Line of Duty promoted to BBC1 for at least two more series

The series' first outing was BBC Two's most-watched original drama in ten years

(BBC)

A sign of a successful BBC property is when it begins life on BBC Two and gets promoted to the network's main channel; The Apprentice, Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off are all TV shows to have earned the honour, but now Line of Duty can be deemed a dramatic addition to the list.

The BBC has announced plans to move the crime series - which finished its third series last month - to BBC One for at least two more series.

Jed Mercurio's procedural follows AC-12, a squad focused on anti-corruption within the police force comprised of DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Superintendant Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar).

Each series places a new suspected individual at the forefront of their investigation with the first two focusing on Lennie James' DCI Tony Gates and Keeley Hawes' DI Lindsay Denton. The latest saw Daniel Mays lead the charge as Sgt. Danny Waldron.

Upon its airing in 2012,Line of Duty became BBC Two's most-watched original drama in ten years. The channel handed it a further two series following a critically successful second run - and another's just been commissioned.

Viewing figures for the latest twist-filled series saw 5.6 million viewers tune in for the finale - a series high.

Line of Duty is expected to return to BBC One in 2018; series one and two are available to view on Netflix.