Line of Duty series 4

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File:Line of Duty (Series 4) DVD.jpg
United Kingdom DVD cover
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
No. of episodes 6
Release
Original network BBC One
Original release 26 March 2017 (2017-03-26) – 30 April 2017 (2017-04-30)

The fourth series of the British police procedural television programme Line of Duty was broadcast on BBC One between 26 March and 30 April 2017. It is the first series to air on the network after the first three were broadcast on BBC Two.

The series follows the fictional Anti-Corruption Unit 12. AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) and by his team DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), DS Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure). They are also assisted by PC Maneet Bindra (Maya Sondhi) and DC Jamie Desford (Royce Pierreson), who is briefly assigned to the team. The unit investigates DCI Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton); she is suspected of arresting the wrong suspect after ignoring forensic evidence presented by Forensic Coordinator Tim Ifield (Jason Watkins). Over the course of the investigation she implicates her husband Nick (Lee Ingleby) and his lawyer Jimmy Lakewell (Patrick Baladi). Supporting characters include ACC Derek Hilton (Paul Higgins) and DS Sam Railston (Aiysha Hart).

The series was commissioned along with the third after the success of the second. Line of Duty was created by Jed Mercurio who executive produces the series alongside Simon Heath and Stephen Wright. Cait Collins produced it. Filming took place in late 2016 with Mercurio directing two episodes and John Strickland directing four. Anna Valdez Hanks and Stephen Murphy provided cinematography. The series was nominated 21 awards of which six were won. It also received significantly higher viewing figures than previous series and mostly positive reviews from critics leading to the commissioning of series six. The fifth series returned to BBC One in 2019.

Cast and characters

Main

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Starring

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Recurring

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Guest

Episodes

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<templatestyles src="Screen reader-only/styles.css" />Line of Duty series 4 episodes
No.
overall
No. in
series
Title [1] Directed by Original air date [2] UK viewers
(millions) [3]
18 1 "Episode 1"
"In the Shadow of Truth"
Jed Mercurio 26 March 2017 (2017-03-26) 7.40
19 2 "Episode 2"
"Who Sows the Wind"
Jed Mercurio 2 April 2017 (2017-04-02) 7.26
20 3 "Episode 3"
"In the Trap"
John Strickland 9 April 2017 (2017-04-09) 7.37
21 4 "Episode 4"
"Moral Superiority"
John Strickland 16 April 2017 (2017-04-16) 8.48
22 5 "Episode 5"
"Lying Nest"
John Strickland 23 April 2017 (2017-04-23) 9.03
23 6 "Episode 6"
"Royal Hunting Ground"
John Strickland 30 April 2017 (2017-04-30) 9.92

Production

File:Thandiwe Newton Peabody Awards, June 2021.png
Thandie Newton starred in the series as DCI Roz Huntley

On 8 April 2014, the BBC confirmed that Line of Duty would return for a third and fourth series.[4] Following the success of the third series, a fifth was commissioned at which time it was reported that future editions of the programme would move from BBC Two to BBC One.[5][6] Although BBC One originally passed on the series when creator Jed Mercurio pitched it to the network, the decision to move the show came after high viewing figures and a restructuring of the networks.[7] Mercurio wrote the series, and executive produced it alongside Simon Heath for World Productions and Stephen Wright for Northern Ireland Screen, which was produced by Cait Collins.[8]

Actors Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, and Adrian Dunbar returned to the series.[9] Thandie Newton joined the series as Detective Chief Inspector Roz Huntley, the latest police officer to be investigated by AC-12.[10] Additionally, Jason Watkins was cast to portray Forensic Coordinator Tim Ifield.[11] Aiysha Hart, Maya Sondhi, Lee Ingleby, Patrick Baladi, Royce Pierreson, and Tony Pitts also appear.[12][13][14] Despite being killed off in the previous series, Craig Parkinson filmed new footage of his characters dying declaration.[15]

Mercurio directed the first two episodes of the series[16] while John Strickland returned to direct the final four episodes.[17] Anna Valdez Hanks served as the cinematographer for episodes 1–3[18] and Stephen Murphy took over for the remaining three episodes.[19] Filming on the series occurred in Belfast from 29 August to 16 December 2016.[16] It consisted of six hour-long episodes.[20] Five days after broadcast transmission concluded, Line of Duty was commissioned for a sixth series.[21]

Release

Broadcast and streaming

The series was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One from 26 March 2017 and concluded six weeks later on 30 April.[22][23] In the United States, it was added to Hulu on 1 May 2017.[24] It can also be streamed there on Acorn TV and BritBox.[25] In Canada and Australia the series streams on Netflix.[26]

