Line of Duty
| Line of Duty | |
|---|---|
_Titlecard.JPG) |
|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Jed Mercurio |
| Written by | Jed Mercurio |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Carly Paradis |
| Ending theme | "Line Of Duty End Theme" |
| Composer(s) | Carly Paradis |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 17 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Stephen Wright (BBC) Simon Heath (World Productions) Jed Mercurio (Series 2–3) |
| Producer(s) | Jed Mercurio (Series 1) Peter Norris (Series 2–3) |
| Location(s) | Birmingham (Series 1) Belfast (Series 2–3) |
| Cinematography | Ruairi O'Brien(Series 1–2) Peter Robertson(Series 3) |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | World Productions |
| Distributor | Content Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two (2012-16) BBC One (2017–) |
| Picture format | 16:9 1080i |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital |
| Original release | 26 June 2012 – present |
| External links | |
| BBC Two website | |
| Production website | |
Line of Duty is a British police procedural television series created by Jed Mercurio that premiered on 26 June 2012. It is the most popular drama series broadcast on BBC Two in the multichannel era[1] and is a winner of the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama Series.[2] The first series was BBC Two's best-performing drama series in 10 years, with a consolidated audience of 4.1 million viewers.[3] The drama was recommissioned for a second series and the first episode was broadcast on 12 February 2014.[4] The second series achieved widespread public and critical acclaim,[5] and on 8 April 2014, the BBC commissioned two more series.[6] In April 2014, Line of Duty was included in a list of the Top 50 BBC Two shows of all-time.[7] In an interview on 28 April 2016, creator Jed Mercurio said that a fourth series would begin filming in the autumn and that "it will be delivered for 2017".[8]
In the United States, the first series was aired on Hulu in August 2012 as an exclusive series.[9]
Contents
Main cast and characters[edit]
| Actor | Character | Occupation | Series | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
| Martin Compston | Steve Arnott | Det. Sgt. (DS) | Main | |||||||||
| Vicky McClure | Kate Fleming | Det. Con. (DC) / DS | Main | |||||||||
| Adrian Dunbar | Ted Hastings | Superintendent | Main | |||||||||
| Craig Parkinson | Matthew "Dot" Cottan | DS / Det. Insp. (DI) | Main | |||||||||
| Keeley Hawes | Lindsay Denton | DI | Main | |||||||||
| Neil Morrissey | Nigel Morton | DC | Main | Recurring | ||||||||
- Martin Compston as Steve Arnott (17 episodes); Arnott is a Detective Sergeant assigned to AC-12, one of twelve anti-corruption units that operate within the West Midlands Police Force. Steve Arnott first appeared as an anti-terrorism officer who refused to collude with his fellow colleagues following the shooting death of an innocent man. During series three, Arnott is accused of being a gangland informant known as The Caddy, framed for the murder of DI Lindsay Denton, and is later arrested. He is cleared of all charges.
- Vicky McClure as Kate Fleming (17 episodes); Fleming is a Detective Constable and an undercover specialist. A consummate professional, Kate is willing to investigate officers both within, and outside of, AC-12. In series two, Kate begins investigating DI Lindsay Denton. She is promoted to Sergeant at the end of series three. Kate has children, though her ex-husband retains custody.
- Adrian Dunbar as Ted Hastings (17 episodes); Hastings, a police Superintendent, is the Senior Investigating Officer of AC-12. He personally recruited Arnott, Fleming, and Cottan, and has a black-and-white view of the law. In series three, it is revealed that Hastings is a Mason, which causes both Arnott and Fleming to doubt his commitment to AC-12.
- Craig Parkinson as Matthew "Dot" Cottan (15 episodes); Cottan first appears as a Sergeant working with DCI Tony Gates. Promoted to Inspector and recruited to AC-12 at the end of series two. It is revealed that Cottan is the corrupt officer known as The Caddy. He murders Lindsay Denton and is shot dead later.
- Keeley Hawes as Lindsay Denton (11 episodes); Denton is a Detective Inspector. The sole survivor of the ambush of a witness protection convoy, Denton is accused of being complicit in the murders of her fellow officers, and is arrested and charged shortly thereafter. In series three, Denton is granted an appeal trial, and is acquitted on the basis of an improper sexual relationship with Arnott. After refusing to accept a bribe, she is murdered by DI Matthew Cottan. Prior to her death, Lindsay discovered crucial evidence pertaining to the Danny Waldron murder investigation and historic child sex abuse.
- Neil Morrissey as Nigel Morton (9 episodes); Morton is a Detective Constable originally assigned to Tony Gates' team, working alongside DI Matthew Cottan. In series two and three he is seen infrequently before retiring on full pension and disability benefits.
