Martin Compston admits upcoming seventh series is 'the end' for Line of Duty
He's dubbed it the most 'brutal' yet
Last updated 5 hours ago
It's been five years since the last series of BBC crime drama Line of Duty hit our screens, so it's no surprise fans are counting down the months until AC-12 members DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are back with a seventh series!
After his appearance at the National Television Awards on Tuesday (8th September) night, where he watched close friend Vicky McClure pick up a gong for her role in Trigger Point, Martin has now appeared on This Morning, where he teased the upcoming series.
Speaking to hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on the sofa, Martin revealed filming for series seven is now complete, before saying: "We've got Bobby (Robert) Carlyle coming in and he's amazing. He's the kindest, loveliest, patient man, everything you could want him to be. He's just an phenomenal actor.
"The scripts are incredible, some amazing returning cast, so I think we all came back and thought it would maybe be a bit of victory lap, and it was genuinely the hardest one we've had to shoot, it was a pretty, pretty brutal shoot.
"I think that's because what we are trying to achieve is very ambitious. We've got bigger and longer and more interview scenes and a tonne of action."
Martin then seem suggest series seven of the crime drama will almost certainly be the last, adding: "It's not for me to say, it's for Jed (Mercurio) to say when the show will end, but I think it's fair to say this is the end of the story arc that's been building since series one. Everything will come to a head in this one."
When Ben cheekily added: "But the last one was supposed to be the last one," Martin said with a smile on his face: "This is the end. I think it would be fair to say that this is the end," before alluding to the fact something dramatic will happen at the end.
He concluded: "I think Jed really wanted to wrap it up. We have incredibly loyal fans, and I think he wanted to give them everything they wanted in this one. I'm excited about it. Because we take so long between filming, the scripts aren't rushed, he's had a long time to think about this so it's exciting."
READ MORE: Everything we know so far about Line of Duty series 7
It was way back in November 2025 when writer Jed Mercurio and the BBC delighted fans by revealing the show would be returning for a seventh series.
Sharing the news bosses wrote: 'Mother of God! Line of Duty is officially returning for a seventh series'.
Jed said at the time: “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.”
When is the new series of Line of Duty out?
All we know so far is that Line of Duty will return in 2027, but now filming is complete, we could see a release around Spring time!
As well as confirming Robert Carlyle has joined the cast as Detective Constable Shaun Massie, a Specialist Rifle Officer, the BBC also released a plot synopsis for series seven.
It 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?'
Check out Jed Mercurio's biggest TV shows below:
Cardiac Arrest (1994-1996)
Written under the pseudonym John MacUre, Cardiac Arrest was Jed's first television drama, released in 1994 whilst he was still a doctor. The show, which followed the lives of junior doctors working in a hospital, had three series between 1994-1996, with Jed taking inspiration from his own time working within a hospital.
Bodies (2004-2006)
Jed's next big high-profile series arrived in the form of another medical drama in 2004, titled Bodies. The series was based on Jed's 2002 novel of the same name. The show, which first aired on BBC Three, follows a registrar called Rob Lake (Max Beesley), as he starts in a new post in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, under the guidance of consultant Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi).
The show ran for three series between 2004-2006, starring the likes of Neve McIntosh, Keith Allen, Susan Lynch, Tamzin Malleson and Preeya Kalidas.
Line of Duty (2012-Present)
Perhaps Jed's biggest and most-loved show to date! Line of Duty is a thrilling crime drama which stars the likes of Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston working in the Anti-Corruption (AC-12) unit of the police. First landing in 2012, the series was so popular it went on to land five further series, with 36 episodes in total, starring some huge names such as Stephen Graham, Neil Morrissey, Keeley Hawes, Daniel Mays, Will Mellor and Thandie Newton.
Despite Jed saying series six would be the last in 2021, on 18th November 2025, Jed and the BBC confirmed Line of Duty will be returning for a seventh series, with filming beginning on Monday 23rd March 2026! The new series is set for a 2027 release.
CR:IT:IC:AL (2015)
CR:IT:IC:AL, or Critical as it's also known, was another medical drama written by Jed. Airing on Sky One in 2015, the drama was set in a fictional major trauma centre, following a team of doctors and nurses as they are forced to make life-changing decisions in order to save their patients. Starring Lennie James and Catherine Walker, the drama was axed after just one series.
