'Hooray for AC-12!' BBC boss reveals Line Of Duty will return for at least two more outings... days after wildly popular fourth season comes to an end
- WARNING: This article contains spoilers concerning the show's fourth season
Following the conclusion of its hugely popular fourth season, it has been revealed that Line Of Duty has been renewed for at least two more outings.
BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall broke the news that the show would hit a minimum of six seasons during an event staged to announce the new batch of dramas commissioned by the broadcasting giant.
Referencing the show's police anti-corruption unit, he enthusiastically informed the audience: 'I am very excited to say there's not one but two more series of Line of Duty. So hooray for AC-12!'
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They're coming back! Line Of Duty, starring Vicky McClure, is set to return for at least two more seasons, it has been announced
The announcement comes after it was reported that the popular cop show - which stars the likes of Vicky McClure and Thandie Newton - has piqued the interest of Hollywood TV bosses, who are eyeing the possibility of a US adaptation.
Similar to veteran shows such as LAPD Blue, The Wire, The Shield and Law & Order, executives reportedly believe it will draw in millions of viewers, with Amazon and Netflix said to be among the contenders hoping to develop it.
An insider told The Sun: 'There’s been a lot of interest with the show – especially recently with the move from BBC One to BBC Two as a lot more people have watched the last series and caught up with the previous three.
Big news: BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall, pictured in 2013, made the announcement as he unveiled a fresh batch of dramas commissioned by the broadcasting giant
Cast: Jason Watkins and Thandie Newton had big storylines during the show's fourth season
'Big players in Hollywood have been impressed by the gripping nature of the show and think they can set it in the US and add more layers with a bigger budget.
'It follows their remakes of The Office, Broadchurch, Shameless and some would say Sherlock, so it’s bound to happen with one of the US companies.'
As the fourth series of Line of Duty closed last Sunday, fans of the programme heaped praise on the action-packed finale with some calling it 'the best drama ever'.
On Twitter, one fan wrote: 'Just simply THE BEST Drama ever!!! #LineofDuty Well done BBC. Just can't wait now for next series - please don't leave it too long!!'
Off to Hollywood? The announcement comes days after it was revealed that the show may be in line for an American adaptation after its success in the UK
Best ever: As the fourth series of Line of Duty drew to a close, fans of the programme heaped praise on the action-packed finale with some calling it 'the best drama ever'
Echoing that sentiment, another viewer enthused: 'The best cop show I've ever watched... I was shouting at the telly it was so gripping!'
A third fan declared, 'Best finale ever,' followed by another who added: 'Are you allowed to stand up and applaud your television? Because Line of Duty deserves it.'
In the fourth season's final episode, although the identity of one key figure – Balaclava Man – was revealed, the fact he was just a common criminal was an anti-climax for viewers who were guessing who he was from the characters they knew.
Furthermore, it soon became clear there was more than one Balaclava Man.
Stateside fans: The series has developed a cult fanbase via Hulu - an American TV subscription service - and this has piqued the interest of Hollywood TV bosses
The addictive programme also saw Thandie's DCI Roz Huntley confess to killing Tim Ifield, played by Jason Watkins, and in a shocking twist exposed ACC Derek Hilton (Paul Higgins) as a corrupt copper involved in a clandestine criminal ring.
But although some loose ends were tied in the hour-long episode, plenty more came apart and frustrated viewers who will have to wait for the fifth season to have their questions answered.
The questions involving DCI Huntley who, after taking time out of work to raise a family felt under pressure to solve Operation Trapdoor and find the murderer and rapist behind a string of offences, are concluded as she confesses to killing forensics expert Ifield.
Although she tries to implicate her husband, anti-corruption unit AC-12, headed by Superintendent Tim Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), managed to uncover her tracks and find the blood-sodden clothes linking her to the crime, she is forced to confess.
Dropping hints: Talking about the next Line of Duty series, series creator Jed Mercurio hinted the show will revisit the lives of the programme veterans
Confessions: The addictive programme also saw DCI Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton) confess to killing Tim Ifield
DCI Huntley, who is given ten years for manslaughter, tells DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) she had no choice but to try to save herself, saying: ‘I am not a bad person. Maybe you would have done the same.’
Talking about the next Line of Duty series, series creator Jed Mercurio hinted the show will revisit the lives of the programme veterans.
He said: ‘We definitely have a fifth [series], not a sixth... but we haven’t started working on it yet. I need to think what the character is first.
‘I want to look at the personal lives of all the regulars in series five - they’ve taken a backseat in this series to Roz Huntley, so it would be good to explore that side of things a bit more.’
They all dunnit! Line of Duty ended with a string of suspects in cuffs, or dead
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