Line of Duty

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(Redirected from Ted Hastings)
This article is about the BBC television series. For the Hong Kong film series, see In the Line of Duty (film series). For the 2019 film, see Line of Duty (film).

Line of Duty
Genre
Created byJed Mercurio
Written byJed Mercurio
Directed byVarious
Starring
Theme music composerCarly Paradis
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series6
No. of episodes36 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Simon Heath
  • Stephen Wright
  • Jed Mercurio
  • Tommy Bulfin
Producers
  • Jed Mercurio
  • Peter Norris
  • Cait Collins
  • Ken Horn
Production locations
Cinematography
  • Ruairi O'Brien
  • Peter Robertson
  • Anna Valdez Hanks
  • Stephen Murphy
  • Tim Palmer
  • Ray Carlin
Editors
  • Andrew McClelland
  • Steve Singleton
  • David Blackmore
  • Dominic Strevens
Running time57–88 minutes
Production companyWorld Productions
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release26 June 2012 (2012-06-26) –
28 April 2016 (2016-04-28)
NetworkBBC One
Release26 March 2017 (2017-03-26) –
2 May 2021 (2021-05-02)

Line of Duty is a British police procedural television series created by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions. On 26 June 2012, BBC Two began to broadcast the first series; it was its best-performing drama series in ten years with a consolidated audience of 4.1 million viewers. Broadcast of the second series began on 12 February 2014; its widespread public and critical acclaim led to the BBC commissioning a further two series.[1][2][3] The third series began on 24 March 2016 on BBC Two; the following three series were broadcast on BBC One.

In May 2017, the BBC commissioned a sixth series. Filming began in February 2020 but stopped the following month due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it resumed in September.[4] Filming continued until November 2020.[5] Broadcast of the sixth series began on BBC One on 21 March 2021.[6]

Prior to switching channels from series four onwards, Line of Duty was the most popular drama series broadcast on BBC Two[7] and is a winner of the Royal Television Society Award[8] and Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Drama Series.[9] The Telegraph included it in a list of the Top 50 BBC Two shows of all time[10] and in a list of the 80 best BBC shows of all time.[11] In 2016, the series ranked eighth in The Independent's list of the twenty greatest police shows of all time[12] and third in a Radio Times 2018 poll of the best British crime dramas of all time.[13] In 2021 Line of Duty won the National Television Award for Special Recognition.[14]

Synopsis[edit]

Line of Duty follows DS Steve Arnott, an authorised firearms officer who is transferred to Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12) after refusing to agree to cover up an unlawful shooting by his own team. At AC-12 Arnott is partnered with DC Kate Fleming, a highly commended undercover officer with a keen investigative instinct. They work under the supervision of Superintendent Ted Hastings, uncovering corruption within the fictional Central Police. Throughout the series, AC-12 investigate seemingly disparate cases involving seemingly corrupt police officers such as DCI Tony Gates (series one), DI Lindsay Denton (series two), Sergeant Danny Waldron, DI Matthew Cottan, DCI Roseanne Huntley (series four), undercover officer DS John Corbett (series five), and DCI Joanne Davidson (series six).

AC-12 realises the pervasive nature of corruption and the police's deep-rooted links to an organised crime group. A long-running story arc revolves around discovering the identity of "H", a corrupt person or persons of senior rank within the police force who are instrumental in running organised crime.

Cast and characters[edit]

Main[edit]

