Line of Duty series 3

The third series of the British police procedural television programme Line of Duty, was broadcast on BBC Two between 24 March and 28 April 2016.

The series follows the fictional Anti-Corruption Unit 12. AC-12 is led by Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) who is assisted by his team, DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), DC Kate Flemming (Vicky McClure), and DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan (Craig Parkinson). The unit investigates the actions of Sergeant Daniel Waldron (Daniel Mays), who is suspected of wrongfully shooting and killing a suspect. Waldron leads a team of authorised firearms officers backed by PC Rod Kennedy (Will Mellor), PC Harinderpal "Hari" Bains (Arsher Ali), and PC Jackie Brickford (Leanne Best). Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes), a former DI, returns from the previous series as an officer formerly investigated by AC-12. Supporting characters include Gill Biggeloe (Polly Walker), Chief Superintendent Terry Reynolds (Shaun Parkes), DS Sam Railston (Aiysha Hart), Joe Nash (Jonas Armstrong), Maneet Bindra (Maya Sondhi), Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank (George Costigan), and DC Nigel Morton (Neil Morrissey).

The series was created and written by Jed Mercurio, who also serves as an executive producer. Six episodes were directed by Michael Keillor and John Strickland with cinematographer Peter Robertson. Filming took place in Belfast in 2015. The series received mostly positive reviews and was nominated for 13 awards, two of which were won. The fourth series, which had previously been commissioned with the third, was broadcast on BBC One in 2017. Following the series, a fifth was also commissioned due to the third series success.

Main

 * Daniel Mays as Sergeant Daniel Waldron
 * Martin Compston as DS Steve Arnott
 * Vicky McClure as DC Kate Fleming
 * Adrian Dunbar as Superintendent Ted Hastings
 * Craig Parkinson as DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan
 * Keeley Hawes as Lindsay Denton

Starring

 * Polly Walker as Gill Biggeloe, special counsel to AC-12
 * Will Mellor as PC Rod Kennedy
 * Arsher Ali as PC Harinderpal "Hari" Bains
 * Leanne Best as PC Jackie Brickford
 * Shaun Parkes as Chief Superintendent Terry Reynolds
 * Aiysha Hart as DS Sam Railston
 * Jonas Armstrong as Joe Nash
 * Maya Sondhi as PC Maneet Bindra
 * George Costigan as Chief Superintendent Patrick Fairbank
 * Neil Morrissey as DC Nigel Morton

Recurring

 * Lisa Palfrey as Inspector Tracy McAndrew
 * James Edlin as AFO Lambert
 * Shaun Parkes as CS Terry Reynolds

Guest

 * Shane Gately as Ronan Murphy
 * Louis Rolston as Linus Murphy
 * Kiran Landa as Laila Bains
 * Rebecca O'Mara as Rachel O'Conner
 * Adjoa Andoh as prosecutor
 * Brian Ferguson as Robin Stewart
 * Mandana Jones as Superintendent Madeline Summers

Production
In March 2014, while the second series was still airing it was reported that discussions were already occurring on a potential third series of Line of Duty. On 8 April, it was officially commissioned for a third and fourth series by BBC Two. Series creator and writer Jed Mercurio returned to executive produce alongside Simon Heath and Stephen Wright for World Productions and BBC Northern Ireland, respectively, and producer Peter Norris.

Cast members Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, and Adrian Dunbar all returned to the series. Actor Daniel Mays was announced to be joining the series cast as Daniel Waldron, the latest officer to be investigated by the fictional Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12). Craig Parkinson also reprised his role as Matthew "Dot" Cottan. Keeley Hawes, who starred in series two as DI Lindsay Denton, initially stated that she would not return to Line of Duty due to her conflicting filming on the Fungus the Bogeyman television adaptation. Will Mellor, Arsher Ali, and Leanne Best also joined the cast in supporting roles. Mellor, Ali, and Best portrayed a group of authorised firearms officers, led by Mays' character. Mercurio later decided to bring Hawes back to the series as a result of Denton's positive reception and made changes to a script to allow for Waldron's death. On her return, Hawes stated that she didn't expect to ever return to the series, but was glad to be given the opportunity. Mercurio also considered not killing Parkinson's character, but believed viewers wanted justice. Other supporting cast members include the returning Neil Morrisey and newcomers Polly Walker, Shaun Parkes, Aiysha Hart, Jonas Armstrong, Maya Sondhi, and George Costigan.

Filming began in Belfast in March 2015. Michael Kellior directed the first three episodes while John Strickland directed the final three. Peter Robertson provided cinematography work. Filming locations included BT Riverside Tower, McHugh's Bar, Belfast City Hall, and Invest Northern Ireland. The series consisted of five hour-long episodes and an extended feature-length finale. Due to the success of the series a fifth series was commissioned on 6 May 2016, with the fourth and fifth series moving to BBC One.

Broadcast and streaming
The series was first broadcast on BBC Two in the United Kingdom on 24 March 2016, and concluded six weeks later on 28 April. In the United States the series was released on Hulu on 1 May 2016. It was added to Acorn TV in November 2017. Additionally, it can be streamed on BritBox and was later broadcast on the American basic cable channel AMC beginning 20 June 2020. In Canda and Australia the series streams on Netflix.

Viewing figures
By the time the fourth episode had concluded airing, Line of Duty was the highest-rated series to air on BBC Two since 2002. The series maintained a 19.3% share in consolidated data.

Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the series holds an approval rating of 100% based on seven reviews. Reviewing the series premiere for Den of Geek, Louisa Mellor wrote about the depth of Mercurio's writing, noting how Waldron's character was both a dirty cop and a victim. Sara Hughes with The Guardian stated that it was a strong premiere for a returning series. Following the second episode of the series, a former Metropolitan Police homicide detective criticised the accuracy of Line of Duty, stating that it "suggests a culture where fatal shootings are not thoroughly investigated and where dangerous officers can be re-issued with firearms." Hawes return as Denton was praised by many critics who noted the passion and complexion behind the performance as well as her unexpected death. The series was also mentioned for its impact on gender equality as a result of its strong female leads.

After the series concluded, Mercurio's writing was further applauded with CultBox's Rob Smedley writing that Mercurio has the "rare ability to make watching an interview scene feel like tip-toeing across a minefield, and to make that an experience you crave more of." Mellor further complimented these scenes, observing that two of them together used over forty minutes of screentime. Smedley also admired the morally gray characters as an riveting area of the series. The series final scene of the series, often named "Urgent Exit Required," received largely mixed reviews from critics, with some condemning it for being unrealistic due to firearms regulation and police use of firearms in the United Kingdom, while others commended the uncharted territory for a British television series.