The BBC has released a first look at the eagerly awaited return of Line of Duty. The seventh series will broadcast next year, with filming having concluded in Belfast earlier this year.
Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar return to their roles as Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings respectively. The new six episodes see AC-12 disbanded and rebranded as the Inspectorate of Professional Standards.
New Case and New Cast
Anti-corruption work has never been more challenging, and in this difficult environment, the trio are handed their most delicate case to date. As previously confirmed, BAFTA-winning actor Robert Carlyle is the guest lead for the forthcoming series, playing Police Constable Shaun Massie - a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO), a veteran marksman operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to dismantle Organised Crime Groups.
A gruff loner, Massie keeps to himself, but when his superior, TO-7's commanding officer DI Dominic Gough (Tom Weston-Jones), is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie's otherwise distant manner shifts dramatically.
Detective Inspector Gough is a charismatic officer who has earned acclaim for a series of takedowns of organised crime. Gough stands accused of exploiting his position of trust to act as a sexual predator, reports the Daily Star. But is his case a deliberate diversion from a greater threat still lurking in the shadows?
Returning and New Cast Members
Gough's TO-7 team also features Laura Aikman (This City Is Ours, Gavin and Stacey) as DC Paula Beckman, Levi Brown (This Town, Girl Taken) as DC Luke Tobin, and Amy Leigh Hickman (Ackley Bridge, You) as DC Nira Rashid.
Mark Bonnar (former Deputy Chief Constable Mike Dryden), Owen Teale (Chief Constable Philip Osborne), Perry Fitzpatrick (DS Chris Lomax) and Christina Chong (DI Nicky Rogerson) all return to reprise their roles for the seventh series.
Additional new cast members include David Calder (Motherland, Rivals), Steven Elder (Prisoner, Toxic Town), Dominic Mafham (Vigil, Killing Eve), Aimee Powell (Believe Me, Art Detectives), and Naomi Yang (Under Salt Marsh, Maternal).
Filming and Previous Hints
It was also confirmed that the new series will begin filming in spring 2026. Regarding the announcement, Vicky said she was "so excited" with Dunbar adding: "What a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year."
There have been previous hints that series seven was in the pipeline. During an interview with the Times, Adrian practically confirmed a seventh series of Line of Duty, even revealing that cast members had "talked to the BBC" and scripts were imminent.
He told the paper at the time: "We're really excited about getting our hands on a Line of Duty script, to see what happens to us. Jed [Mercurio, the show's creator] is writing. We've talked to the BBC. It is down to the BBC to make an announcement, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that next year we'll be working on a new series."
Adrian added: "No doubt Jed will think of some interesting twists and turns. We are as much in the dark as you are." Line of Duty returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2027.
