However, it might not be a complete wrap for the drama just yet if Line of Duty star Vicky McClure\u2019s recent comments are anything to go by.<\/p>\n
Speaking to\u00a0The<\/a> Guardian<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>in an interview, McClure said she\u2019d be \u201cgame\u201d for a seventh season<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know! I don\u2019t know, there\u2019s no word of it. I think we\u2019ve all been really honest and said should that happen, we\u2019re all game,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She went on to say that she\u2019d love to be part of a new version of the show with Mercurio as well as her co-stars Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston if they were keen.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll just stick with the guys. I think when it comes to a close, it will be a natural close for us all.\u201d<\/p>\n If like us, you can\u2019t stop thinking about AC-12 and whether they\u2019ll be back doing what they do best (catching bent coppers), then read on for the latest information about a potential season 7 return of the BBC drama.<\/p>\n In the meantime, if you want more analysis of the season six finale, why not check out our\u00a0Line of Duty ending explainer<\/a>, our\u00a0Line of Duty unanswered questions<\/a>, or take a look at all of the Line of Duty red herrings<\/a> that teased and deceived the finale outcome.<\/p>\n The bottom line is, we don\u2019t have a concrete answer to this question just yet.<\/p>\n In the run-up to the Line of Duty season six<\/a> premiere, Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio was coy about discussing the future of his hit drama, telling\u00a0RadioTimes.com<\/a> that the prospect of a continuation was uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a situation where it\u2019s not entirely clear that there will be a seventh series,\u201d he said. \u201cWe would hope there could be. But we\u2019re having to do our planning coming out of COVID, and a whole bunch of other things, around the idea that these things aren\u2019t guaranteed at all now.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of it depends on the key creatives \u2013 that\u2019s me and the main actors \u2013 finding new stories to tell within that universe,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Furthermore, when asked about his previous claim that he insisted on being commissioned two series ahead to avoid the risk of cancellation, he responded \u201cI haven\u2019t necessarily been true to that.\u201d<\/p>\n And he added, \u201cLine of Duty may have reached \u2018the Chandrasekhar Limit\u2019, at which a mass collapses under its own gravitational force.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the answer that fans will have wanted, but it does keep the door open for more episodes down the line \u2013 and the cast certainly seem to be onboard with the idea.<\/p>\n Main stars Martin Compston (who plays Steve Arnott), Vicky McClure (Kate Fleming) and Adrian Dunbar (Ted Hastings) have become firm friends since working together on Line of Duty, which made the social restrictions necessary while filming during a pandemic rather frustrating for them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to do another series,\u201d Dunbar told RadioTimes.com <\/strong>and other press. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get onto Jed and say \u2018Look, we\u2019ve got to do one that\u2019s not like when we were in lockdown. We\u2019ve got to do one where we\u2019re back on the ground, we\u2019re out there, we\u2019re in the city, we\u2019re having fun\u2019. You know it\u2019s a great city to have fun in, Belfast, so we really want to get back to doing that again.\u201d<\/p>\n He recently told Tom Allen on the BAFTA TV red carpet that he\u2019s still up for another series<\/a>, saying: \u201cDon\u2019t know about that, whether we\u2019ll see another series. I\u2019m sure everybody wants one, we certainly want one.\u201d<\/p>\n Co-star Martin Compston echoed this sentiment and added that it would be quite possible for the series to continue, even now the \u2018H\u2019 mystery has been solved.<\/p>\n \u201cI think with Jed, there\u2019s always potential for it to go on,\u201d he said. \u201cHe could always start a new case, there\u2019s always anti-corruption out there, as he would say.\u201d<\/p>\n Furthermore, Gareth Bryn, a director who worked on two episodes in season six, reacted with news of record-breaking viewing figures with the tweet:<\/a> \u201cShocking! Only 11 million viewers for <\/span>#LineofDuty<\/span>!? Well, that\u2019s embarrassing! What about the 50 million NOT watching. I suppose it IS helpful to have something for <\/span>@jed_mercurio <\/span>to aim for when he gets series 7 under way!\u201d<\/p>\n But in an interview with Den of Geek<\/a>, Mercurio said it was \u201ctoo soon\u201d to say whether the season six finale was the last-ever episode or not.<\/p>\n Season seven has yet to be confirmed \u2013 but if it is commissioned, we\u2019re probably in for a bit of a wait.<\/p>\n Previous seasons of Line of Duty have aired in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and (thanks to a pandemic-related filming delay) 2021. The drama usually airs across March and April, though there\u2019s no rule saying it couldn\u2019t air at another time of year.<\/p>\n It\u2019s still possible that Mercurio will get the next season written and filmed in time for a 2022 air date, but at this point we think it more likely that Line of Duty will return in spring 2023<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Martin Compston recently told ES Magazine<\/a> that it would be travesty not to work with his Line of Duty co-stars again, but that they all need a break first<\/a>: \u201cThe idea that I would never work with all the guys again together would be heartbreaking. But also with everything that\u2019s just gone on this week, I think everybody, including the audience, needs a bit of time away from it. So we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n We know the BBC is certainly open to another series\u00a0 \u2013 which is unsurprising considering the record ratings season 6 managed to achieve.<\/p>\n BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore said, \u201cAddictive event television, Line of Duty has kept the nation guessing for the last seven weeks, so it\u2019s no surprise that last night\u2019s jaw dropping finale set a ratings record.<\/p>\n \u201cJed Mercurio is a master of his craft, and I would like to congratulate him and the entire cast and crew for delivering such an incredible drama series. I\u2019m looking forward to having a conversation with the team about where we go next and what the future of the series might be.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked for an update on season seven, BBC Drama commissioner Piers Wenger simply said: \u201cNo comment\u201d \u2013 a very familiar line for fans of the show.