There’s one show you can strike from your watchlist: ITV has appeared to quietly end one of its detective dramas.
Ridley, starring Line of Duty favourite Adrian Dunbar, has been paused by the channel after two series, which were broadcast in 2021 and 2025.
The drama, co-created by Paul Matthew Thompson, one of the lead writers of Vera, and Jonathan Fisher (Blood), follows a former detective inspector who is brought back in as a consultant to assist former colleague Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh).
Separating the series from other crime procedurals, though, were the scenes in which Dunbar’s Ridley – a pianist and singer – crooned in a jazz club to songs including Richard Hawley’s “Coles Corner”, “As the Dawn Breaks” and “Open Up the Door”.
“There are currently no plans to return to Ridley,” an ITV spokesperson said.
“We’d like to extend our thanks to creator and writer Paul Matthew Thompson, executive producer Jonathan Fisher and the team at West Road Pictures for producing two successful series."
At the time of his casting in the show, Dunbar said: “I don’t think I’ve ever headed into a production with more excitement and enthusiasm.”
That might change in the next few weeks as the actor prepares to reprise his role as Ted Hastings in BBC ratings smash Line of Duty.
Production on the seventh season is starting in Belfast this month, with Dunbar returning, alongside Martin Compston and Vicky McClure, as police officers hunting down their corrupt colleagues.
It was recently announced that Robert Carlyle will join the ranks of previous famous guest stars – Lennie James, Keeley Hawes, Stephen Graham and Thandiwe Newton – to appear on the new series.
Carlyle, known for British comedy The Full Monty and horror sequel 28 Weeks Later, will play Detective Constable Shaun Massie, with creator Jed Mercurio stating: “I know viewers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what his character will do next, and why."
The actor said of his casting: “The scripts for the series are excellent and will absolutely maintain the quality that the audience have come to expect from this fantastic show. DC Massie is an extraordinary character and I look forward to bringing him to life.”
Massie is described as a veteran marksman, operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups. He is dragged into controversy when his boss, Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, is accused of being a sexual predator, which is investigated by the central trio in their “most sensitive case so far”. The actor playing Gough is yet to be announced.
The press release for series seven reads: “Is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?” with the BBC stating, when Gough comes under suspicion, “Massie's otherwise detached demeanour changes drastically”.
Last month, it was reported that Line of Duty will also reintroduce the controversial plotline surrounding the enigmatic “H”, the corrupt copper at the centre of the anti-corruption unit’s search.
The identity of “H” was revealed as Nigel Boyle’s bumbling DSI Ian Buckells in the 2021 finale, which proved divisive among viewers. The twist was that Buckells was not a “criminal mastermind”, as AC-12 believed “H” was, but instead an individual who did small favours for several organised crime groups.
Boyle addressed the fan outcry at the time, stating: “There’s always going to be some element of disappointment. You can’t have every series end with a big shoot out. Sometimes a subtler message is more important.”
Line of Duty first aired on BBC Two before moving to BBC One for its second season.
The series six finale became the biggest drama episode – excluding soaps – since modern records began in 2002, as 17 million viewers tuned in to find out the identity of “H” across 28 days.
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