Line of Duty reunion fuels demand for new series

AC-12 were seen roving through London’s streets on a rickshaw

Line of Duty fans have been fiercely demanding a new series after stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reunited on Wednesday for a chaotic rickshaw ride around London.

In a clip posted to Instagram by Compston, who played DI Steve Arnott in the hit BBC police drama, the trio are seen laughing hysterically while dancing and singing along to songs “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor and “Shackles (Praise You)” by Mary Mary blasting from a speaker.

“We’re back!” Compston told the camera, as the trio laughed hysterically.

McClure then told the camera, “Hi everyone, we just needed a ride to a restaurant,” as Dunbar said he was just “trying to keep it together” so these “two young people can get home tonight”.

The trio then gave a passionate karaoke rendition of “I Will Survive” in between fits of laughter. At one point, they passed a fleet of police vans parked on the street, to which McClure shouted, “Oh look, the police!”

“AC12 oot and aboot,” Compston captioned the post, in a nod to the name of their fictional anti-corruption police division depicted in the series.

The trio played the roles of Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings in the much-loved drama, which depicted the lives of the team working in a unit tasked with rooting out corruption within the police. The series last aired in 2021 after launching in 2012.

‘AC-12 oot and aboot’ (@mrmartincompston)

After seeing the reunion clip, one fan said they hoped it had been filmed after “a long day of shooting season seven”.

“Ahhh the best trio! Hope to see you all back on our screens as AC-12 one day!” said another fan, as one added: “We need another series guys…….”

“Imagine walking down the street and seeing AC12 raving in a tuktuk,” remarked another viewer.

Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar in ‘Line of Duty’ (PA Media)

While it’s unknown whether the series will ever return for a seventh season, Dunbar, who plays Ted Hastings in the series, has previously suggested that a new series could take the form of a film or as few as two episodes.

However, Compston said in April 2024 that there were “no immediate plans” for another series.

‘Line of Duty’ stars (BBC)

“It’s just getting us all together and stuff. We’d like to but, yeah, these things are a bit complicated. But there are no immediate plans,” he told The Mirror.

In the series finale, there was an element of finality – Hastings was finally absolved of his crookedness, the Gail Vella investigation was closed, and the mysterious identity of “H” was put to bed.

But there were still threads left unanswered. In the episode’s final shot, the statement that “AC-12’s powers to curb wrongdoing in public office have never been weaker” suggests an element of unfinished business.