Line Of Duty filming resumes on new series to air next year following coronavirus delay
Newcomer Kelly Macdonald joins regular stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar for the new series of Line Of Duty.
Tuesday 1 September 2020 22:20, UK
It's the news Line Of Duty fans have been waiting for - filming has resumed on the long-awaited sixth series following a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Show creator Jed Mercurio thanked fans for their patience as he confirmed the news of anti-corruption unit AC-12's return to doing what they do best - investigating bent coppers.
Line Of Duty regulars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar - aka detectives Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming, and Superintendent Ted "Mother of God" Hastings respectively - will all return to the hit police thriller, alongside new character DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald), the senior investigating officer on an unsolved murder case.
Other new additions to the cast include Shalom Brune-Franklin, Perry Fitzpatrick, Andi Osho and Prasanna Puwanarajah.
Production on the hit show was pushed back earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As filming resumes, the Line Of Duty cast and crew will adhere to strict guidelines to ensure the new series is produced as safely as possible.
Mercurio said: "We know Line Of Duty fans are desperate for series six and we hope we can get it on air as soon as possible.
"Thanks so much for your patience in these difficult times."
McClure, who plays DI Fleming, said: "Been sitting on these incredible scripts for some time now, so I'm really looking forward to getting back to it and seeing the Line Of Duty family."
Dunbar, who returns as Hastings, added: "Even with the imposition of COVID restrictions I can't hide my excitement at getting the team back together.
"So many people wondering...what happens next?"
In a new image, Compston can be seen in his role as DS Arnott, in an interrogation room, but with another person out of sight.
He said: "It's been a long few months and it will be a different way of working from when we stopped, but I'm delighted to be back on the case with the Line of Duty team."
Simon Heath, executive producer for World Productions, said: "It's been almost six months since we stopped shooting, but following our implementation of all the industry COVID protocols, we're delighted to be able to resume filming series six safely."
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The fifth series saw This Is England, The Irishman and Pirates Of The Caribbean actor Stephen Graham introduced as undercover officer DS John Corbett, who came to a grisly end in a gripping episode deemed one of the most shocking moments on TV in 2019 by BAFTA.
Other stars to have featured in previous series include Thandie Newton, Lennie James, Keeley Hawes and Daniel Mays.
Last week, EastEnders revealed details of measures in place for filming on Albert Square - with real-life partners of the cast appearing on screen to allow "moments of intimacy" despite social distancing.
Kissing scenes will feature the soap actors' husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends - but camera angles will be used to make them look like their on-screen partners, executive producer Jon Sen said.
The new series of Line Of Duty is now due to air on BBC One in 2021.
Now we're sucking diesel, as Hastings would say.