Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio hits back at viewer’s ‘cheap little show’ criticism with Jackie Laverty dig

Fans will remember Laverty as a key character from season one

Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has fired back at a viewer who called the series a “cheap little show”.

Season six of BBC’s hit police procedural drama came to an end last week, with the identity behind “H” – aka the “fourth man” – finally revealed.

However, the finale, which was watched by a record number of 12.8 million people, was criticised by many viewers on social media as being “underwhelming”.

Mercurio, however, has hit back at one viewer who called Line of Duty “a cheap little show”.

The Twitter user “Lorraine from the London area” wrote: “You should be ASHAMED. Using your cheap little show which built up everyones hopes in a time of CRISIS just to throw a dig at our GREAT Prime Minister without whom you wouldn’t be writing for the taxpayer.

“Making a brain dead brummy the head honcho?? An absolute joke of ending.”

The crime drama’s creator and writer retweeted Lorraine’s criticism, adding: “Lorraine is the result of what would happen if Jackie Laverty’s body parts were reassembled in the wrong order.”

Fans of the series will recall Laverty’s character (played by Gina McKee) from season one. She was later killed and dismembered by an organised crime group. Her remains were stored in a freezer that shockingly turned up in series six.

Mercurio’s dig was picked up on by Lorraine Kelly, who had initially thought he was referring to her.

Replying to Mercurio with a riff on Ted Hastings’s catchphrase in the series, the TV presenter wrote: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey @jed_mercurio – I thought you were talking about me!”

Yesterday (5 May), the show creator also shared research suggesting that the conclusion was not as disliked as social media implied.

While it has not yet been confirmed whether there will be a seventh season of Line of Duty, BBC has suggested it is happy for the show to continue should Mercurio want to make more.