Name Portrayed by Series
1 2 3 4 5 6
Tony Gates Lennie James Main Does not appear
Steve Arnott Martin Compston Main
Kate Fleming Vicky McClure Main
Jackie Laverty Gina McKee Starring Does not appear
Ted Hastings Adrian Dunbar Starring Main
Matthew "Dot" Cottan Craig Parkinson Starring Main Guest Does not appear
Jools Gates Kate Ashfield Starring Does not appear
Derek Hilton Paul Higgins Starring Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Nigel Morton Neil Morrissey Starring Does not appear
Philip Osborne Owen Teale Starring Does not appear Starring
Tommy Hunter Brian McCardie Starring Does not appear
Lindsay Denton Keeley Hawes Does not appear Main Does not appear
Georgia Trotman Jessica Raine Does not appear Main Does not appear
Mike Dryden Mark Bonnar Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Jo Dwyer Liz White Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Lester Hargreaves Tony Pitts Does not appear Starring Does not appear Guest Starring Does not appear
Daniel Waldron Daniel Mays Does not appear Main Does not appear
Gill Biggeloe Polly Walker Does not appear Starring Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Rod Kennedy Will Mellor Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Hari Bains Arsher Ali Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Jackie Brickford Leanne Best Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Terry Reynolds Shaun Parkes Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Sam Railston Aiysha Hart Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Joe Nash Jonas Armstrong Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Maneet Bindra Maya Sondhi Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Patrick Fairbank George Costigan Does not appear Starring Does not appear Starring
Roz Huntley Thandie Newton Does not appear Main Does not appear
Tim Ifield Jason Watkins Does not appear Main Does not appear
Nick Huntley Lee Ingleby Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Jimmy Lakewell Patrick Baladi Does not appear Starring Does not appear Guest
John Corbett Stephen Graham Does not appear Main Does not appear
Patricia Carmichael Anna Maxwell Martin Does not appear Main
Lisa McQueen Rochenda Sandall Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Jane Cafferty Sian Reese-Williams Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Allison Powell Susan Vidler Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Rohan Sindwhani Ace Bhatti Does not appear Starring
Andrea Wise Elizabeth Rider Does not appear Starring
Roisin Hastings Andrea Irvine Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Tatleen Sohota Taj Atwal Does not appear Starring Does not appear
Joanne Davidson Kelly Macdonald Does not appear Main
Farida Jatri Anneika Rose Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Starring
Ian Buckells Nigel Boyle Recurring Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Starring
Chloë Bishop Shalom Brune-Franklin Does not appear Starring
Chris Lomax Perry Fitzpatrick Does not appear Starring
Nicky Rogerson Christina Chong Does not appear Recurring Does not appear Starring
Steph Corbett Amy De Bhrún Does not appear Recurring Starring
Haran Nadaraja Prasanna Puwanarajah Does not appear Starring
Ryan Pilkington Gregory Piper Recurring Does not appear Recurring Starring
Gail Vella Andi Osho Does not appear Starring
Medical counsellor Steve Oram Does not appear Starring

Recurring[edit]

  • Claire Keelan as DS Leah Janson (series 1)
  • Fiona Boylan as PC Karen Larkin (series 1)
  • Faraz Ayub as DC Deepak Kapoor (series 1)
  • Alison Lintott as Rita Bennett (series 1)
  • Brian Miller as Alf Butterfield (series 1)
  • Darren Morfitt as Sergeant Colin Brackley (series 1)
  • Neet Mohan as PC Simon Bannerjee (series 1)
  • Tomi May as Miroslav Minkowicz (series 1, 5)
  • Lauren O'Rourke as Keely Pilkington (series 1)
  • Elliot Rosen (series 1) and Tommy Jessop (series 5–6) as Terry Boyle
  • Steve Toussaint as CS Mallick (series 2)
  • Maria Connolly as Alison Merchant, corrupt prison officer (series 2, 5, 6)
  • Henry Pettigrew as DC Jeremy Cole (series 2)
  • Michael Nardone as Sergeant O'Neill (series 2)
  • Niall Macgregor as Richard Akers (series 2)
  • Richard Huw as Nick Robson (series 2)
  • Sacha Dhawan as DS Manish Prasad (series 2)
  • Charlotte Spencer as Carly Kirk (series 2)
  • Lisa Palfrey as Inspector Tracey McAndrew (series 3)
  • James Edlin as AFO Lambert (series 3)
  • Shaun Parkes as CS Terry Reynolds (series 3)
  • Gaite Jansen as Hana Reznikova (series 4)
  • Claudia Jessie as DC Jodie Taylor (series 4)
  • Patrick FitzSymons as DCI Mark Moffatt (series 4–5)
  • Mark Stobbart as DS Neil Twyler (series 4)
  • Scott Reid as Michael Farmer (series 4)
  • Elva Trill as Gemma Riley (series 4)
  • Royce Pierreson as DC Jamie Desford (series 4)
  • Vineeta Rishi as FC Rupal Pandit (series 4)
  • Richard Pepple as Sergeant Kyle Ferringham (series 5)
  • Maanuv Thiara as Vihaan Malhotra (series 5)
  • Laura Elphinstone as DI Michelle Brandyce (series 5)
  • Natalie Gavin as Sergeant Martina "Tina" Tranter (series 5)
  • Peter de Jersey as Hastings's solicitor (series 5)
  • Kwaku Fortune as DS Marks (series 6)
  • Sherise Blackman as PS Ruby Jones (series 6)
  • Tara Divina as PC Lisa Patel (series 6)
  • Sara Dylan as Boyle's solicitor (series 6)
  • Kerri McLean as Deborah Devereux (series 6)
  • James Nesbitt as Marcus Thurwell (series 6)

