Line of Duty could continue beyond season 7 – but ‘not on the BBC’

For four excruciatingly long years, Line of Duty fans were left in limbo over whether the hit BBC police drama would ever make its return.

Following a divisive season six finale, the BBC, however, finally confirmed that AC-12 would be making its return for a seventh series towards the end of last year.

This came before we got our first glimpse at Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar back in action together.

But now, just as fans are gearing up for the show’s long-awaited return, it has been reported that a streaming giant could be in line to steal Line of Duty from the BBC.

With the lure of bigger budgets and a global platform, Netflix is said to be in the running to snag Jed Mercurio’s tale of police corruption so it can continue beyond 2027.

A TV insider told The Sun: ‘The Beeb currently hold the recommissioning rights to Line of Duty, yet ultimately it is the property of World Productions.

‘The streamers have particularly deep pockets as well as a desire to tap into tried-and-tested shows that are very British.’

So far, there has been no suggestion that the show will leave the BBC.

Additionally, no further series have been commissioned beyond the upcoming run.

The broadcaster confirmed earlier this year that Compston, McClure and Dunbar would reprise their roles as Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings in Line of Duty.

Production on the new series is said to be progressing well, with reports suggesting it could air around Easter next year.

The show’s return comes after the controversial reveal of ‘H’ in the 2021 finale.

If Line of Duty is to be prised away by Netflix, it would certainly not be the first major BBC drama to find a new future on a streaming platform.

Both Peaky Blinders and Luther later expanded their stories with Netflix-backed films.

However, neither series left the BBC during their original television runs.

All episodes of Line of Duty are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.