<\/p> Thankfully the AC-12 trio made it through season six without any of them dying, so we\u2019re hopeful that season seven would see the return of Martin Compston (DI Steve Arnott), Adrian Dunbar (Superintendent Ted Hastings), and Vicky McClure (DI Kate Fleming).<\/p>\n It also seems likely that AC-12\u2019s hardest-working new recruit DC Chloe Bishop (Shalom Brune-Franklin) will return, though \u2013 with the city\u2019s anti-corruption units going through a merger \u2013 nothing is guaranteed).<\/p>\n And Anna Maxwell Martin would surely return as DCS Patricia Carmichael<\/a>, though the actress herself insisted in an interview with Grazia<\/a> that she has no insider information on whether she \u2013 or even the show itself \u2013 is coming back: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t know\u2026 I\u2019m not in with the in-crowd there and I\u2019m not sure the in-crowd even knows.\u2019<\/p>\n But what about Line of Duty\u2019s next guest lead?<\/p>\n So far, the series has seen the likes of Lennie James, Keeley Hawes, Daniel Mays, Thandiwe Newton, Stephen Graham and Kelly Macdonald join as guest stars.<\/p>\n Of this star-studded line-up, only Hawes has appeared across more than one series of Line of Duty. Kelly Macdonald\u2019s Jo Davidson could do the same, having made it out of the sixth season alive \u2013 but that seems rather unlikely, as her story ended with her in witness protection (with a girlfriend, a cottage and a golden retriever \u2013 lucky).<\/p>\n Jed Mercurio will surely pick another top TV actor to lead season seven, but we\u2019ll have to wait and see.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to say for sure what could happen in a potential seventh series, but with the question of who is \u2018H\u2019<\/a> now resolved, Line of Duty will have to go in some new directions if it is to be renewed for another run \u2013 although we trust that Mercurio will still have plenty of ideas if he does want to keep things going.<\/p>\n As many fans had hoped, the season 6 finale did give us the resolution to the case that has been haunting AC-12 for years \u2013 the identity of \u2018H\u2019 or \u2018The Fourth Man\u2019.<\/p>\n With Ian Buckells now exposed, we\u2019ve reached the conclusion of a storyline that has been playing out since the drama\u2019s very beginning, as was signified at the end of the episode when we saw Ted\u2019s evidence wall \u2013 complete with mugshots of characters dating back to the first series \u2013 being taken down.<\/p>\n Now, while there\u2019s no reason that AC-12 couldn\u2019t return with another case, it would certainly take the show into new ground. In many ways the revelation of Buckells as the Big Bad seems like a natural endpoint.<\/p>\n That being said, Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar recently teased that the H plot might not be entirely wrapped up<\/a>, telling Tom Allen on the BAFTA TV red carpet: \u201cThere may be a way to go with all that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know yet, do we? There are rumours. Who knows?\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from the H of it all, there are the issues surrounding the future of AC-12 itself: despite the successful operation, Chief Constable Osborne is pressing ahead unabated with his dismantling of the force\u2019s anti-corruption units, and the closing credits reveal that he is placing those close to him \u2013 including Patricia Carmichael \u2013 in key positions of power.<\/p>\n While in some ways this could hint at things being over, we can also look at this as possibly setting up an intriguing seventh season, which could potentially follow Steve, Kate and the (hopefully reinstated) Ted fighting to regain control of the unit.<\/p>\n There would certainly be more forces stopping them from catching bent coppers than ever before, that\u2019s for sure. And while they might have got their top man, there\u2019s no doubting there\u2019s still a fair amount of rotten apples that need rooting out\u2026<\/p>\n Mercurio does seem to be open to going deeper on Chief Constable Philip Osborne (Owen Teale), who many fans still believe is the most senior bent copper of them all. The showrunner told Den of Geek: \u201cI think that if there is more Line of Duty then clearly there\u2019s potential there. He\u2019s someone who retains high office who is an outright liar and has been involved in corruption in the past in terms of the Karim Ali case and the Lawrence Christopher case.<\/p>\n \u201cClearly there would be potential there if we wanted to explore it, but it\u2019s too early to say whether we ever would.\u201d<\/p>\n Line of Duty is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Take a look at more of our Drama<\/a> coverage or visit our TV Guide<\/a> to see what\u2019s on tonight.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n By David Craig Published: Tuesday, 18 January 2022 at 12:00 am After a dramatic finale to its sixth season, Line of Duty fans have been clamouring for a season 7 return. Season 6 saw anti-corruption trio Hastings, Arnott and Fleming finally expose the identity of H, with DC Chlo\u00eb Bishop discovering it was Ian Buckells […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":10107,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/01\/will-there-be-a-line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",763,508,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/01\/will-there-be-a-line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/01\/will-there-be-a-line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/01\/will-there-be-a-line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",763,508,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/01\/will-there-be-a-line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",763,508,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/01\/will-there-be-a-line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",763,508,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/01\/will-there-be-a-line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-speculation-cast-and-latest-news.jpg",763,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By David Craig Published: Tuesday, 18 January 2022 at 12:00 am After a dramatic finale to its sixth season, Line of Duty fans have been clamouring for a season 7 return. Season 6 saw anti-corruption trio Hastings, Arnott and Fleming finally expose the identity of H, with DC Chlo\u00eb Bishop discovering it was Ian Buckells…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/10106"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Will Line of Duty return for season 7?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Line of Duty season 7 release date rumours<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Will the BBC renew Line of Duty?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Line of Duty season 7 cast rumours<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What could happen in a season 7 return? Theories and predictions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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