List of Line of Duty episodes
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Line of Duty is a British police procedural and serial drama television series created and written by Jed Mercurio for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).[1][2] Mercurio originally pitched the programme to BBC One, but was turned down and directed towards BBC Two,[3] which commissioned the series nine months later.[4] It premiered on 26 June 2012 with a five-episode first series which concluded on 24 July.[5][6] The programme performed well and quickly earned a commission for a second series.[7] The six-episode second series aired from 2 February to 19 March 2014.[8] Although viewing figures were slightly lower than the first,[9] BBC Two commissioned a third and fourth series of the programme.[10] The third began broadcasting on 24 March 2016 and finished six weeks later on 28 April.[11] Series three surpassed viewership of the first series and was the most viewed series on BBC Two in over ten years,[12] leading to the commissioning of a fifth series.[13]
Around this time, a restructuring of BBC television networks occurred causing BBC One and BBC Two to now be controlled by the same person.[14] The decision was made to promote Line of Duty to BBC One for the fourth series onwards.[15] Series four aired from 26 March to 30 April 2017[16][17] followed by the fifth from 31 March to 5 May 2019.[18][19] Following the fourth, the programme was also commissioned for series six.[20] A special mini-episode written by the Dawson Brothers aired on 13 March 2020 in support of Sport Relief.[21][22] An additional episode was produced for the sixth and final series of the show;[23] the series began airing on 21 March 2021 with its finale being broadcast on 2 May.[24][25] Viewing figures increased significantly over the course of the series,[26] leading to record breaking broadcasts[27] and causing Line of Duty to become the highest-rated drama since modern records began in 2002.[28] The series has been nominated for several awards,[29] also gaining a cult following[30] and becoming the subject of critical acclaim.[31][32][33][34]
The series primarily follows the actions of Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12), a task force located within the fictional Central Police Constabulary.[35] AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings, portrayed by Adrian Dunbar.[36] Martin Compston and Vicky McClure also starred in all six series as AC-12 officers Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming.[37] Each series features an additional actor who portrays a police officer that is being investigated by AC-12.[38] These roles were performed by Lennie James,[39] Keely Hawes,[40] Daniel Mays,[41] Thandie Newton,[42] Stephen Graham,[43] and Kelly Macdonald.[44] Other starring cast members include Craig Parkinson,[45] Jessica Raine,[46] Jason Watkins,[47] and Anna Maxwell Martin.[48] Over the course of the programme, an overarching storyline develops that connects numerous characters to an organised crime group which is found to be in a large conspiracy with high-ranking officers of the police department.[49] Produced by World Productions,[50] the series was primarily filmed in Belfast although filming for the first series took place in Birmingham.[51] It was distributed internationally by Content Media Group, which was eventually purchased by Kew Media Distribution,[52] and ultimately ITV Studios following Kew Media's collapse.[53]
During the course of the series, 36 episodes of Line of Duty aired, between 26 June 2012 and 2 May 2021.[54]
Series overview[edit]
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | Average viewership (in millions)[55] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||
| 1 | 5 | 26 June 2012 | 24 July 2012 | BBC Two | 3.80 | |
| 2 | 6 | 12 February 2014 | 19 March 2014 | 3.43 | ||
| 3 | 6 | 24 March 2016 | 28 April 2016 | 4.81 | ||
| 4 | 6 | 26 March 2017 | 30 April 2017 | BBC One | 8.24 | |
| 5 | 6 | 31 March 2019 | 5 May 2019 | 11.10 | ||
| Sport Relief special | 13 March 2020 | — | ||||
| 6 | 7 | 21 March 2021 | 2 May 2021 | 13.67 | ||
Episodes[edit]
Series 1 (2012)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title [56] | Directed by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [57] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" "A Disastrous Affair" | David Caffrey | 26 June 2012 | 3.76 |
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" "The Assault" | David Caffrey | 3 July 2012 | 3.84 |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" "In the Trap" | David Caffrey | 10 July 2012 | 3.80 |
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" "Terror" | Douglas Mackinnon | 17 July 2012 | 3.87 |
