Line of Duty season 6: Release date, cast and plot details

29 June 2019, 14:21

The BBC has ordered a six seasons for its well-loved drama about the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit.

The sixth season of Line of Duty is confirmed, and with the longer than usual finale episode for season five (aired on 5 May) fans are eager for the details of what's coming next.

Here's what we know about the sixth series of Line of Duty including the cast and release date:

Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio. Picture: Getty

Release date

Series 1 premiered on BBC Two in June 2012, with the follow-up series returning to the same channel in the February two years later.

The third, fourth, and fifth series were then broadcast on BBC One, airing in March of 2016, 2017 and 2019, respectively.

Creator and executive producer Jed Mercurio had been working on Bodyguard, which debuted in summer 2018, between the fourth and fifth season of Line of Duty.

Whether we can expect a 2020, 2021 or even 2022 release date is unknown.

Adrian Dunbar, Rochenda Sandall, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston. Picture: Getty

Cast

While viewers have seen dramatic exits from a number of characters through the years, who might be in series 6 is not certain. With cliffhangers and several plot lines still open from the series five finale many of the main characters would be expected to appear in plot.

The main cast includes:
Detective sergeant Steve Arnott (Martin Compston)
Detective inspector Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure)
Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar)

As well as:
Detective inspector Matthew "Dot" Cottan (Craig Parkinson)
Detective chief inspector Anthony "Tony Gates (Lennie James)
Detective inspector Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes)
Sergeant Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays)
Detective chief inspector Rosanne "Roz" Huntley (Thandie Newton)
Detective Sergeant John Corbett (Stephen Graham)
Detective Chief superintendent Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin)

Plot details

For fans of the show, the burning question will be the identity of 'H' - a corrupt cop (or is it cops, plural). The forthcoming season six is likely to delve further in the matter.

Another twist from the series five finale leaving viewers with a cliff hanger ending is a revisit to Dot's death, where a Morse code message may have major implications.

And speaking of the deceased, more unanswered questions are surfaced in regards to the death of detective sergeant Corbett and who's responsible for the leak.

That's not to mention Hastings laptop -- and what may or may not be illicit content.