Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio says he ‘doesn’t know’ if there will be a series 7 

Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has revealed that he uses ‘deliberate red herrings’ to keep H’s identity secret on the show. 

Fans are eager to discover the identity of the elusive villain and bent copper ‘H’ in series six and the show creator, 55, has had to get ‘smarter’ with his clues.

Talking in a new interview with Radio Times, Jed also admitted that he ‘doesn’t know’ if there will be a series seven and it isn’t ‘guaranteed’ due to the coronavirus crisis.

Speaking about the ways in which he keeps fans guessing over the identity of ‘H’, Jed noted that he couldn’t even capitalise the letter in the show’s scripts. 

He teased to the publication: ‘We’ve had to get smarter – we know the power that particular letter now has within the fictional universe.

‘Stephen Graham’s character in season five was called John Corbett, but there’s a way that Corbett could have been known as H if we wanted to go that way.’  

Fans have been speculating over the identity of the villainous ‘H’ with the likes of Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin), Andrea Wise (Elizabeth Rider) and Rohan Sindwhani (Ace Bhatti) in the line-up.  

Talking about some of the theories created by eagle-eyed fans, Jed said that he has even been asked whether there is ‘significance’ as to the way Detective Inspector Kate Fleming, played by Vicky McClure, carries her handbag and if it stands for ‘H’.

He quipped: ‘Clearly there is no significance. However, if you have created a set of mysteries, you also have to understand the significance of misdirection and red herrings. So we do use misdirection at times, and it’s deliberate.’

Elsewhere during the interview, Jed admitted that he ‘doesn’t know’ if the show will be coming back for series seven and that things aren’t ‘guaranteed’ due to the pandemic.

He said: ‘We don’t know. Since probably season four, we’ve been talking to the BBC about the realistic longevity of the series. 

‘I’ve experienced broadcasters pulling the plug while we were still developing a storyline –Bodies and Cardiac Arrest both ended prematurely on the BBC. So it’s an ongoing discussion, is all I can say.’  

Jed added: ‘We’re in a situation where it’s not entirely clear that there will be a seventh series. We would hope there could be. 

‘But we’re having to do our planning coming out of Covid, and a whole bunch of other things around the idea that these things aren’t guaranteed at all now.’

Although Jed added that the ‘BBC remains very supportive’ and that ‘conversations have been very reassuring’ ahead of a formal commission. 

Line Of Duty had just begun filming in Belfast when in March 2020 it was forced to postpone due to the coronavirus pandemic. It resumed production in September. 

Talking about the changes which had to take place, Jed said that crew tried to move scenes outside where ‘restrictions are fewer’ and had to reduce crew numbers so they could distance people safely.   

Jed also insisted that they ‘tried to hide’ the coronavirus crisis on the series as he questioned whether fans wanted to see people ‘wear masks and social distance’ on a police drama. They had already shot the beginning of the series before the crisis.

Elsewhere, the writer spoke about the important of not uploading the entire Line Of Duty series six to BBC iPlayer as the seven days between episodes ‘allows a conversation to take place’ which is a ‘big part of viewers’ enjoyment’.  

Despite not revealing whether a series seven is in place, Jed previously shared that he has plans to write a seventh season.    

Speaking on the Out To Lunch podcast recently, he said: ‘What I do know is that season six proves there is much more ground for us still to cover and then in terms of other projects. 

‘I really want to carry on with Line of Duty as I think it still got some ground to cover.  I am in a fortunate position as a writer. 

‘To dream of getting to the point where people watch your work in such larger numbers and you get a little bit of name recognition as well.’

Line Of Duty is back on March 21 and in anticipation of the sixth series, the BBC released a full-length trailer last Tuesday.

The action-packed teaser shows AC-12’s Superintendent Ted Hastings, Detective Inspector Kate Fleming and Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott investigating the ‘force’s highest profile murder’. 

Creator Jed has been tight-lipped on details surrounding the upcoming sixth series, but has hinted that fans will learn more about H’s identity.

Fans were floored to learn in series five that after years of waiting to discover the identity of the villainous H, it was actually an organisation. 

Steve Arnott discovered the vital clue when a clip of DI Matthew ‘Dot’ Cottan’s dying declaration was played during AC-12 boss Ted Hasting’s interrogation with Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell-Martin). 

Jed left fans speculating he had revealed the identity of bent copper H when he dropped another major clue about series six in February 2020.

He whipped up a social media storm with viewers of the smash-hit BBC show when he shared a photo of Australian chocolate biscuits TimTams with the caption #LineofDuty Series 6 Plot Clue No. 1.’

Manufactured by Arnott’s – the same surname as AC-12 guru DS Steve Arnott – the cryptic snap sent viewers into a frenzy, with theories ranging from a move to Australia to Steve breaking up with his girlfriend.

After filming for series six kicked off in February 2020, Jed shared a more on-the-nose snap from filming of a passed-out Ted Hastings lies slumped on a chair between stars Martin and Vicky. 

You can read the full interview in the latest issue of Radio Times, available now.  

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