Line of Duty is a British police procedural and serial drama consisting of six series that was created by Jed Mercurio and broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The first three series spanned a total of 17 episodes and aired on BBC Two between 2012 and 2016. The remaining three series comprised 19 episodes and aired on BBC One from 2017 to 2021. Produced by World Productions, the series was primarily filmed in Belfast although filming for the first series took place in Birmingham. Mercurio wrote all 36 episodes and serves as an executive producer alongside Simon Heath and Stephen Wright. It was distributed internationally by Kew Media Distribution and later ITV Studios following the former's collapse.
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Wins | 27 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nominations | 115 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The series primarily follows the actions of Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12), a task force located within the fictional Central Police Constabulary. AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings, portrayed by Adrian Dunbar, who appeared in the first series and was promoted to the main cast beginning with the second series. Martin Compston and Vicky McClure also starred in all six series as AC-12 officers Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming. Each series features an additional actor as part of the main cast who portrays a police officer that is being investigated by AC-12. These roles were performed by Lennie James in series one, Keely Hawes in series two, Daniel Mays in the third series, Thandie Newton in series four, Stephen Graham in series five, and Kelly Macdonald in the sixth and final series. Craig Parkinson was an additional member of the second and third series cast, while Hawes' role extended into the third. Parkinson also appeared in the first series prior to being promoted. The characters of Parkinson and Hawes were both killed off at the end of series three; Parkinson however, appeared as a guest star in one episode of each of the two following series in flashback scenes. Jessica Raine starred in a single episode of the second series and Jason Watkins appeared in two episodes of the fourth series; both were credited with the other principal cast members. Additionally, Anna Maxwell Martin was also featured as part of the starring cast in the fifth and sixth series, but only appeared in the latter portion of each series. Over the course of the series, an overarching storyline develops that connects numerous characters to an organised crime group which is found to be in a large conspiracy with high-ranking officers of the police department.
Viewing figures increased significantly over the course of the series, leading to record-breaking broadcasts and causing it to become the subject of critical acclaim. Line of Duty has been nominated for a total of 115 awards, winning 27 of them. A large portion of the nominations resulted from British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Royal Television Society-related awards, which are collectively responsible for 42 of them. A third of the series' successful awards were won at the TV Choice and Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. Dunbar and McClure tie for the most nominations received by cast members, each holding seven, followed by Compston with five and Hawes with three. McClure and Hawes have the most wins by a cast member with two each. Individual series and the programme as a whole secured a total of 46 nominations. The largest portion were acquired by the sixth series while the fifth and sixth series gained the most wins in this aspect. Four awards out of 12 nominations were given to Mercurio for his writing on the series. Internationally, Line of Duty has also picked up a win from the American Edgar Allen Poe Awards and a nomination in the Australian Directors' Guild Awards.
Awards and nominations
Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref(s). |
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Association of Motion Picture Sound Awards | 2018 | Excellence in Sound for a Television Drama | Pietro Dalmasso, Paul Maynes, Bea O'Sullivan, and Ian Wilkinson | Nominated | |
Australian Directors' Guild Awards | 2021 | Best Direction in a Television Miniseries | Daniel Nettheim for "Episode 1" | Nominated | |
British Academy Cymru Awards | 2022 | Director – Fiction | Gareth Bryn | Nominated | |
British Academy Scotland Awards | 2014 | Best Television Actor | Mark Bonnar | Nominated | |
2016 | Best Director Film/Television | Michael Keillor | Nominated | ||
2021 | Best Television Actress | Kelly Macdonald | Nominated | ||
Audience Award | Kelly Macdonald | Nominated | |||
Martin Compston | Nominated | ||||
British Academy Television Awards | 2015 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 2 | Nominated | |
Best Leading Actress | Keely Hawes | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actress | Vicky McClure | Nominated | |||
2017 | Virgin TV's Must-See Moment | "Urgent Exit Required" | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Mays | Nominated | |||
2018 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 4 | Nominated | ||
Best Leading Actress | Thandie Newton | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor | Adrian Dunbar | Nominated | |||
Virgin TV's Must-See Moment | "Huntley's Narrow Escape" | Nominated | |||
2020 | Virgin TV's Must-See Moment | "John Corbett's Death" | Nominated | ||
British Academy Television Craft Awards | 2015 | Best Writer – Drama | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |
2018 | Best Editing: Fiction | Andrew John McClelland for "Episode 4" | Nominated | ||
2022 | Best Editing: Fiction | Andrew John McClelland | Nominated | ||
Original Music | Carly Paradis | Nominated | |||
Best Sound: Fiction | Pietro Dalmasso, Ronan Hill, Paul Maynes, and Ian Wilkinson | Nominated | |||
British Screenwriters' Awards | 2017 | Best Crime Writing on Television | Jed Mercurio | Won | |
Broadcast Magazine Awards | 2013 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 1 | Nominated | |
2015 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 2 | Nominated | ||
