There was an extra special treat for ‘Line Of Duty’ fans after the finale of ‘Bodyguard’ on Sunday night, with a first look at the new series.
TV bosses capitalised on the massive popularity of Jed Mercurio’s latest show by airing a trailer for his other hit series, which is set to return to screens in 2019.
Actors Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar are currently filming as AC-12, and while the fifth series isn’t even the can yet, fans still got a tiny peek at what they should expect.
As well as a newly-bearded DS Steve Arnott, Superindent Ted Hastings is heard telling DS Kate Flemming: “AC-12 is being met with an institutional cover up. We need to get to the root of it.”
She asks him: “The root being what sir?”
However, fans will have to wait a few more months to find out what case of police corruption the team will tackle next.
Last year, when news of the fifth series was announced, the BBC also revealed they had commissioned a sixth, while the BBC police drama is also reportedly set for a US remake after several US broadcasters picked up on the buzz surrounding the show.
Jed could have a busy few months on his hands as he has already teased that a second series of ‘Bodyguard’ could be in the works.
He told The Sun: “It’s probably fair to say we would probably approach any thoughts of a second series with the idea that it would create an opportunity for a third or fourth.”
Noting that he had been “fortunate” with the success of series one, he explained the reason that he’d chosen to wrap up all the show’s loose ends in the finale was because he wasn’t sure how it would be received, and therefore whether a second run would be in demand.
Jed added: “To adopt a sporting phrase, we kind of decided to leave everything on the field for series one.
“If the ratings hadn’t been quite so high, then possibly everybody involved including the BBC would have said, ‘Well that was a nice little series but we’re just going to leave it at that and there won’t be any more’. So you are a hostage to fortune in that sense.
“And we do feel very privileged and fortunate that there’s been such a response that it gives us that opportunity to at least think about doing more.”
‘Bodyguard’ concluded with over 10 million people tuning in to find out the identity of Home Secretary Julia Montague’s killers on Sunday night.