Line of Duty series 5

The fifth series of Line of Duty, consisting of six episodes, began broadcasting on 31 March 2019 on BBC One. The series follows the actions of Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) as they investigate an Organised Crime Group with links to missing undercover officer DS John Corbett (Stephen Graham). Anna Maxwell Martin stars in episodes five and six as DCS Patricia Carmichael. Supporting characters include underboss Lisa McQueen (Rochenda Sandall) and the special counsel to the police and crime commissioner Gill Biggeloe (Polly Walker).

Main cast

 * Stephen Graham as DS John Corbett
 * 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
 * Rochenda Sandall as Lisa McQueen

Supporting cast

 * Maya Sondhi as PC Maneet Bindra
 * Polly Walker as Gill Biggeloe
 * Tony Pitts as DCS Lester Hargreaves
 * Aiysha Hart as DS Sam Railston
 * Patrick FitzSymons as Mark Moffatt
 * Susan Vidler as DSU Alison Powell
 * Ace Bhatti as PCC Rohan Sindwhani
 * Elizabeth Rider as DCC Andrea Wise
 * Sian Reese-Williams as Sergeant Jane Cafferty
 * Richard Pepple as Sergeant Kyle Ferringham
 * Taj Atwal as PC Tatleen Sohota
 * Gregory Piper as Ryan Pilkington
 * Tomi May as Miroslav Minkowicz
 * Tommy Jessop as Terry Boyle
 * Andrea Irvine as Roisin Hastings
 * Maanuv Thiara as Vihaan Malhotra
 * Alastair Natkiel as Lee Banks
 * Laura Elphinstone as DI Michelle Brandyce
 * Natalie Gavin as PS Tina Tranter
 * Rosa Escoda as Amanda Yao
 * Peter De Jersey as Rossport
 * Caroline Koziol as Mariana
 * Richard Sutton as PC Bloom

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.

Viewing figures
Series 5 saw a major increase in viewing ratings from previous series. By the May 2019 series finale, it was the BBC’s most watched programme of year. The show was reported to have had an average peak of 12.34 to 13.67 million viewers per episode.

Critical response
Despite less positive reviews than the previous series, series 5 was still ranked highly among critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes holds an approval rating for series 5 at 90%, with an average rating of 8.40/10, based on 29 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: “Line of Duty's sterling ensemble all maintain a stiff upper lip, but audiences' limbs will be quavering throughout this tense fifth season that dives deep into moral murk.” On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the series has a score of 88 out of 100 based on 5 critics.

Radio Times drama editor Eleanor Bley Griffiths wrote: "With epic interrogation scenes, surprise betrayals, grisly murders, untold secrets, massive twists... " Pat Stacey of The Irish Independent wrote: "Episode by episode, the plot is thickening, like soup that's been left sitting on a hot stove for too long." Rachel Cooke of the New Statesman was less complimentary in her review, suggesting that Mercurio struggled to give the audience a logical resolution – leading her to call series five “Jed Mercurio’s ropiest bit of work ever sent our way.” Brian Donaldson of The List had solid praise for the actors, but felt the series's plot was somewhat vague; he was critical of the script, stating: “The writing leaves many of them discussing the gravest of matters as though they're reading the contents on the back of a shampoo sachet.”