Line of Duty Season 7 won’t have a straightforward six-episode structure if the show returns, according to star Adrian Dunbar.
The sixth season of Line of Duty was one of the biggest television events of 2021. By the time the finale rolled around, it amassed the largest BBC viewership since records began, with nearly 13 million people glued to their TVs ahead of H’s reveal.
The resulting episode certainly felt conclusive, with the show’s central mystery resolved and loose ends tied up – but it was incredibly divisive, with some feeling the reveal was a bit of a letdown after so much anticipation and speculation.
While the cast seemingly parted ways with their characters via emotional farewells on social media, there’s been consistent demand for Season 7 from fans, and something appears to be brewing.
Line of Duty Season 7 will be “really good”, Adrian Dunbar says
Line of Duty revolves around the investigations of AC-12, an anti-corruption police unit led by Dunbar’s Superintendent Ted Hastings, an officer interested in one thing only: bent coppers. Alongside Martin Compston’s Steve Arnott and Vicky McClure’s Kate Fleming, they crack down on cover-ups and organized crime.
In an interview with The Times, Dunbar speculated about how Season 7 would unfold if it goes ahead.
He said: “There’s a big appetite for more Line of Duty. It could be three or four episodes, I don’t think there’s going to be six for some reason.
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“It might be two 90 minutes. But it’s all entirely down to [creator Jed Mercurio] what the storyline is going to be. It’s a big ask for him.”
As for what would happen in Season 7, he added: “It’s going to be really good. Maybe someone’s going to die. Someone’s going to be under threat. He doesn’t mind killing characters off. Maybe he’ll kill us all off. A terrible car crash when we’re rushing to the scene of a crime? We’ll have to leave it to him.”
Line of Duty Season 7: Is it happening?
Right now, Line of Duty Season 7 hasn’t been confirmed by Mercurio or the BBC, with the showrunner insisting there are “no plans” for another installment.
During an appearance on The One Show, Compston said: “Look, it’s really satisfying how much people have taken it to their hearts and that there’s so much interest in whether we’re coming back or not.
“We always take at least a year off. And then Jed decides if there’s a story or not to tell. He wouldn’t do it just for the sake of it.
“He’d only do it if he thinks it would take the story forward or there’s something there for people to respond to.”
