What time is Line of Duty on TV tonight?

BBC police drama is due back on screens following pandemic-related delays

Fans will be happy to learn that the return of Line of Duty is imminent.

The BBC has confirmed that the highly anticipated sixth season of the police drama will return to BBC One on Sunday 21 March at 9pm.

The start date was revealed on Saturday (27 February) after a teaser for the show played during the Six Nations match.

Filming on the BBC’s hit police corruption drama had suffered delays as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, amid a spate of postponements and cancellations across the wider film and TV industries.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Line of Duty fans would be getting one additional episode than was originally commissioned. Season six will comprise seven episodes.

DI Kate Fleming (McClure) investigates DCI Joanne Davidson (Macdonald) (BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill)

A press release stated: “AC-12’s [the name of the show’s fictional anti-corruption unit] highest priority will always be capturing bent coppers.

“With that in mind, we have requested and been granted an extension of an extra episode for our next series, making it our longest yet.”

Read more:

• Line of Duty recap: Everything that’s happened in series one to five
• Line of Duty season 6: Behind the scenes photos shared by the creator and cast
• ‘Now we’re sucking diesel’: 15 of Ted Hastings’ best quotes from Line of Duty
• Line of Duty fans discover trail of cryptic Easter eggs in series six trailer, hinting at future plotlines
• Line of Duty: Who are the three leads and what’s happened to them in past series?

Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston are all set to reprise their roles, with newcomer Shalom Brune-Franklin (previously Cursed and Our Girl) joining as a new addition to the AC-12 team.

Kelly Macdonald is also set to feature as the show’s latest guest star, playing Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Davidson, the senior investigating officer on an unsolved murder case whose conduct attracts the attention of Anti-Corruption.

Shalom Brune-Franklin as DC Chloe Bishop (BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill)

Andi Osho (I May Destroy You), Perry Fitzpatrick (I Am Nicola) and Prassana Puwanarajah (Doctor Foster and Patrick Melrose) will also be joining the cast.

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Further details of the plot – which creator Jed Mercurio previously called “ludicrously implausible” – have been kept under wraps. However, the cast have been busy sharing behind-the-scenes photos ahead of the show’s return.

Read more: 15 of Ted Hastings’ best quotes from Line of Duty

It is not yet known whether season six will be Line of Duty’s final series, however, Dunbar has previously stated that he believes it will go on “as long as there’s an appetite from our audience for the show”.

“Why should we stop?” said the actor during an appearance on the Graham Norton Radio Show in January.

“We’ve managed to keep the standard, Jed [Mercurio] rather, has managed to keep the standard so high for so long, and people love the show. I hope it does go on.”

Line of Duty returns Sunday 21 March at 9pm on BBC One.