations represent a genuine investigation or whether the case has been engineered to divert attention from deeper problems within the policing system.
The premise revives many of the elements that have defined Line of Duty since its launch in 2012. The show has long been known for interrogating issues of trust, accountability and institutional failure. Season 7 promises to revisit these themes while introducing fresh dynamics created by the restructuring of AC12. The three returning leads will again navigate a world where loyalty is tested, ambition is questioned and the line between integrity and compromise is repeatedly challenged.
The return of the drama is expected to be one of the BBC’s major television events of the year. Line of Duty remains one of the corporation’s most watched series and has consistently attracted large live audiences as well as strong viewing on catchup platforms. The final episode of Season 6 drew record numbers and sparked widespread debate, particularly surrounding the reveal of the long hinted at corrupt officer known as H.
With production due to begin shortly, viewers can expect further information about new cast members and storylines as filming progresses. For now, the confirmation of Season 7 marks the revival of a television phenomenon that has left a lasting impact on British drama and secured a devoted fanbase eager to see whether AC12 or its successor can once again unmask wrongdoing at the highest levels.