Episodes[edit]

Main article: List of Line of Duty episodes
SeriesEpisodesOriginally airedAverage viewership
(in millions)
First airedLast airedNetwork
1526 June 2012 (2012-06-26)24 July 2012 (2012-07-24)BBC Two3.80
2612 February 2014 (2014-02-12)19 March 2014 (2014-03-19)3.43
3624 March 2016 (2016-03-24)28 April 2016 (2016-04-28)4.81
4626 March 2017 (2017-03-26)30 April 2017 (2017-04-30)BBC One8.24
5631 March 2019 (2019-03-31)5 May 2019 (2019-05-05)11.10
6721 March 2021 (2021-03-21)2 May 2021 (2021-05-02)13.67

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

Jed Mercurio created Line of Duty.

Series creator and producer Jed Mercurio stated that he wanted to create something different to other programmes, and viewed the series as a "revisionist commentary on 21st-century policing".[15] The series is produced by World Productions.[16] Mercurio originally pitched it to BBC One, which turned him down, believing it too "problematic for mainstream audiences", and directed him toward BBC Two,[17] which commissioned the series nine months later.[18] A second series was commissioned by the BBC on 25 July 2012.[19] Mercurio became an executive producer from the second series onwards, alongside Simon Heath for World Productions and Stephen Wright for BBC Northern Ireland.[20] Tommy Bulfin replaced Wright for the fifth and sixth series.[21][22] A third and fourth series were commissioned in April 2014,[23] followed by a fifth in May 2016.[24] At the time of the fifth series renewal, it was announced that future editions of the programme, including the fourth, would move from BBC Two to BBC One.[25][26] This decision came after the series’s high viewing figures and a restructuring of the networks.[27] Five days after broadcast transmission concluded on the fifth, Line of Duty was commissioned for a sixth series.[28]

Writing[edit]

A long running story arc is the unknown identity of "H", a suspected corrupt police officer believed to be the highest connection to the organised crime group.[29] Despite not introducing this storyline until the end of the third series,[30] Mercurio stated that he had crafted it from the beginning, and purposefully gave multiple characters names beginning with "H" so he could re-craft portions of the story if needed.[31] He added that this also allowed him to intentionally mislead viewers.[32] Mercurio wrote many characters to be morally grey so that they would feel more relatable.[33] He attributed this to his belief that the world is "more complicated" than good versus evil.[34] Mercurio also frequently kills off key characters to keep the audience engaged.[35][36] Some of the storylines have been loosely based on true stories.[37] The opening scene of the programme featured the shooting death of a man mistaken to be a suicide bomber, this was credited to the 2005 police shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in which a man was incorrectly believed to be part of bombings in London.[38] Additionally the story surrounding the Sands View Boys' Home in the third series included references to the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal.[39] The BBC was initially uncomfortable at mention of Savile and wished to exclude it, but were persuaded by Mercurio to keep it.[33] The series six murder of Gail Vella was based on the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.[40] Many of the colloquialisms that Hastings uses were inspired by Mercurio's Italian father and Dunbar's Irish dad.[41] Mercurio opted not to incorporate COVID-19 into the programme as four episodes of the sixth series had already been filmed when lockdown, face mask, and social distancing guidelines were introduced and it would have been too expensive to re-film.[32]

Casting[edit]

Martin Compston
Vicky McClure
Adrian Dunbar
Compston, McClure, and Dunbar are the only cast members to appear in all six series.

