It's been over two years since Line Of Duty aired its last episode of season six, and ever since the internet has been guessing (*manifesting) about whether our favourite fictional cops will be returning to our screens.
Now, Adrian Dunbar (Superintendent Ted Hastings) has dropped the biggest hint yet that Line Of Duty could be returning to our screens for another series. Responding to a question about whether the show could be coming back, Dunbar told Times Radio 'I hope so. Looks like it!,' continuing 'All the signals and everything is kind of, you know, (positive) but as somebody said, until the script hits the desk you can't be 100% sure.'
Dunbar continued 'So we're all hoping that someone somewhere will make an announcement and say, yes, it's happening. And we can all take it from there. I can tell you one thing...the day they announce it, it's going to burn up the internet.'
Naturally, Dunbar's interview has already got the internet talking. Right now, Adrian Dunbar is a trending topic on Google, and 'line of duty season 7' is a breakout search term on Google.
Dunbar chatted to hosts Jane Garvey and Fi Glover about the show in general, adding 'To end up creating what is an iconic character on British television and also within an iconic TV show would have been a huge ambition of mine. And so to do it is a very humbling and very satisfying experience. So that's how I'd describe it. It's been, it's something that kind of when you think about it keeps you warm. It's very, very nice.'
Rumours about a new series of Line Of Duty have been steadily building. Last month, Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Dunbar reunited on Wednesday for a rickshaw ride around London. In the clip posted to Instagram by Compston, who played DI Steve Arnott, the three actors laugh and sing to songs 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor and 'Shackles (Praise You).' We’re back!' Compston told the camera. McClure then said 'Hi everyone, we just needed a ride to a restaurant,' while Dunbar said he was just 'trying to keep it together” so these “two young people can get home tonight.'
The clip got lots of people talking in the comments, with many people speculating it could be a sign that Line Of Duty is returning to our screens. One user wrote 'we need another series guys....' while another said 'ahhh the best trio! Hope to see you all back on our screens as AC-12 one day!' A third simply asked 'is it happening!!?? It's happening???' Another user wrote 'Fantastic guys! Hope this is the celebration of a get together for the next series! Canny wait.'
Dunbar has made no secret of his desire to film another series of Line Of Duty. In May, he told The Times 'We all want it to come back. It’s apposite that today should be their [castmates Vicky McClure and Martin Compton's shared] birthdays because I really don’t want them getting any older. I don’t want to get any older either because we don’t want to be coming back when we’re in a wheelchair,' adding 'Ted Hastings with a Zimmer frame.' In 2022, he told GQ 'I’m sure the BBC want to do another series. We do, because we want to get together again'.
Watch this space.