Vicky McClure admits Line of Duty secrecy is 'excessive'
Actress Vicky McClure has confessed she finds the secrecy surrounding the new series of Line of Duty to be "excessive" but she's determined to help keep the plot under wraps.
Vicky McClure finds the secrecy surrounding the new series of Line of Duty to be "excessive".
The police drama is returning for a seventh series five years after the last episodes aired in 2021 - reuniting Vicky with her co-stars Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston - but the storyline for the new episodes is being tightly under wraps and the actress has confessed the strict rules are a bit "dramatic".
She told The Sun newspaper: "There’s a lot of secrets to keep. I mean, I do think sometimes it’s a bit dramatic, the industry – it’s a bit MI5. 'Oh, you know, sign an NDA for this script', like we’re gonna, you know, copy it and get a green light tomorrow, which is impossible.
"So I do think sometimes it’s excessive. But then for the audience’s sake, I wouldn’t dream of saying anything.
"I think if my family ask, they probably know a lot – but don’t approach!"
The new series is due to air next year and a recent report suggested the programme will “leave the door open” for further seasons - although they have as yet not been officially commissioned - but the BBC will face competition from streaming giants such as Netflix to keep broadcasting it on their network.
A source told The Sun: "The BBC currently hold the recommissioning rights to Line of Duty, yet ultimately it is the property of World Productions.
"The streamers have particularly deep pockets as well as a desire to tap into tried-and-tested shows that are very British."
The report came after Netflix turned BBC shows Peaky Blinders and Luther into chart-topping movies. Line of Duty’s seventh season is currently being filmed, and is expected to air around Easter 2027.
Martin will be back as corruption-cracking DS Steve Arnott, and recently spoke to the BBC about what first attracted him to the role.
He explained: “Jed’s [Mercurio, creator and writer] written a fantastic script which is genuinely exciting and it’s clever. I also think the cast they pulled together is great. One of the big things for me was when I heard Vicky McClure would be playing one of the other leading roles.
"When I heard that going into the audition, I knew it was something I wanted to do. She’s possibly the best young actress in Britain at the moment so it was a joy to work with her.
"It was a cracking cast, we had a blast, and we were all same when it came to an end … It was genuinely the most fun I had on a job in years. We became so close altogether.
"We became a gang and we’ve all kept in touch as we had a great time on it."
The sixth season of Line of Duty ended with DCI Ian Buckells revealed as H, also known as the "Fourth Man”, so viewers are understandably keen to see exactly what happens next in the wake of the identification.
