Line Of Duty's Adrian Dunbar teases show will return to BBC but one thing is missing

Adrian Dunbar appears to have dropped a significant hint about the much-anticipated return of Line of Duty, nearly three years following the acclaimed series' dramatic conclusion.

Fans of Jed Mercurio's esteemed drama were devastated when star Martin Compston revealed there were "no immediate plans" for a new series.

In May, Vicky McClure, who rose to prominence through her role in Line Of Duty, tactfully evaded enquiries regarding the show's revival during an appearance on ITV's This Morning.

Lately, however, speculation has been rife with whispers of a resurgence, particularly after Martin, Vicky, and Adrian were seen in discussions with series mastermind Jed about terms and potential shooting schedules for a seventh instalment. Now, Adrian, 66, has intimated that a BBC comeback for the show is on the horizon and all that's missing is a finished script.

During his Monday, November 11 interview with Times Radio, Adrian suggested optimism about Line Of Duty's future, saying: "I hope so. Looks like it. 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. 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," reports the Mirror.

He then made reference to his character in the show, Superintendent Ted Hastings, stating: "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."

This isn't the first time Adrian has sparked excitement among Line Of Duty fans. During a July 2024 appearance on Good Morning Britain, host Susanna Reid questioned him about the show, insisting that the series needed to make a comeback.

This led Adrian to respond: "I think so, Vicky [McClure] thinks so, Martin [Compston] thinks so. Everybody thinks so. It'll be down to the BBC and Doctor Jed Mercurio I think, when and whether we do it."

He then revealed that they were "all up for it" and "keeping their fingers crossed", concluding with: Hopefully somebody will make a decision at some point and everybody will go 'Oh they're off again!'"".

In contrast, speaking to The Daily Mirror in April, Martin Compston was less optimistic: "I'm sorry. They're some of my closest friends, we all love Jed [Mercurio], and we'd all love to work together at some point, but there are no immediate plans."

He reiterated: "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."