A seventh season of "Line of Duty" will go into production next year, marking the BBC drama's return after a five-year pause and reuniting lead actors Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, and Adrian Dunbar.
The broadcaster confirmed the renewal, with filming set to take place in Belfast under producer World Productions.
Additional casting has not yet been announced. Compston also acknowledged the development on social media, posting, "We're baaaaaaaaack."
The new season begins with the dismantling of AC-12, the anti-corruption unit that served as the focal point of the show's first six installments.
Its responsibilities move to the Inspectorate of Police Standards, narrowing the unit's independence and tightening oversight of internal cases.
Within that new framework, Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings are assigned to review misconduct allegations involving Detective Inspector Dominic Gough.
Gough has built a public reputation on high-profile operations against organized crime, but he now faces claims that he abused his position to target women.
The case will examine whether the allegations have merit or serve as a diversion from continuing operations by a broader criminal organization.
Series creator Jed Mercurio said ongoing interest in the drama contributed to its return.
"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," he said.
Viewers have speculated about a follow-up since Season Six ended, and remarks from Dunbar earlier this year signaled that a renewal was likely.
Season Six concluded with the resolution of the show's extended search for "H," naming DS Ian Buckells as the officer responsible for the conspiracy.
The finale drew the largest audience ever recorded for a single episode of British drama, Deadline reported.
Reaction to the identity of "H" was mixed at the time, though executive producer Simon Heath said in 2022, "For fans of the show, [the ending] made perfect sense."
Attention is now on potential guest stars for the new installment.
Earlier seasons featured major one-season roles for actors such as Stephen Graham, Lennie James and Keeley Hawes.
Since its launch on BBC Two in 2012, the series has steadily grown its audience, moving to BBC One in 2016 and expanding internationally through platforms including BritBox, Hulu, Acorn TV, and at times, Netflix.
BBC drama director Lindsay Salt said the franchise's return reflects strong viewer demand.
She described the show's past performance by saying its "amazing ratings are a true testament to the success of Jed's writing, the work from the brilliant team at World Productions, and the entire cast and crew."
She added, "I'm so pleased that after four long years 'Line of Duty' will be back filming soon and can't wait for BBC viewers to be back on the edge of their seats."
Mercurio has continued developing new projects during the hiatus, including "Trigger Point," "DI Ray," and the upcoming Netflix series "Trinity."
World Productions, which recently completed "The Bombing of Pan Am 103" for the BBC and Netflix, will again handle production duties.
The seventh season will be directed by Jennie Darnell, with Ken Horn as producer. Mercurio and Heath will executive produce for World Productions, joined by Nick Lambon for the BBC.
Northern Ireland Screen is supporting the production, while ITV Studios will manage international distribution.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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