For fans mourning the end of Line of Duty season 6, we come with happy news. It looks as if the head of AC-12, superintendent Ted Hastings, has a new police job!
Yup, star Adrian Dunbar has just been confirmed to be playing the lead role in a new ITV police drama called Ridley.
While he won’t be hunting down bent coppers with colleagues Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) this time, in the new TV show, Dunbar will play retiring DI Alex Ridley who has been pushed out of the job he loves – strangely mirroring the storyline from LoD!
BBC Pictures
According to ITV, Dunbar’s character, Alex Ridley, is set to retire from the force after 25 years as a homicide police officer – but he feels like he has plenty still left to give. Alex is replaced by his former protégée, Acting DI Carol Farman. However, when Carol is faced with a complex murder, she enlists her former mentor Alex and brings him in to consult on the case.
ITV said: “Inspired by real life retired detectives re-joining police forces in a consultancy role given increasingly over-stretched resources, Ridley will explore thought provoking crime stories in an original and distinctive way.”
The detective drama is being written and created by Vera’s Paul Matthew Thompson who has penned episodes one, two and four, while Midsomer Murders‘ Julia Gilbert is behind the writing for episode three.
Blood producer Jonathan Fisher co-created the series alongside Thompson – the pair all previously worked together on Channel 5’s Blood, where Dunbar starred as Jim Hogan.
Speaking of his new role in Ridley, Dunbar said: “I don’t think I’ve ever headed into a production with more excitement and enthusiasm. As an actor I know how rare it is to be given such a wonderful opportunity, and the combination of Polly Hill and Chloe Tucker at ITV and Jonathan Fisher at West Road Pictures means we are in both safe and creative hands.”
He added: “Jonathan and I worked closely together on the very successful series Blood, and I’m confident we can bring some of that magic to Ridley. Here’s to getting the team together and developing a show that audiences can find both entertaining and engaging.”
Co-creator Fisher said: “I couldn’t be happier to be getting started on Ridley, as we continue to build the West Road production slate with our second commission for ITV. We’re so excited to be teaming up once again with the inimitable Adrian Dunbar, bringing to life Paul Matthew Thompson’s characterful and engaging scripts.”
Ridley is set to begin filming later this autumn with details of further casting coming soon. Watch this space!