TV preview: everything you need to know about the new Line of Duty series

The anticipation surrounding the sixth series of the BBC crime drama is immense – heightened possibly due to a delay in airing (filming had to be halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

You see, the famous Ted Hastings slogans – “Mother of God!” – Jed Mercurio’s clever and heavy writing and impressive caliber of guest stars are just a few things that make Line Of Duty stand out in the world of TV series.

And you won’t be disappointed with the seven new episodes, which take place at 18 months of the fifth series, and you’ll see the return of stars Vicky McClure (DI Kate Fleming), Adrian Dunbar (Supt. Ted Hastings) and Martin Compston ( DS Steve Arnott), alongside new faces Shalom Brune-Franklin and Kelly Macdonald.

Here, we chat with these stellar cast members to find out more.

TEN TEASERS

Scot Macdonald is the main guest of this series; she plays Chief Detective Inspector Joanne Davidson, a senior investigator into an unsolved murder case.

His suspicious behavior attracts the attention of Anti-Corruption and, as the AC-12 uncovers increasingly dark information, DCI Davidson could prove to be their most dangerous opponent to date …

In the meantime, we know that there is still a fourth and final H to be identified within the central police (this is the code name for a corrupt police network that was discovered in the previous series, you know. remember?)

The cast members are all very careful not to give away spoilers, but McClure, 37, from Nottingham, says: “I think what we can safely say is that we are all facing the consequences of the fifth series.

“Kate has always had a somewhat delicate personal life, very dedicated to work – and the rest.”

Scottish star Compston, from Greenock, says more about the upcoming drama.

“The relationship between all the characters is probably a little strained after everything they’ve been through – and Steve is struggling personally with his back,” reveals the 36-year-old, who we saw directing another BBC drama, The Nest, last. year.

“He’s having more and more problems with painkillers. There are some darker things for him because he kind of has this image in his head that he’s kind of like Super Cop and he doesn’t want to give away. this image, then it kind of came to a breaking point.

“There are some brilliant scenes as an actor in there, so I was really excited to read it, and I hope I did the material justice.”

Feel the pressure

Discussing what we can expect from his role on the show, Trainspotting and Boardwalk Empire star Macdonald suggests his character is “tortured” and “lonely.”

“I was extremely nervous about getting involved in the project,” she says.

“The main guest status seems pretty important. It was kind of like being the new James Bond! So that’s very flattering, and also exciting and scary.”

Brune-Franklin, 26, who appeared in Our Girl, plays “diligent” DC Chloe Bishop, and was also incredibly scared when she got to the reading with the cast.

“I remember having a depression in the toilet before I went to see my friend [on the phone]: ‘I don’t think I can do that, they’re all in there!’ ”

The rising star – who was born in the UK, but moved to Australia as a teenager – says the difficult dialogue was the most difficult part of the role, recalling how the police interview scenes lasted sometimes half an hour. But there is a tremendous amount of support on set, she enthuses.

Martin always said, ‘You are fine. If you are wrong, we will come back and go. “But I was like, ‘I can’t be the mess person, I’m brand new!'”

ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES

Brune-Franklin also admits that filming during Covid meant that filming was a “more lonely experience” than it normally would have been because the actors weren’t able to socialize as much together.

And asked how she found life locked out, This Is England star McClure said, “This is what it is for everyone – scary and difficult. You just have to be careful of the amount. news that you watch “.

Compston, meanwhile, is pondering what was “heartbreaking” about returning to the Line Of Duty movie in Belfast, after the first lockout last spring.

“There is a lovely little restaurant below where we used to stay and you can see a lovely couple running the place packing their bags, closing,” he says.

“And it’s the same with us in Greenock. People’s livelihoods have been decimated by this, and they will live with the repercussions.

“So, it really made you appreciate that we can get back to work, and you don’t take that for granted.”

IN THE WINGS

Many of us have turned to entertaining social media posts and videos to cheer us up during the pandemic, and for Line Of Duty fans, one in particular may come to mind.

Last October, McClure posted a clip to Twitter of her Compston and Dunbar performing a TikTok dance, and it quickly went viral.

“This is Vicky and her devilish sense of humor; she’s ambushing you,” quips Northern Irish star Dunbar, 62, whose starring role came in 1993 when he starred in the nominated film. Bafta, Hear My Song.

“She says, ‘Well, we all have to dance’ and you say ‘What are you talking about?’ And she said, “Just dance on it!” Next thing you know, a million people watched it.

“A lot of the things Vicky asks you to do is for charity and stuff like that, so you naturally go, ‘Yeah, it’s obviously for some kind of good cause, I don’t mind making a fool of myself. . ‘”

“It was for a good cause! We were going through a tough time as a country and I just wanted to make people smile and I knew if I put you both on a TikTok it would do just that,” McClure interjects. laughing.

Plus, she notes, “when you’re on set and it’s pretty wordy and a lot of stuff is going on and it’s pretty stressful,” messing around and being a little silly with the co- stars is “what must happen”.

“I don’t know if I could do a job without being able to do it.”

And who knows what other fun videos from the Line Of Duty set could be shared online next …

“We spent days perfecting an AC-12 Christmas song … that we never got the chance to release,” Compston teases. “I thought it was pretty good at the end!”

Line Of Duty returns to BBC One tonight at 9 p.m. ET.