Supporting cast and characters[edit]
Series 1[edit]
- Lennie James as DCI Tony Gates (episodes 1–5)
- Gina McKee as Jackie Laverty (episodes 1–3)
- Kate Ashfield as Jools Gates (episodes 1–5)
- Paul Higgins as Ch. Supt. Derek Hilton (episodes 1–5)
- Claire Keelan as DS Leah Janson (episodes 1–5)
Series 2[edit]
- Jessica Raine as DC Georgia Trotman (episode 1)
- Tony Pitts as Det. Ch. Supt. Les Hargreaves (episodes 2–6)
- Christina Chong as DS Nicola Rogerson (episodes 2–4, 6)
- Mark Bonnar as Dep. Ch. Constable Mike Dryden (episodes 1–6)
- Steve Toussaint as Ch. Supt. Mallick (episodes 1–2, 6)
- Liz White as Jo Dwyer, Dryden's press officer (episodes 1–2)
Series 3[edit]
- Daniel Mays as Sgt. Daniel Waldron (episodes 1–2)
- Arsher Ali as PC Harinderpal "Hari" Bains (episodes 1–4)
- Leanne Best as PC Jackie Brickford (episodes 1–3)
- Will Mellor as PC Rod Kennedy (episodes 1–2)
- Shaun Parkes as Ch. Supt. Terry Reynolds (episodes 1–3)
- Aiysha Hart as DS Sam Railston (episodes 1–2, 4–6)
- Polly Walker as Gill Biggeloe, a lawyer assigned to AC-12 (episodes 1–6)
- Lisa Palfrey as Inspector McAndrew (episodes 1–3)
- Maya Sondhi as PC Maneet Bhandra (episodes 2–6)
- George Costigan as Patrick Fairbank, former Ch. Supt. (episodes 4–6)
- Jonas Armstrong as Joe Nash (episodes 3–5)
Production[edit]
Series one and two were created and written by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions, on behalf of BBC Two. David Caffrey and Douglas Mackinnon directed series one. Mackinnon was retained as Director for series two's first three episodes, whilst Daniel Nettheim directed series two's last three episodes. Mercurio produced series one and acted as executive producer for series two, with Peter Norris taking over as producer for series two.
Inspiration[edit]
The police refused to co-operate with the programme's producers. Consequently, the production team was advised both by retired police officers and anonymously by serving officers; production also made use of anonymous police blogs.[10]
Locations[edit]
Series one was filmed in Birmingham (including pub interiors in the Queens Arms)[11] and series two and three in Belfast by BBC Northern Ireland, per the end credits, though the city is not identified in the script in either series – set dressings and props indicate that the unnamed city is Birmingham (maps of Birmingham appear on walls, and telephone numbers use an 0121 area code). A photo gallery of exterior scenes from series two shows the 4th Street Station on Ormeau Avenue in Belfast.[12]
Series overview[edit]
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series premiere | Series finale | Region 2 | |||
| 1 | 5 | 26 June 2012 | 24 July 2012 | 3 February 2014 | |
| 2 | 6 | 12 February 2014 | 19 March 2014 | 24 March 2014 | |
| 3 | 6 | 24 March 2016 | 28 April 2016 | 2 May 2016 | |
Episodes[edit]
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2012 Royal Television Society Awards | Actor (Male) | Lennie James | Nominated |
| Drama Series | Line of Duty 1 | Nominated | ||
| Writer – Drama | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | ||
| 2012 Royal Television Society Midlands Awards | Best Drama/Fictional Programme | Line of Duty 1 | Won | |
| Best Acting Performance (Male) | Lennie James | Won | ||
| Best Acting Newcomer | Gregory Piper | Won | ||
| 2012 Crime Thriller Awards | The TV Dagger | Line of Duty 1 | Nominated | |
| 2013 | 2013 Broadcast Awards | Best Drama Series or Serial | Line of Duty 1 | Nominated |
| 2013 South Bank Sky Arts Awards | TV Drama | Line of Duty 1 | Nominated | |
| Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best TV Drama | Line of Duty 1 | Nominated | |
| 2014 | 2014 Freesat Awards | Best TV Drama | Line of Duty 2 | Won |
| 2014 Crime Thriller Awards | The TV Dagger | Line of Duty 2 | Nominated | |
| Best Actress Dagger | Keeley Hawes | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress Dagger | Vicky McClure | Nominated | ||
| BAFTA Scotland | Best Actor – Television | Mark Bonnar | Nominated | |
| 2014 Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards | Best Editing – Drama | Andrew McClelland | Won | |
| 2015 | Writers' Guild of Great Britain | TV Drama – Long Form | Jed Mercurio | Nominated |
| 2015 Broadcast Awards | Best Drama Series or Serial | Line of Duty 2 | Nominated | |
| International Programme Sales | Line of Duty 2 | Nominated | ||
| Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty 2 | Nominated | |
| Best Drama Writer | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | ||
| 2015 Royal Television Society Awards | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty 2 | Won | |
| BAFTA Television Craft Awards | Drama: Writer | Jed Mercurio | Nominated | |
