Sunday TV Review: Jed Mercurio the creative force behind the BBC talks about the hit crime drama Line Duty that drops on BritBox this week

My guest is Jed Mercurio the creative force behind the epic police drama Line of Duty. Series six of the wildly successful show will debut on May 18th  here in the U.S. exclusively on Britbox. (https://www.britbox.com/us/ )

Last year when we spoke to Jed Series five had just come off of rave reviews for the BBC 1 and massive ratings but that was just the start of things to come for Line of Duty. The new season comes following a ratings run that outperformed Bodyguard, Downton Abbey and ended with the series breaking a modern-day BBC viewing record (12.8 million) that dates back nearly two decades.

Line Of Duty now shares this record ratings honor with The Great British Bake Off (15.9million in October 2016), EastEnders (16.4million in February 2010), Gavin and Stacey (17.1million in December 2019) and The X Factor (17.7million in December 2010).  To put things into perspective Line Of Duty’s success means the top ten most-watched drama series of the century are evenly split between BBC1 and ITV.

In case you have not seen the show it is set in the fictional police anti-corruption unit AC-12, Line of Duty is a cat-and-mouse thriller that takes a probing look into modern policing and corruption. In the newest season, AC-12 face their most enigmatic adversary yet – Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Davidson (Kelly Macdonald).  With her unconventional conduct in a high-profile murder investigation raising suspicions, the team begins to challenge the facts of the case and question whether Davidson is really doing everything in her power to find the perpetrator – or if there is another factor in play.

BE SURE TO LISTEN TO STREAM ON FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH JED WHO GIVES YOU SOME INSIGHT INTO SERIES SIX.

For the many fans of Line of duty here in the U.S. watching on Britbox you will recall that season five drew to a close, we think that fans are going to be quite surprised by how the sixth series begins but I can tell you that you will not be disappointed.

There is no question that Mercurio has proven anything by bringing Line of Duty to the small screen it is that he is a master of the plot twist and keeping views guessing which is what makes the show must see TV. Make no mistake about it Line of Duty series six is going to be another well written, well acted and well produced roller coasters ride and you would be wise to take the trip because it well worth the time.

Promotional consideration for Stream On with Jim Williams comes from Sling TV. They are far and away; the best live streaming service on the planet.

Cord cutters and cord nevers want a place to keep up with live TV with sports or news. Well, we have the best possible option at the best cost in the business.

Check them out at https://www.sling.com/

It doesn’t matter if you like sports, or news, or entertainment they have it all in one place at a price that will have you cutting the cord today!

Check out www.slingtv.com for their outstanding live service today and start saving money.

Have questions or comments?

No problem just ask away on social media

Twitter @JWMediaDC

Instagram – Jimwilliams200

Email at jimwilliamsmedia@gmail.com

Jim Williams is the Washington Bureau Chief, Digital Director as well as the Director of Special Projects for Genesis Communications. He is starting his third year as part of the team. This is Williams 40th year in the media business, and in that time he has served in a number of capacities. He is a seven time Emmy Award winning television producer, director, writer and executive. He has developed four regional sports networks, directed over 2,000 live sporting events including basketball, football, baseball hockey, soccer and even polo to name a few sports. Major events include three Olympic Games, two World Cups, two World Series, six NBA Playoffs, four Stanley Cup Playoffs, four NCAA Men’s National Basketball Championship Tournaments (March Madness), two Super Bowl and over a dozen college bowl games. On the entertainment side Williams was involved s and directed over 500 concerts for Showtime, Pay Per View and MTV Networks.