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" "The Probation" | Douglas Mackinnon | 24 July 2012 | 3.72 |
Series 2 (2014)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title [58] | Directed by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [59] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | "Episode 1" "The Ambush" | Douglas Mackinnon | 12 February 2014 | 2.74 |
| 7 | 2 | "Episode 2" "Carly" | Douglas Mackinnon | 19 February 2014 | 3.21 |
| 8 | 3 | "Episode 3" "Behind Bars" | Douglas Mackinnon | 26 February 2014 | 3.34 |
| 9 | 4 | "Episode 4" "Blood Money" | Daniel Nettheim | 5 March 2014 | 3.46 |
| 10 | 5 | "Episode 5" "Last Words" | Daniel Nettheim | 12 March 2014 | 3.73 |
| 11 | 6 | "Episode 6" "The Caddy" | Daniel Nettheim | 19 March 2014 | 4.12 |
Series 3 (2016)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title [60] | Directed by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [61] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | "Episode 1" "Monsters" | Michael Keillor | 24 March 2016 | 3.31 |
| 13 | 2 | "Episode 2" "The Process" | Michael Keillor | 31 March 2016 | 5.11 |
| 14 | 3 | "Episode 3" "Snake Pit" | Michael Keillor | 7 April 2016 | 4.97 |
| 15 | 4 | "Episode 4" "Negative Pressure" | John Strickland | 14 April 2016 | 4.82 |
| 16 | 5 | "Episode 5" "The List" | John Strickland | 21 April 2016 | 5.09 |
| 17 | 6 | "Episode 6" "Breach" | John Strickland | 28 April 2016 | 5.58 |
Series 4 (2017)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title [62] | Directed by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [63] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1 | "Episode 1" "In the Shadow of Truth" | Jed Mercurio | 26 March 2017 | 7.40 |
| 19 | 2 | "Episode 2" "Who Sows the Wind" | Jed Mercurio | 2 April 2017 | 7.26 |
| 20 | 3 | "Episode 3" "In the Trap" | John Strickland | 9 April 2017 | 7.37 |
| 21 | 4 | "Episode 4" "Moral Superiority" | John Strickland | 16 April 2017 | 8.48 |
| 22 | 5 | "Episode 5" "Lying Nest" | John Strickland | 23 April 2017 | 9.03 |
| 23 | 6 | "Episode 6" "Royal Hunting Ground" | John Strickland | 30 April 2017 | 9.92 |
Series 5 (2019)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title [64][65] | Directed by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [66] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 1 | "Episode 1" "Operation Pear Tree" | John Strickland | 31 March 2019 | 11.37 |
| 25 | 2 | "Episode 2" "The Head of Medusa" | John Strickland | 7 April 2019 | 10.30 |
| 26 | 3 | "Episode 3" "Code Zero" | John Strickland | 14 April 2019 | 10.34 |
| 27 | 4 | "Episode 4" "The Betrayal" | John Strickland | 21 April 2019 | 10.46 |
| 28 | 5 | "Episode 5" "On Your Own" | Sue Tully | 28 April 2019 | 11.42 |
| 29 | 6 | "Episode 6" "The Intrigue" | Sue Tully | 5 May 2019 | 12.69 |
Sport Relief special (2020)[edit]
| No. | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Line of Duty Sport Relief Special"[67] | Dawson Brothers[22] | 13 March 2020 |
Series 6 (2021)[edit]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [68] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Daniel Nettheim | 21 March 2021 | 13.49 |
| 31 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Daniel Nettheim | 28 March 2021 | 12.45 |
| 32 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Gareth Bryn | 4 April 2021 | 12.58 |
| 33 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Gareth Bryn | 11 April 2021 | 12.77 |
| 34 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Jennie Darnell | 18 April 2021 | 13.72 |
| 35 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Jennie Darnell | 25 April 2021 | 14.89 |
| 36 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Jennie Darnell | 2 May 2021 | 15.79 |
Viewing figures[edit]
Line of Duty : UK viewers per episode (millions)
Audience measurement performed by Broadcasters' Audience Research Board[55]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Series | Episode number | Average | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
| 1 | 3.76 | 3.84 | 3.80 | 3.87 | 3.72 | – | 3.80 | ||
| 2 | 2.74 | 3.21 | 3.34 | 3.46 | 3.73 | 4.12 | – | 3.43 | |
| 3 | 3.31 | 5.11 | 4.97 | 4.82 | 5.09 | 5.58 | – | 4.81 | |
| 4 | 7.40 | 7.26 | 7.37 | 8.48 | 9.03 | 9.92 | – | 8.24 | |
| 5 | 11.37 | 10.30 | 10.34 | 10.46 | 11.42 | 12.69 | – | 11.10 | |
| 6 | 13.49 | 12.45 | 12.58 | 12.77 | 13.72 | 14.89 | 15.79 | 13.67 | |
References[edit]
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- ^ Conlan, Tara (7 June 2018). "How Line of Duty set the benchmark for the police procedural". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Craig, David (27 July 2020). "Jed Mercurio reveals BBC One initially turned down Line of Duty". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Palmer, Bex (30 April 2021). "How 'Line of Duty' Got Made". Backstage. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "BBC Two England - Schedules, Tuesday 26 June 2012". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