Home media

<templatestyles src="Screen reader-only/styles.css" />Line of Duty series 4 home media releases
Name DVD release dates Number of
episodes
Number of
discs
Region 1 Region 2
Line of Duty - Series 4 26 September 2017[27] 8 May 2017[28] 6 2
Line of Duty - Series 1-4 N/A 8 May 2017[29] 23 8
Line of Duty - Series 1-5[lower-alpha 2] 26 November 2019[30] 6 May 2019[31] 29 10[lower-alpha 3]
Line of Duty - Series 1-6 Complete Box Set N/A 31 May 2021[32] 36 12

Reception

Viewing figures

No. Title Air date Overnight ratings Consolidated ratings Total
viewers
(millions)
28-day
viewers
(millions)
28-day
rank
Ref(s)
Viewers
(millions)
Viewers
(millions)
Rank
1 Episode 1 26 March 2017 (2017-03-26) 5.00 2.40 2 7.40 9.21 1 [33][3]
2 Episode 2 2 April 2017 (2017-04-02) N/A N/A 1 7.26 9.04 1 [3]
3 Episode 3 9 April 2017 (2017-04-09) 4.50 2.87 1 7.37 9.05 1 [34][3]
4 Episode 4 16 April 2017 (2017-04-16) 5.70 2.78 1 8.48 9.60 1 [35][3]
5 Episode 5 23 April 2017 (2017-04-23) 6.60 2.43 1 9.03 9.98 1 [35][3]
6 Episode 6 30 April 2017 (2017-04-30) 7.50 2.42 1 9.92 10.40 1 [35][3]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the series holds an approval rating of 100% based on 15 reviews.[36] Den of Geek's Louisa Mellor commended the amount of action in the series opening episode stating that there was a "car accident, an abduction, an escape attempt, a police chase, a firebomb explosion and a rescue" all before the opening credits.[37] Sam Wollaston, writing for The Guardian, considered the action to be over-the-top and suggested there were plot holes writing that "Perhaps that's what happens when writer and director are the same person. There is no one around to say: hang on a minute, are you sure?"[38] Rachel Cooke of The New Statesman wrote that the second episode was "as well built as any in the last series" but feared that Line of Duty would become a "pastiche of itself" as Mercurio attempted to top himself.[39]

Once the series concluded, Sarah Hughes, also with The Guardian said she enjoyed the fulfilling end to the series but noted the how it addressed real-world problems saying "Tim Ifield and Huntley were victims of their own knowledge in that, as experienced police officers, both believed a plea of self-defence wouldn't save them and chose instead to try and cover up their crimes."[40] Newton's character was however, praised by critics who noted the complexity of Huntley's actions and the motivations behind them.[41] The Irish Independent writer John Boland opined that the series "came to a nail-bitingly exciting end, or rather to three nail-bitingly exciting ends, two of them unforeseeable by even the most imaginative of viewers."[42] The Guardian ranked the series number two on their "50 best TV shows of 2017" list.[43] Digital Spy however, considered the fourth series to be the worst out of the programmes six.[44]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref(s).
2017 British Screenwriters' Awards Best Crime Writing on Television (Series/Single Drama) Jed Mercurio Won [45]
Diversity in Media Awards TV Moment of the Year "DCI Roz Huntley Interview" Nominated [46]
Royal Television Society Northern Ireland Awards Best Drama Line of Duty Won [47][48]
Original Music Score Carly Paradis Nominated
2018 Association of Motion Picture Sound Awards Excellence in Sound for a Television Drama Bea O'Sullivan, Paul Maynes, Ian Wilkinson, and Pietro Dalmasso Nominated [49]
British Academy Television Awards Best Drama Series Line of Duty Nominated [50]
Best Leading Actress Thandie Newton Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Adrian Dunbar Nominated
Virgin TV's Must-See Moment "Huntley's Narrow Escape" Nominated
British Academy Television Craft Awards Best Editing: Fiction Andrew John McClelland for "Episode 4" Nominated [51]
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Best Drama Series Line of Duty Won [52]
Best Actress Thandie Newton Nominated [53]
Best Writer Jed Mercurio Won [52]
Edinburgh TV Awards Best UK Drama Line of Duty Nominated [54][55]
Irish Film & Television Awards Best Drama Line of Duty Nominated [46]
Best Actor in a Leading Role Adrian Dunbar Nominated
National Television Awards Best Crime Drama Line of Duty Nominated [56][57]
Royal Television Society Programme Awards Best Actress Thandie Newton Nominated [58]
South Bank Sky Arts Award TV Drama Line of Duty Nominated [59]
Televisual Bulldog Awards Best Drama Series Line of Duty Won [60]
Best Writer Jed Mercurio Won
Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards Best Long Form TV Drama Jed Mercurio Nominated [61][62]

Notes

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References

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