Bodyguard (2018)
One of the biggest dramas to grace our screens in 2018 was Jed's six-part series Bodyguard! Featuring Richard Madden as PS David Budd and Keeley Hawes as Home Secretary Julia Montague, the high-octane drama had viewers on the edge of their seats as PS Budd attempted to protect the Home Secretary, whilst getting set up for a bomb attack on the Capital.
Despite the series finale of Bodyguard gaining a whopping 17 million viewers, BBC bosses and Jed are yet to renew the show for a second series, leaving fans gutted. Speaking in 2023, main actor Richard Madden said: "I don't know if there's a space for it, but we've always left the door open... I'm not really sure where I take that character, but as the years go by, I think that's what might make it interesting... to pick up with David Budd, you know maybe 6-7 years later and see what's happened in his life since."
Bloodlands (2021)
Jed acted as a producer on BBC One drama Bloodlands in 2021. The series, which was filmed and set in Northern Ireland followed police officer DCI Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) investigate crimes while trying to hide a dark secret from his past. The show was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in 2022, but its since been axed.
Trigger Point (2022-Present)
Another popular show that is produced by Jed's company HTM Television is Trigger Point. Starring Vicky McClure has EXPO officer Lana Washington, the first series hit our screens in 2022 and was met with immediate praise from fans and critics. The series was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in early 2024, and a third, which hit screens in October 2025. It seems there's no slowing down Trigger Point, with the fourth series dropping in Autumn 2026.
DI Ray (2022-2024)
Jed worked on police drama series DI Ray as an Executive Producer as part of his HTM Productions company. Parminder Nagra stars as main character Detective Inspector Rachita Ray and has so far enjoyed two successful series. Series one aired in 2022, with the second instalment arriving in 2024. There's so far been no official announcement about a third series.
Payback (2023)
Jed worked as the Executive Producer on 2023 ITV drama Payback, starring Morven Christie and Peter Mullan. Beginning in 2023, the six-part series follows a character called Lexie Noble, played by Morven Christie, as she becomes entangled in a perilous police operation to topple a notorious crime lord, Cal Morris, played by Peter Mullan.
The show was met with positive reviews, gaining a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers also choosing to binge all six episodes in one sitting. Despite this, there's been no word on a second series.
Speaking about his input into the scrips, Jed said: "Well, I'm an executive producer on the project so I give feedback and guidance as part of the usual editorial process but all the physical writing was Debbie's - in the way that if I write a show like Line of Duty people are giving me feedback and I then make changes to the script. So that's how it worked; Debbie was doing all the writing, we had a brilliant editorial team and I was one part of that."
Breathtaking (2024)
Jed worked alongside real-life NHS doctor Rachel Clarke in order to create hard-hitting drama Breathtaking in 2024. The three-part series, which was adapted for television by Jed and Rachel, shows the challenges NHS staff had during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and features Joanne Froggart as the main character.
Jed Mercurio commented during filming: "Everyone at HTM Television has felt privileged to dramatise Rachel Clarke's hauntingly illuminating memoir of health workers struggling to cope with the extraordinary challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. I'm honoured to have collaborated with Rachel and Prasanna on this important drama, and thrilled to be working with a cast led by Joanne Froggatt and crew led by director Craig Viveiros."
Trinity (coming soon)
Richard Madden will appear alongside Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Marcia Gay Harden in an upcoming series called Trinity. The eight-episode series, which is created by Jed, follows a valiant naval officer whose newfound connection with the secretary of defense catapults her into a world of political intrigue. At the moment there's no release date!
Author: Alex Ross
Alex Ross is a Digital Content Editor across Rayo brands, including the Hits Radio Network, Greatest Hits Radio, KISS, Cool FM and Magic Radio. After beginning her career as a Marketing Intern with Bauer Media in 2016, she transitioned into digital editorial and has spent the past decade creating engaging content for millions of readers. Whether it’s reality shows, sitcoms, gritty crime dramas or hard-hitting documentaries, Alex is an expert in all things TV, as well as knowing the ins and outs of celebrities.