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- ^ Sperling, Daniel (25 July 2012). "'Line of Duty' renewed for second series by BBC". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "'Line of Duty' Season 2 episode guide". Cult Box. 27 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Line Of Duty to move to BBC One". BBC Media Centre. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (8 April 2014). "Line of Duty set to return for third and fourth series". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "'Line of Duty' Season 3 episode guide". CultBox. 21 April 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ Plunkett, John (28 April 2016). "Line of Duty outranks Wolf Hall to take BBC2 ratings crown". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Line Of Duty to move to BBC One". BBC. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ Hogan, Michael (26 June 2022). "Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio on scrapped storylines, Steve and Kate's potential romance and "H"". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ Plunkett, John (6 May 2016). "Line of Duty promoted to BBC1 for two more series". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (24 March 2017). "Line of Duty: Why the BBC series is the decade's best British drama". The Independent. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "The best TV shows this week: Line Of Duty reaches its thrilling climax". The Guardian. 28 April 2017. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "When is Line of Duty on TV?". Radio Times. 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Anderton, Joe (6 May 2019). "Line of Duty series 5 finale draws biggest audience of 2019 so far". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Line of Duty commissioned for sixth series". The Irish News. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Link, Thomas (26 February 2020). "Mother of God! Sport Relief will feature a Line of Duty sketch". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b Wynn, Aiden (2020). "Christmas TV: Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter star in BBC Two's Christmas Eve charity pantomime". Stylist. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- ^ Young, Gegor (30 April 2021). "Line of Duty series six finale: BBC clears up running time confusion". The National. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Line of Duty series 6 premiers on BBC One on Sunday 21 March". Northern Ireland Screen. 16 March 2021. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Leggat, Iain (30 April 2021). "Line of Duty season 6 finale: when is the final episode on TV, what will happen and will we find out who is H?". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Lucy (3 May 2021). "Line of Duty finale draws record 12.8 million UK TV audience". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Petski, Denise (3 May 2021). "'Line Of Duty' Season 6 Finale Scores Record Ratings For BBC". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ :ang, Jamie (3 May 2021). "'Line of Duty' Finale Breaks Modern U.K. Viewing Records for BBC – Global Bulletin". Variety. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- ^ "Awards - World Productions". World Productions. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ Alexander, Susannah; Robinson, Abby (10 November 2019). "Exclusive: Line of Duty's Martin Compston says show will end on Jed Mercurio's terms". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ Mason, Paul; Hogan, Michael (22 March 2014). "Was Line of Duty's ending a cop-out?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Mellor, Louisa (5 May 2017). "Line Of Duty series 4: creator Jed Mercurio interview". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Here's What You Need To Know About British Police Drama Line Of Duty". AMC. AMC Networks. 2 April 2020. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Craig, David (27 July 2020). "Jed Mercurio reveals BBC One initially turned down Line of Duty". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Chapman, Wilson (5 March 2022). "'Line of Duty' Star Martin Compston Talks Potential New Season of BBC Series: 'There's Definitely Scope for It'". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Kanter, Jake (2 June 2021). "'Line Of Duty' Star Adrian Dunbar To Headline ITV's Retired Detective Series 'Ridley'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Craig, David (27 April 2021). "Meet the cast of Line of Duty". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Hogan, Michael (21 March 2021). "Who's the baddie? Line of Duty's bent coppers, ranked". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Line of Duty series 1 recap: everything you need to know before the BBC drama returns". Radio Times. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Line of Duty series 2 recap: everything you need to know before the BBC drama returns". Radio Times. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Line of Duty series 3 recap: everything you need to know before the BBC drama returns". Radio Times. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (14 March 2017). "Thandie Newton signed up for Line of Duty series 4 without reading a single script". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Griffiths, Elanor Bley (5 May 2019). "Who is John Corbett? Everything you need to know about Stephen Graham's character in Line of Duty". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Line of Duty series 6 air date and time: Your guide to the next series of the crime drama". Radio Times. 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Cremona, Patrick (27 February 2021). "Line of Duty star Craig Parkinson: 'I was shocked to find out the truth about Dot Cottan'". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Harrison, Phil (12 March 2016). "'The easiest way to kill someone? Be a cop' – Line of Duty, the police show for our times". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Meet the cast of Line of Duty series four". Radio Times. 9 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Cremona, Patrick (28 April 2021). "Who is DCS Patricia Carmichael in Line of Duty and could she be 'the fourth man'?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Griffiths, Elanor Bley (2 May 2021). "Line of Duty ending explained – how season six revealed the identity of H, and all the important details from the finale". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (25 August 2022). "Channel 4 Sets New Six-Part Drama From 'Line Of Duty' Producer World Productions". World Productions. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Duncan (29 April 2021). "The real AC-12: discover the police anti-corruption officers who inspired Line of Duty". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Lodderhouse, Diana (3 February 2017). "Kew Media Group Acquires Six Companies, Including Content Media, For $104M". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ Kanter, Jake (9 June 2020). "'Line Of Duty': ITV Studios To Sell Season 6 Of Hit Police Drama After Kew Media's Collapse". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
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- ^ a b Multiple references,
- For series 1–4, see: "Weekly top 30 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018) Barb". Broadcasters Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2024. (User must select the proper channel and then select the appropriate year, month, and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)
- For series 5–6, see: "Most viewed programmes Barb". Broadcasters Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2024. (User must select the appropriate year and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)
- ^ "Shows A-Z - line of duty on acorn tv". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2024. (User must select "BBC2" in the Channel field and then select the appropriate year, month, and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)
- ^ "Shows A-Z - line of duty on acorn tv". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2024. (User must select "BBC2" in the Channel field and then select the appropriate year, month, and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)
- ^ "Shows A-Z - line of duty on acorn tv". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2024. (User must select "BBC2" in the Channel field and then select the appropriate year, month, and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)
- ^ "Line of Duty - Peacock". Peacock. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014. (User must select "BBC1" in the Channel field and then select the appropriate year, month, and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)
- ^ "Line of Duty – Season 5 Acorn TV". AcornTV. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Line of Duty - Apple TV". Apple TV+. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Four-screen dashboard BARB". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019. (User must select the appropriate year and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)
- ^ "First Look: Line of Duty Sport Relief Special". BBC. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Most viewed programmes Barb". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2024. (User must select the appropriate year and week to retrieve the figure for each episode.)