Line Of Duty (series 5)

The fifth series of the British police procedural television programme ''Line of Duty'' was broadcast on BBC One between 31 March and 5 May 2019. Following the fourth, it is the second series to air on the channel after the first three series aired on BBC Two.

The series follows Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12), a fictional law enforcement unit tasked with "policing the police". AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings ( Adrian Dunbar) who is assisted by his team DS Steve Arnott ( Martin Compston) and DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure). Together, they lead an investigation into an organised crime group led by undercover officer John Corbett ( Stephen Graham). Over the course of the case, Hastings himself becomes implicated as a suspect and is scrutinised by DCS Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin).

The series was initially commissioned following the third series. ''Line of Duty'' is written by Jed Mercurio who also serves as an executive producer. The six episodes were directed by John Strickland and Sue Tully. Filming took place in late 2018 with cinematography from Stephen Murphy. The series experienced a significant increase in viewing figures and was nominated for 18 awards, 9 of which were won, and received mostly positive reviews from critics. A sixth series followed in 2021.

Cast and characters

Main

* Stephen Graham as DS John Corbett / John Clayton
* Martin Compston as DS Steve Arnott
* Vicky McClure as DI Kate Fleming
* Adrian Dunbar as Superintendent Ted Hastings
* Anna Maxwell Martin as DCS Patricia Carmichael

Starring

* Maya Sondhi as PC Maneet Bindra
* Rochenda Sandall as Lisa McQueen
* Aiysha Hart as DS Sam Railston
* Tony Pitts as DCS Lester Hargreaves
* Sian Reese-Williams as Sergeant Jane Cafferty
* Susan Vidler as DSU Alison Powell
* Polly Walker as Gill Biggeloe
* Ace Bhatti as PCC Rohan Sindwhani
* Elizabeth Rider as DCC Andrea Wise
* Andrea Irvine as Roisin Hastings
* Taj Atwal as PC Tatleen Sohota

Recurring

* Tomi May as Miroslav Minkowicz
* Alastair Natkiel as Lee Banks
* Amy De Bhrún as Steph Corbett
* Gregory Piper as Ryan Pilkington
* Patrick FitzSymons as Mark Moffatt
* Richard Pepple as Sergeant Kyle Ferringham

Guest

* Maanuv Thiara as Vihaan Malhotra
* Caroline Koziol as Mariana
* Tommy Jessop as Terry Boyle
* Richard Sutton as PC Bloom
* Rosa Escoda as Amanda Yao
* Laura Elphinstone as DI Michelle Brandyce
* Natalie Gavin as PS Tina Tranter
* Peter De Jersey as Rossport
* Craig Parkinson as DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan

Episodes

''Sport Relief'' special

A special mini-episode was produced in support of ''Sport Relief'' in 2020. The special was promoted as a "deleted scene" from the fifth series and starred Compston, McClure, and Dunbar along with Jason Isaacs as DC Taylor and Lee Mack as David Rickman. It was written by the Dawson Brothers and aired on BBC One on 13 March 2020. The plot includes elements of the main programme, but the events of the supplemental episode do not fall within the continuity of ''Line of Duty''.

Production

On 6 May 2016 it was reported that ''Line of Duty'' would return for a fifth series. At this time, the BBC confirmed that the fourth and fifth series would move from BBC Two to BBC One, following a consolidation of the two channel's controllers. The series was commissioned by Piers Wagner, controller of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, director of BBC Content. It was produced by Ken Horn and executive produced by Jed Mercurio, Simon Heath, Priscilla Parish, Tommy Bulfin. Mercurio also wrote the series. World Productions is the show's production company along with financing provided by Northern Ireland Screen.

Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, and Adrian Dunbar all returned to the programme, performing as Steve Artnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings, respectively. Joining the cast for the series are Stephen Graham and Rochenda Sandall. Graham portrayed John Corbett, an undercover officer using the alias John Clayton. Graham said that prior to taking on the role of Corbett, he spoke to a friend and Army Intelligence Officer who had done real life undercover work to gain insight. Sandall played Lisa McQueen, a high-ranking member in an organised crime group and stated that she felt McQueen's origins were "very much grounded in reality". Anna Maxwell Martin was also added to the cast for the final two episodes.

Other returning cast members include Maya Sondhi, Polly Walker, Aiysha Hart, Tony Pitts, and Andrea Irivine, and newcomers Taj Atwal, Susan Vidler, Sian Reese-Williams, Ace Bhatti, and Elizabeth Rider. They are joined by guest stars Tommy Jessop, Richard Sutton, and Natalie Gavin. Gregory Piper reprised his role as Ryan Pilkington, a character last seen in the first series when Piper was 13 years-old. Piper had to re-audition for the part and believed that it could have been given to someone else. Craig Parkinson made a cameo appearance as Dot Cottan through footage that was filmed during production of series four, but went unused at the time.

Filming for the series took place from 3 September to 21 December 2018. The first four episodes were directed by John Strickland; Sue Tully directed the final two. Stephen Murphy was the cinematographer. Principal photography took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The cast and crew were spotted filming at Obel Tower. Additional recording took place across County Down, including in the town of Dundonald. Balaclavas had to be imported from London because sales of the item in Belfast are restricted. The series consisted of five hour-long episodes and an extended feature-length finale. The sixth series was broadcast on BBC One in 2021.

Release

Broadcast and streaming

The series was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One from 31 March 2019. It concluded six weeks later on 5 May. In the United States Acorn TV acquired first-run streaming rights for the series that were previously held by Hulu. Acorn simulcast the series alongside its BBC One broadcast. It was later added to Hulu by 2021. After Kew Media collapsed in 2020, Quiver Entertainment purchased global distribution rights. In Canada and Australia the series streams on Netflix.

Home media

Reception

Viewing figures

The fifth series saw a notable increase in viewing figures from previous series. The first episode peaked at 8 million viewers, a 2.8 million increase from the first episode of the fourth series, and holding a 38% share. At the time the finale episode was broadcast, it had the largest overnight viewing figures of the year so far, peaking at 9.6 million viewers and maintaining a 44.1% share.

Critical response

Reviewing the series premiere for ''The Guardian'', Lucy Mangan opined that the series' opening moments were "ridiculous, unbearably tense and instantly addictive." Jasper Rees from ''The Daily Telegraph'' echoed similar sentiments, writing that "it's criminal how reliably gripping this thriller is."

''Radio Times'' critic Eleanor Bley Griffiths praised Graham's acting, explaining that he held up to his previous antagonists Keely Hawes and Thandie Newton, and stating that "he exudes menace from every balaclava-covered pore and you would not want to cross him. It's an inspired piece of casting." ''The Times'' Hugo Rifkind wrote about the complexity of the series', saying that "you can't really call any of this formulaic, because the formula is its own, but the pattern of potential surprises feels as if it ought to be fairly well charted by now." The final episode received more mixed reviews from critics; with some believing it to be rewarding while others believed it underperformed. Sara Hughes, also with ''The Guardian'', said that she appreciated the series ended on a "more downbeat conclusion than in previous series". Hughes expanded on the thought by explaining that she enjoyed the programme "for its quieter moments rather than its ever-so-twisty twists and enjoyed the fact that final revelations largely made sense instead of milking shock moments for all they were worth."

Accolades

Notes

References

{{Line of Duty
2019 British television seasons
Line of Duty