“Line of Duty: Series 2” Filming, Expected Premiere in Late 2013

The second series of crime drama Line of Duty has resumed filming in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and assuming it will be as brilliant as the first, then I, for one, cannot wait for it to arrive stateside.

Line of Duty premiered in the UK on BBC Two nearly a year ago, it was the channel’s biggest new drama series in ten years. In the States, it’s been one of the most-watched British programs on Hulu and Hulu Plus, which has exclusive rights to the show in the U.S. Rightfully so in both cases, because the “is he or isn’t he a bent copper” story is gritty, intense and quite disturbing, with an I-did-not-see-that-one-coming ending that blew me away.

Series creator, writer, and Executive Producer Jed Mercurio has a new police corruption story in Series Two, one in which three officers are killed and a protected witness is seriously injured when a police convoy is ambushed, and the sole surviving officer — Detective Inspector Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes, MI-5) — goes from being the most valuable witness to the prime suspect at the (fictional) anti-corruption unit AC-12.

Said Mercurio:

“I was thrilled by the success of series one, and I’m hugely grateful for the opportunity to create another six hours of twists and turns as our returning investigators delve into a brand-new story of police corruption.”

Added Hawes, who joined the cast in April:

“I’m thrilled to be joining the cast of Line Of Duty and after reading Jed’s incredible scripts I can’t wait to take my character, DI Lindsay Denton, on the epic journey he has created for her. I loved the first series so it’s a real pleasure to be part of series two and working alongside such talented actors like Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Robert Lindsay.”

Speaking of Lindsay (My Family), he had been cast as Deputy Chief Constable Mike Dryden, but left the series soon after production began due to creative differences. A report from TVWise states that Mark Bonnar (Psychoville) has taken over the role of DCC Dryden, who takes personal charge in the matter of the ambush and assigns AC-12 to the case.

Compston (The Damned United) and McClure (Broadchurch), as well as Adrian Dunbar (Ashes to Ashes), reprise their roles as Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott, Detective Constable Kate Fleming, and Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), respectively. Joining the investigation team is Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife) as newly-appointed Detective Constable Georgia Trotman.

The premiere date for Series Two of Line of Duty has not yet been set, but look for it in late 2013. And if you haven’t yet seen Series One, watch it exclusively (in the U.S.) at Hulu / Hulu Plus.

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