LOD gets promoted to BBC One
Award winning drama series Line Of Duty has been commissioned for a fifth series, and will be moving from BBC Two to BBC One from series four following record ratings for the third series.
Written and created by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions, Line Of Duty stars Adrian Dunbar, Martin Compston and Vicky McClure as a unit of anti-corruption police officers (AC-12). Guest stars have included Lenny James, Keeley Hawes and Daniel Mays – with Craig Parkinson‘s ‘Dot’ Cottan continually alluding capture until his story was concluded with his death at the end of series 3. Series four – which was commissioned back in 2014 – will begin in 2017 with a brand new story.
This third series is the highest-rating BBC Two drama series ever since current measuring system began in 2002, with a series consolidated average of 5.1 million. The exhilarating 90-minute finale consolidated at 5.6 million.
Charlotte Moore, BBC Controller of TV Channels and iPlayer, says: “Line of Duty is original, bold, gripping drama that gets the nation talking and the time is right to bring the series to an even broader audience on BBC One. Jed Mecurio’s explosive thriller will find a new home on BBC One for two more series and create room for new drama to flourish on BBC Two. Thanks to Jed, Simon Heath’s World Productions, and Stephen Wright at the BBC for producing the record-breaking show.”
Jed Mercurio says: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the extremely flattering response to series three. Much of the credit should go to our brilliant cast and crew and to Simon Heath and Priscilla Parish at World Productions. We’re deeply grateful for the unstinting support we receive from Charlotte Moore, Stephen Wright and the whole BBC team. It’s an immense privilege to be able to reward Line Of Duty fans with two more series on BBC One.”
Simon Heath, World Productions, says: “We couldn’t have asked for a better response to series three, and it’s testament to Jed’s brilliant writing, and a fantastic cast, that the BBC have handed us two further series on BBC One.”