Leading the main cast across the six series are Martin Compston and Vicky McClure, who portrayed Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming respectively, two officers in AC-12.[42] Adrian Dunbar also appeared in the first series in a supporting role as Ted Hastings, and was promoted to the main cast beginning with the second series.[43] Each series features an additional actor as part of the main cast who portrays a police officer who is being investigated by AC-12.[44] These roles were performed by Lennie James in series one,[45] Keely Hawes in series two,[46] Daniel Mays in the third series,[47] Thandie Newton in series four,[48] Stephen Graham in series five,[49] and Kelly Macdonald in the sixth and final series.[50] Craig Parkinson also held a supporting role in the first series and joined the main cast for the second and third.[51][52][53] Parkinson originally auditioned for the role of Arnott but ultimately portrayed Matthew Cottan.[54] Mercurio also decided to bring Hawes back for the third series as a result of her character’s positive reception, and made changes to the script.[55] Mercurio killed off both Parkinson's and Hawes's characters at the conclusion of the third series.[55] Despite this, Parkinson filmed new footage for flashback scenes in the fourth and fifth series.[56] Jessica Raine and Jason Watkins each appeared briefly in the second and fourth series, respectively, and were both credited within the main cast.[57][58] Anna Maxwell Martin was also featured as part of the starring cast in the fifth and sixth series, but only appeared in the latter portion of each series.[59]

Production design[edit]

Peter Anderson designed Line of Duty's opening title sequence.[60] From series two onwards Maggie Donnelly worked as the costume designer.[61] She gave Hawes lower-end outfits to reflect "reflect how far [Denton] had sunk in her grief", but also included power suits to show where "she would have been in her career if fate hadn’t dealt her that hand".[62] Other outfits included pieces from high-end designers, such as A.P.C., Marks & Spencer, and Tommy Hilfiger for McClure, Theory for Newton, and ME+EM for both Macdonald and McClure.[61][62] Compston regularly wears three-piece suits and his character became notable for the waistcoats.[63] Compston attributed this idea to a friend’s experience working in a call centre.[64]

In series six, the Hillside Lane police station was built inside a former school. Gillian Devenney was the series's producion designer. She designed Davidson's apartment with "minimalist décor and cool tones" to illustrate it as a lonely place, while Buckells's office was expected to show his "shallowness and lack of commitment to his career". The older design of the police headquarters contrasted with the modern appearance of AC-12's offices.[60] The interrogation room was described as a glass box due to its large windows instead of walls.[65] This room originally existed on location but had to be replicated on a sound stage during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was built with no roof to allow for ventilation.[66]

Filming[edit]

The Invest NI headquarters in Belfast depicts AC-12's headquarters.

Principal photography for the first series began in August 2011.[67] Five hour-long episodes were directed by David Caffrey and Douglas Mackinnon.[51] It was filmed over 11 weeks in Birmingham and utilised two cameras.[68] The setting was later changed to the Midlands on the advice of the BBC.[69] For the second series, filming moved to Belfast and began in mid-2013.[70] The six episodes were split into two filming blocks with Mackinnon returning to direct the first block of episodes and Daniel Nettheim directing the second.[71] The headquarters of Invest Northern Ireland doubled as Anti-Corruption Unit 12's office building while the exterior of Belfast Central Library served as the police headquarters‘ facade.[72] Filming for the third series began in March 2015.[73][74] Michael Kellior directed the first three episodes while John Strickland directed the final three.[75] Locations included BT Riverside Tower, McHugh's Bar and Belfast City Hall.[76] Fourth series filming took place from 29 August to 16 December 2016.[77] Mercurio directed the first two episodes of the fourth series[77] while Strickland returned to direct the final four.[78] Up to 20 hours of footage can be taken to create just 20 minutes of episodic content for the series.[79]

Future[edit]

Since 2021 there has been interest in producing a seventh series.[80][81] Mercurio stated that he concluded many of the loose threads during the sixth series, as a seventh had not been commissioned. He also said the BBC was "very supportive" of the series and that "conversations have been very reassuring from the standpoint of not having to wrap things up".[32] Dunbar said in 2022 that he didn't expect a full seventh series but anticipated the possibility of a three to four part mini-series or two 90-minute episodes.[82] Compston, McClure, and Dunbar all expressed interest in returning, if asked.[83][84][85] Compston explained that there would only be a seventh series if Mercurio had a story to tell.[86] Later reports suggested a three-episode series was set to air in 2023.[87][88] In April 2024 Compston confirmed that there were no immediate plans for a seventh series.[89]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

Critical response of Line of Duty
SeasonRotten TomatoesMetacritic
1100% (5 reviews)[90]83 (4 reviews)[91]
2100% (5 reviews)[92]—
3100% (7 reviews)[93]—
4100% (15 reviews)[94]—
590% (29 reviews)[95]88 (5 reviews)[96]
686% (22 reviews)[97]85 (5 reviews)[98]
Overall96% (83 reviews)[99]86 (14 reviews)[100]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the show holds an average rating of 96%.[99] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gives it a score of 86 based on 14 reviews.[100] The first three series are often considered by critics to have been significantly better than the last three.[101][102] A commonly cited strength of the programme is that along with its regular cast, each series revolves around a different guest lead.[103][104] The programme has also been praised for its interrogation scenes.[105][106][107] The segments, which take up as much as 46 minutes of an episode, are often credited with being the most intense moments of the series.[108] The ending of a long-running story arc regarding the true identity of "H" was met with mixed reviews.[109][110]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Line of Duty