Best Independent Production Company | World Productions | Nominated | |||
International Programme Sales | Kew Media Distribution | Nominated | |||
2017 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 3 | Nominated | ||
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | 2013 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 1 | Nominated | |
Best Writer | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |||
2015 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 2 | Nominated | ||
Best Actress | Keely Hawes | Nominated | |||
Best Writer | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |||
2017 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 4 | Nominated | ||
Best Actress | Keely Hawes | Won | |||
2018 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 4 | Won | ||
Best Actress | Thandie Newton | Nominated | |||
Best Writer | Jed Mercurio | Won | |||
2020 | Best Actor | Stephen Graham | Won | ||
2022 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 6 | Nominated | ||
Casting Director Guild Awards | 2020 | Best Casting in a Television Drama | Gordon Cowell, Daniel Edwards, and Kate Rhodes-James | Nominated | |
Celtic Media Festival Awards | 2017 | Drama Series | Line of Duty series 3 | Won | |
2020 | Drama Series | Line of Duty series 5 | Nominated | ||
2022 | Drama Series | Line of Duty series 6 | Nominated | ||
Crime Thriller Awards | 2012 | TV Dagger | Line of Duty series 1 | Nominated | |
2014 | TV Dagger | Line of Duty series 2 | Nominated | ||
Best Actress | Keely Hawes | Won | |||
Best Supporting Actress | Vicky McClure | Nominated | |||
DIVA Awards | 2022 | Media Moment of the Year | Line of Duty series 6 | Nominated | |
Diversity in Media Awards | 2017 | TV Moment of the Year | "Urgent Exit Required" | Nominated | |
"DCI Roz Huntley Interview" | Nominated | ||||
Edgar Allen Poe Awards | 2020 | Best Episode in a TV series | Jed Mercurio for "Episode 5" | Won | |
Edinburgh TV Awards | 2018 | Best UK Drama | Line of Duty series 4 | Nominated | |
2019 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 5 | Nominated | ||
Freesat Awards | 2014 | Best TV Drama | Line of Duty series 2 | Won | |
Irish Film & Television Awards | 2018 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 4 | Nominated | |
Best Actor in a Leading Role | Adrian Dunbar | Nominated | |||
2020 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Adrian Dunbar | Nominated | ||
2021 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 6 | Nominated | ||
Best Actor in a Leading Role | Adrian Dunbar | Nominated | |||
National Television Awards | 2018 | Best Crime Drama | Line of Duty series 4 | Nominated | |
2020 | Outstanding Drama Series | Line of Duty series 5 | Nominated | ||
2021 | Best Returning Drama | Line of Duty series 6 | Won | ||
Special Recognition | Line of Duty series 6 | Won | |||
Best Drama Performance | Martin Compston | Nominated | |||
Adrian Dunbar | Nominated | ||||
Vicky McClure | Nominated | ||||
Rockie Awards | 2019 | Showrunner of the Year | Jed Mercurio | Won | |
Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards | 2014 | Editing | Andrew John McClelland | Nominated | |
Royal Television Society Midlands Awards | 2012 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 1 | Nominated | |
Best Male Actor | Lennie James | Nominated | |||
Best Newcoming Actor | Gregory Piper | Nominated | |||
2019 | Best Female Actress | Vicky McClure | Won | ||
Best Writer | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |||
Royal Television Society Northern Ireland Awards | 2015 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 2 | Won | |
2016 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 3 | Nominated | ||
2017 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 4 | Won | ||
Original Music Score | Carly Paradis | Nominated | |||
2019 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 5 | Won | ||
2022 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 6 | Nominated | ||
Original Music | Carly Paradis | Nominated | |||
Royal Television Society Programme Awards | 2013 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 1 | Nominated | |
Best Male Actor | Lennie James | Nominated | |||
Best Writer | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |||
2015 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 2 | Won | ||
2017 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 3 | Nominated | ||
Best Drama Writer | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |||
2018 | Best Female Actress | Thandie Newton | Nominated | ||
Royal Television Society Scotland Awards | 2017 | Television Director of the Year | Michael Keillor | Nominated | |
Satellite Awards | 2022 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 6 | Nominated | |
Best Actress in a Drama Series | Kelly Macdonald | Nominated | |||
South Bank Sky Arts Award | 2013 | TV Drama | Line of Duty series 1 | Nominated | |
Best TV Drama | Line of Duty series 1 | Nominated | |||
2015 | TV Drama | Line of Duty series 2 | Nominated | ||
Television and Radio Industries Club Awards | 2020 | Crime Programme | Line of Duty series 5 | Won | |
Televisual Bulldog Awards | 2015 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 2 | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Andrew John McClelland | Nominated | |||
2018 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 4 | Won | ||
Best Writer | Jed Mercurio | Won | |||
2020 | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty series 5 | Won | ||
TV Choice Awards | 2016 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 3 | Nominated | |
2019 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 5 | Won | ||
Best Actress | Vicky McClure | Nominated | |||
Best Actor | Adrian Dunbar | Won | |||
Martin Compston | Nominated | ||||
2021 | Best Drama | Line of Duty series 6 | Won | ||
Best Actor | Martin Compston | Won | |||
Adrian Dunbar | Nominated | ||||
Best Actress | Vicky McClure | Won | |||
TVTimes Awards | 2021 | Favourite Drama | Line of Duty series 6 | Won | |
Favourite Actor | Martin Compston | Nominated | |||
Favourite Actress | Vicky McClure | Nominated | |||
Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards | 2015 | Best Long Form TV Drama | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |
2018 | Best Long Form TV Drama | Jed Mercurio | Nominated |