| BAFTA Television Awards | Leading Actress | Keeley Hawes | Nominated | |
| Supporting Actress | Vicky McClure | Nominated | ||
| Drama Series | Line of Duty 2 | Nominated | ||
| 2015 South Bank Sky Arts Awards | TV Drama | Line of Duty 2 | Nominated | |
| Royal Television Society Northern Ireland Awards | Best Drama | Line of Duty 2 | Won | |
| 2016 | TV Choice Awards | Best Drama Series | Line of Duty 3 | Nominated |
Censure by Ofcom[edit]
Following the complaint of one viewer, the media regulator Ofcom found the BBC guilty of a "serious lapse" in its duty of care for a 13-year-old actor, Gregory Piper, who had appeared in scenes which were "of a particularly violent nature and included sexually explicit language" by breaching broadcasting rules requiring that "due care must be taken over the physical and emotional welfare and the dignity of people under 18".[13] In its full report, Ofcom cited the programme's failure to involve an independent expert, such as a child psychiatrist, to determine the actor's intellectual and emotional capacity to participate in the controversial scenes; however, the regulator found that there was no actual harm, distress or anxiety caused to the child actor.[14]
Home media releases[edit]
- Online
iTunes releases for Line of Duty
| Name | Release date | Ep # | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line of Duty, Series One | 30 August 2013[15] | 5 |
|
| Line of Duty, Series Two | 12 February 2014[16] | 6 |
|
| Line of Duty, Series One & Two | 26 June 2012[17] | 11 |
|
Blinkbox releases for Line of Duty
| Name | Release date | Ep # | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line of Duty, Series One | 2013[18] | 5 |
|
| Line of Duty, Series Two | 2014[19] | 6 |
|
BBC Store releases for Line of Duty
| Name | Release date |
|---|---|
| Line of Duty, Series One - Three | 2016 |
- DVD
DVD releases for Line of Duty
| Name | Release dates | Ep # | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 2 | |||
| Line of Duty Series 1 (DVD) |
3 February 2014[20] | 5 | The two-disc box set includes all five episodes from series one, with a classification age of 15. Running time: 300 minutes. |
| Line of Duty Series 2 (DVD) |
24 March 2014[21] | 6 | The two-disc box set includes all six episodes from series two, with a classification age of 15. Running time: 360 minutes. |
| Line of Duty Series 1&2 (DVD) |
24 March 2014[22] | 11 | The four-disc box set includes all eleven episodes from series one and two, with a classification age of 15. Running time: 660 minutes. |
References[edit]
- ^ Plunkett, John (28 April 2016). "Line of Duty outranks Wolf Hall to take BBC2 ratings crown". The Guardian.
- ^ "RTS Programme Awards 2015".
- ^ Jed Mercurio: taking aim at target culture | In-depth | Broadcast
- ^ Sperling, Daniel (25 July 2012). "'Line of Duty' renewed for second series by BBC". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ^ Moir, Jan (17 March 2014). "Is Line of Duty the best cop show ever?". Daily Mail.
- ^ Sweeney, Mark (8 April 2014). "Line of Duty set to return for third and fourth series". Guardian.
- ^ Hogan, Michael et all (18 April 2014). "The Top 50 BBC Two shows of all-time". The Telegraph.
- ^ "Express.co.uk". 28 April 2016.
- ^ Thomas, June (24 August 2012), "The Global Network", Slate, retrieved 28 January 2013
- ^ Jed Mercurio (26 June 2012). "Line of Duty – a police drama that swaps reassurance for reality". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
- ^ "Line Of Duty". Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ "Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery". BBC. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ BBC censured over violent Line of Duty scene featuring child actor, The Guardian, 17 December 2012. Accessed 27 April 2013.
- ^ http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/enforcement/broadcast-bulletins/obb220/obb220.pdf
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series One (iTunes)". Apple Inc. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series Two (iTunes)". Apple Inc. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series 1&2 (iTunes)". Apple Inc. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series (Blinkbox)". blinkbox Entertainment Limited. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series 2 (Blinkbox)". blinkbox Entertainment Limited. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series One [DVD]". BBC Worldwide LTD. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series Two [DVD]". BBC Worldwide LTD. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ "Line of Duty – Series 1&2 [DVD]". BBC Worldwide LTD. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