Over the course of the series, Line of Duty has won multiple awards and been nominated for several others. Most notably, the programme picked up nominations for several British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards such as "Best Drama Series" at the 2015 and 2018 award ceremonies. Additionally, cast members McClure, Dunbar, Hawes, Newton, Macdonald, Mays, and Bonnar have all been nominated for acting-related accolades.[111] Three scenes on the programme, "Urgent Exit Required", "Huntley's Narrow Escape", and "John Corbett's Death" received consideration for "Virgin TV's Must-See Moment."[112][113][114] Composer Carly Paradis and director Andrew John McClelland have both been nominated for BAFTA Craft awards for their work on the show.[115] Actors Graham and Compston have won Broadcasting Press Guild and TV Choice Awards.[116][117] Each individual series of the programme has been nominated for "Best Drama Series" at Royal Television Society-related awards Several awards, four of which were won across three series.[a][118] Mercurio has also received a number of nominations for his writing on the programme securing wins at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and the American Edgar Allen Poe Awards.[119][120]

Release[edit]

Home media[edit]

DVD[edit]

DVD releases for Line of Duty:

Line of Duty series 1 home media releases
Title DVD release dates Number of
episodes 		Number of
discs
Region 1 Region 2
Line of Duty - Series One 29 October 2013[121] 3 February 2014[122] 5 2
Line of Duty Series 2 4 June 2014[123] 24 March 2014[124] 6 2
Line of Duty: Complete Series 1 & 2 — 24 March 2014[125] 11 4
Line of Duty: Series 3 9 August 2016[126] 2 May 2016[127] 6 2[b]
Line Of Duty: Series 1-3 — 2 May 2016[128] 17 6
Line of Duty - Series 4 26 September 2017[129] 8 May 2017[130] 6 2
Line of Duty - Series 1-4 — 8 May 2017[131] 23 8
Line of Duty - Series 5 26 November 2019[132] 6 May 2019[132] 6 2
Line of Duty - Series 1-5[c] 26 November 2019[133] 6 May 2019[134] 29 10[d]
Line of Duty - Series 6 — 31 May 2021[135] 7 2
Line of Duty - Series 1-6 Complete Box Set — 31 May 2021[136] 36 12

Blu-ray[edit]

Blu-ray releases for Line of Duty:

Name Release dates Ep # Additional Information
Region B
Line of Duty: Series 1 10 April 2015[137] 5 The two-disc box set includes all five episodes from series one, with a classification age of 16.
Running time: 300 minutes.
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Line of Duty: Series 2 25 September 2015[138] 6 The two-disc box set includes all six episodes from series two, with a classification age of 16.
Running time: 369 minutes.
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Line of Duty: Series 3 20 January 2017[139] The two-disc box set includes all six episodes from series three, with a classification age of 16.
Running time: 390 minutes.
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Line of Duty got a series six Blu-ray release.[140]

Line of Duty series one to six will be released in a compilation Blu-ray box set.[140]

International broadcast[edit]

Kew Media (previously known as Content Media) handled international distribution of the series[141] until its collapse in 2020.[142]

In Australia, as of 2021, the first five series are available across streaming services such as Britbox, Netflix, Acorn TV and Stan, but series six is exclusive to Britbox.[143]

In the United States, the first series was released on Hulu in August 2012, as an exclusive series, until Acorn TV picked up the streaming rights for its platform in 2018, which included the existing series and exclusive access to series five and later additions.[144][145] The first three series began airing on AMC on 4 April 2020.[146][147] However, licence changes in 2021 led to BritBox also obtaining the rights to the series in the United States, along with exclusive rights to series six and any future series.[148][149]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Series 2 of Line of Duty won in both the main award programme as well as the Northern Ireland awards while the fourth and fifth series only won once.
  2. ^ 3 discs in region one
  3. ^ Titled Line of Duty: Series 1-5 Collection in region one
  4. ^ 5 discs in region one

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

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