Line of Duty is back! Release date details and cast announced for “edge of your seats” and “terrific” season 7

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Line of Duty is back! Release date details and cast announced for "edge of your seats" and "terrific" season 7

Crime drama fans, you are not ready for this. The BBC have confirmed Line of Duty is officially back for season seven after four years away – and we cannot wait to welcome AC-12 back into our lives.

In a press release shared on Tuesday 18th November, the BBC announced the news – and from the cast to the storyline and the potential release date, here’s everything you need to know about the hit show’s next series.

Will the original cast be back for Line of Duty season 7?

Yes! As well as creator Jed Mercurio returning, Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar will reprise their roles.

Speaking about the new series, Martin Compston, who plays Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Inspector Steve Arnott, 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.”

Vicky McClure, who plays DI Kate Fleming, added: “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!”

Photographer://BBC

When will Line of Duty season 7 be released?

While we don’t 100% know for sure, what we do know is, the new six-part series will start filming in Belfast in Spring 2026.

Speaking about getting back on set, Adrian Dunbar, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings, said: “As we count down the AC12 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.”

Presuming it will take at least three months to film, and three months in post-production, the earliest we imagine we’ll see Line of Duty season 7 is autumn 2026.

In the past, Line of Duty was released:

Season 1 – June 2012
Season 2 – February 2014
Season 3 – March 2016
Season 4 – March 2017
Season 5 – March 2019
Season 6 – March 2021

Hmm, the BBC do seem to like a March slot for Line of Duty – so perhaps March 2027 is a more realistic release date?

What will happen in Line of Duty season 7?

The plot synopsis reads, “In series seven AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards. Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are assigned their most sensitive case so far.

“Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?”

BBC

What happened in Line of Duty season 6?

There were a lot of questions left unanswered in season six, and things weren’t exactly looking fab for AC-12, not least because Carmichael’s now in charge, along with Osborne (who we know is bent). Thankfully, Kate Fleming has confirmed she’ll rejoin the team, but with Steve’s future at AC-12 still uncertain and Hastings’ departure, things are looking pretty bleak.

What is Line of Duty?

Line of Duty last aired in 2021, and the series six finale was the biggest drama episode [excl. soaps] since modern records began in 2002, with 17 million viewers after 28-days. The series averaged a massive 16 million viewers making it the biggest drama across the market since 2018*.

Creator, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio said of the new launch,“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.”

We can’t wait for this!