LINE Of Duty looks to be coming back for a highly anticipated seventh series – but it might be a long wait.
May’s BBC finale pulled in 15.24million viewers, making it the UK’s most-watched drama series of the 21st century, but so far the show’s creators are not in a rush to bring it back.
“Another series is happening. This is the news millions of fans have been hoping for,” a show insider told Daily Star.
“A lot of stuff still needs to be agreed and it is likely to take a while. Fans will probably have to wait a few years before it airs on TV.”
The BBC would certainly be up for a comeback, but it won’t be piling any pressure on show creator Jed Mercurio who is said to be ‘mulling over’ bringing it back.
BBC drama chief Piers Wenger said: “Of course, we’re all massive fans of the show – we’d like to see both of them return.
“Jed is thinking [about it] but I can’t really say much more than that.
“He hasn’t committed to writing either of them.”
Many viewers were left disappointed by the outcome of the last series earlier this year, when the identity of ‘H’ was finally unmasked.
Speaking last month, lead star Martin Compston, who plays DSI Stephen Arnott, says the cop drama will only return “for the right reasons” and Jed would never write another series “just for the sake of it.”
He said: “People want us to come back and that’s amazing. But Jed will only come back and do more if he believes there is a story to tell.
“He won’t come back just because we’re getting bigger. He wouldn’t do another series just for the sake of it. He writes everything for a reason.”
“It means what we’re doing is going well. And the fact that people want us to come back again means the world.”
But then giving fans a glimmer of hope, Martin added: “It always takes a couple of years between series.”
The Scottish actor was also overwhelmed with the response to the most recent series.
“It’s great to see people’s reaction,” Martin said.
“But by the last episode I was glad it was done. It was getting intense. I realised people are so invested in it.
“We started this wee show on Wednesday nights on BBC Two and now it is bigger than ever.”
He added: “Line Of Duty is the job of a lifetime. I am so lucky. As a cast we have been through a lot together. We are a great team.”
JEd broke the hearts of fans recently when he said he had no plans for more episodes of the cop drama.
But he still held out hope for fans desperate to see a seventh series.
Line of Duty was a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”, he told BBC Breakfast in August.
Jed added: “If there was a way, we’d obviously look at that seriously.
“But, just being honest with you, right now we don’t have a plan in place.
