The BBC has released the first look at the return of Line of Duty, confirming that series seven will air next year. Filming for the new run wrapped in Belfast earlier this year.
Cast and New Format
Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reprise their roles as Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings. The six new episodes see AC-12 disbanded and rebranded as the Inspectorate of Professional Standards, with the trio assigned their most sensitive case yet.
BAFTA-winning actor Robert Carlyle joins as guest lead, playing Police Constable Shaun Massie, a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO) and veteran marksman operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups.
Plot Details and Returning Cast
Massie is a gruff loner who keeps to himself, but his demeanour changes drastically when his boss, TO-7's commanding officer DI Dominic Gough (Tom Weston-Jones), is accused of being a sexual predator. Gough is a charismatic officer praised for a string of takedowns of organised crime, but the accusation raises the question of whether his case is a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat.
Gough's TO-7 team also includes Laura Aikman as DC Paula Beckman, Levi Brown as DC Luke Tobin, and Amy Leigh Hickman as DC Nira Rashid. Mark Bonnar, Owen Teale, Perry Fitzpatrick and Christina Chong all return to reprise their roles, with new cast members including David Calder, Steven Elder, Dominic Mafham, Aimee Powell and Naomi Yang.
Production and Confirmation
The new season will commence filming in spring 2026. Vicky McClure said she was "so excited," while Dunbar added: "What a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year."
The confirmation follows hints from Adrian Dunbar in an interview with the Times in July, where he said cast members had "talked to the BBC" and scripts were imminent. He told the paper: "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."
Line of Duty returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2027.
