Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio confirms he will write a seventh series

Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has confirmed he will write a seventh series of the acclaimed police drama.

Speaking ahead of long-awaited release of series six this spring, the writer said he feels there’s ‘much more ground to cover’ with the show after its fifth series in 2019 became the most viewed to date. 

It comes after Jed sparked claims from fans that they will finally learn the identity of the elusive H in the upcoming series, after learning in series five’s finale that the infamous supervillain is actually a group of four ‘caddies.’  

Speaking on the Out To Lunch podcast, Jed said: ‘What I do know is that season six proves there is much more ground for us still to cover and then in terms of other projects. I really want to carry on with Line of Duty as I think it still got some ground to cover.

‘I am in a fortunate position as a writer. To dream of getting to the point where people watch your work in such larger numbers and you get a little bit of name recognition as well.’

Line Of Duty’s fifth series became its most-viewed to date, with over 13 million viewers tuning in for the gripping final. 

Fans were floored to learn that after years of waiting to discover the identity of the villainous H, it was actually an organisation.

Steve Arnott (played by Martin Compston) discovered the vital clue when a clip of DI Matthew ‘Dot’ Cottan’s dying declaration was played during AC-12 boss Ted Hasting’s interrogation with Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell-Martin). 

Mercurio left fans speculating he had revealed the identity of bent copper H when he dropped another major clue about series six in February 2020.

He whipped up a social media storm with viewers of the smash-hit BBC show when he shared a photo of Australian chocolate biscuits TimTams with the caption #LineofDuty Series 6 Plot Clue No. 1.’

Manufactured by Arnott’s – the same surname as AC-12 guru DS Steve Arnott – the cryptic snap sent viewers into a frenzy, with theories ranging from a move to Australia to Steve breaking up with his girlfriend.

One fan believes that despite outward appearances, the link is actually to Steve’s colleague DI Kate Fleming (played by Vicky McClure).

They wrote: ‘The guy who created the biscuit is called Timothy “Tamworth” FLEMING For a company called ARNOTTS Nothing is a coincidence on this show! BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN, I think my head is exploding…’

Another fan predicted a move Down Under for Steve, writing: ‘Its set in Australia? or does Steve get slammed? OMG cant wait.’

A third wrote: ‘Clearly this will be taking him to Australia for some kind of filming.’

After filming for series six kicked off in February 2020, Jed shared a more on-the-nose snap from filming of a passed-out Ted Hastings lies slumped on a chair between stars Martin and Vicky.

A giant ‘H’ lay against him, implying that he IS the infamous and mysterious villain, who masterminds the legion of ‘bent coppers’ who infiltrate AC-12.

However, it was also likely to be a playfully set up picture as there’s no way Jed would make such a revelation before the series starts. 

He wrote: ‘A great first week of filming #LineofDuty Series 6 ⁦@BBCOne. Here’s a publicity shot that’s been approved 100% spoiler free by ⁦⁦@bbcpress.’  

Jed went onto add that he’d also be open to penning another series of Bodyguard, despite bringing the 2018 show to a natural conclusion with PS David Budd (Richard Madden) moving on from his horrific ordeal with his family.

He added: ‘In terms of other projects, I think that I learned a lot from the success of Bodyguard. It really was very heartening to see the way in which an audience would come to something that was completely fresh and original. 

‘So much content is an adaptation of something that was a book or a film, but Bodyguard was an original concept.

‘The fact that we hit the ground running and people really go into the characters and stories made a huge impact I think on what my ambition for doing more original series.

‘I would love to do something within the next couple of years, if it isn’t Bodyguard 2 then it is something on the same scale as that.’

Line Of Duty’s upcoming sixth series is yet to have a release date, though it’s been hinted the show could return to BBC One next month.

Star Vicky McClure said earlier this week she’ll be part of the show for as long as fans want it,but does worry about seeing the series ‘run its course.’ 

‘We’ll keep going until the audience wants it to end,’ she told The Sunday Times this weekend. ‘I’ll be devastated the day it ends. To be involved in a job with this much love for it, well, you never expect that.’ 

Vicky, 37, also admitted: ‘How much longer can it keep going? Sometimes you think, has it run its course? Every time we go back, we go, “What’s [creator] Jed [Mercurio] going to come up with?” But he has always got something up his sleeve.’

‘Jed’s storylines are just incredible, and the boys and I feel the same.’

‘The boys’ are co-stars Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston, whom Vicky has starred alongside in the cop drama since it debuted in 2012.

She credits them for keeping her sane while filming season six, which took three months amid strict COVID-19 regulations which meant they had to be away from their loved ones the whole time.

‘I’ve never been away for that long before,’ she said, revealing she brought a plethora of items from home with her to Belfast, where filming took place, to comfort her. ‘Everything in Belfast was shut, we had nothing to do, but we had each other and it really did get us through.’

She also revealed that ‘Me, Martin and Ady are very much on a level playing field, we get paid the same’, clearing up any speculation about unequal salaries for the trio of lead stars.  

The sixth series sees the debut of Kelly MacDonald as Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Davidson, senior investigating officer of an unsolved murder.