{"id":181670,"date":"2025-12-12T23:54:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T23:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/181670\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T23:54:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T23:54:10","slug":"martin-compstons-line-of-duty-return-set-to-mirror-real-life-with-crime-plot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/181670\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin Compston\u2019s Line of Duty return set to &#8216;mirror real life&#8217; with crime plot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"1\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Last month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69474644\/line-of-duty-return-season-7\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69474644\/line-of-duty-return-season-7\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"we finally got the big news\" data-node-id=\"1.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">we finally got the big news<\/a> that acclaimed police procedural Line of Duty would be returning to the small screen with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a36264768\/line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-spoilers\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a36264768\/line-of-duty-season-7-release-date-spoilers\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"its seventh season\" data-node-id=\"1.5\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">its seventh season<\/a>. As anticipation rises, Martin Compston has shared that the new story will be inspired by real events.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"4\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">The actor, who plays Steve Arnott in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/line-of-duty\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/line-of-duty\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the popular BBC series\" data-node-id=\"4.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the popular BBC series<\/a>, spoke <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/exclusive\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/exclusive\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"exclusively\" data-node-id=\"4.3\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">exclusively<\/a> with Digital Spy about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69482357\/vicky-mcclure-martin-compston-line-of-duty-return\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69482357\/vicky-mcclure-martin-compston-line-of-duty-return\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the upcoming season\" data-node-id=\"4.7\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the upcoming season<\/a>, and reasoned that the four-year hiatus has benefitted all parties including co-stars and writer-creator Jed Mercurio.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"6\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;Success breeds success, and we&#8217;ve been very lucky that we&#8217;ve all been busy on other stuff,&#8221; said the actor. &#8220;Vicky [McClure] has done four seasons of Trigger Point since our last one.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"10\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;Jed&#8217;s been away doing a big Netflix show. I&#8217;ve done umpteen Amazon Prime shows. Adrian [Dunbar]\u2019s been doing Ridley, so that&#8217;s all been brilliant. But we always had an eye on coming back at some point.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"12\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">In addition to giving the cast and crew a break, the hiatus has also enabled Mercurio to craft an &#8220;exciting&#8221; narrative, with Compston teasing: &#8220;It makes us excited to go back. It&#8217;s not a chore in any way. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"14\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;It also gives Jed time to fully develop a story. There was no point just commissioning it, it come back and him trying to go, &#8216;All right, we&#8217;re doing it. So what am I going to write about?&#8217; He just went, &#8216;this would be good.&#8217; <\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"martin compston as ds steve arnott, line of duty season 6\" title=\"Martin Compston, Line of Duty season 6\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4096\" height=\"2731\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-of-duty-martin-compston-steve-arnott-1617281624.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>BBC<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"17\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a63147899\/best-film-tv-tours-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a63147899\/best-film-tv-tours-2025\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best film and TV tours for 2025\" data-node-id=\"17.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best film and TV tours for 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"19\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;With all the stuff he does, there&#8217;s a kernel of truth in it \u2013 it mirrors a real-life incident that&#8217;s happened in policing. I think those incidents are more in the public consciousness, so I think that&#8217;s going to be really exciting.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"21\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">After being in the role for over a decade, Compston explained that his age, along with a heap of industry wisdom, has afforded him the ability to look at his most famous part with pride instead of regret.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"23\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;I&#8217;m just proud of the job,&#8221; he stated. &#8220;I think if it happened [when I was] younger, you go: &#8216;No way, I need to get away from that. I need to be known for something else.&#8217; If it&#8217;s what I&#8217;m best known for, I&#8217;m incredibly proud of that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"25\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">While the seventh season of the crime drama is still a while away from hitting the small screen, Compston has another project out this week, with The Revenge Club now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"streaming\" data-node-id=\"25.3\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">streaming<\/a> on Paramount+. <\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"the revenge club\" title=\"The Revenge Club\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/aimee-ffion-edwards-martin-compston-the-revenge-club-690c707163ef0.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Paramount+<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"28\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69685892\/revenge-club-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69685892\/revenge-club-review\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Line of Duty fans have to see Martin Compston&#039;s addictive, devious new revenge thriller on tonight\" data-node-id=\"28.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Line of Duty fans have to see Martin Compston&#8217;s addictive, devious new revenge thriller on tonight<\/a>  <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"30\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Based on JD Pennington&#8217;s novel The Othello Club, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69659453\/martin-compston-revenge-club-trailer\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a69659453\/martin-compston-revenge-club-trailer\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the series\" data-node-id=\"30.3\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the series<\/a> sees the actor portray a divorcee who attends a support group, only to find himself thrust into a world of scheming and danger as six individuals vow retribution against their former partners. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"32\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Boasting a stacked supporting cast including Douglas Henshall and Sharon Rooney, Compston reserved particular praise for co-star Aimee Ffion-Edwards, who plays Emily in the six-part thriller.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"34\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">&#8220;I was a big admirer from afar,&#8221; he said of Ffion-Edwards. &#8220;She&#8217;s just a phenomenal actor and with everybody in the group, very supportive, kind and proper. She\u2019s a little firecracker and she brings it every day, so that&#8217;s so easy to bounce off.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"36\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Line of Duty season 7 has no release date. The Revenge Club is streaming now on Paramount+.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"39\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Love TV? Get your Christmas viewing sorted with the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.goodhousekeeping.com\/uk\/gh-christmas-tv-guide?utm_source=digital&amp;utm_medium=digitalspy&amp;utm_campaign=Royale25\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"http:\/\/www.goodhousekeeping.com\/uk\/gh-christmas-tv-guide?utm_source=digital&amp;utm_medium=digitalspy&amp;utm_campaign=Royale25\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\" Good Housekeeping Christmas TV Guide\" data-node-id=\"39.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Good Housekeeping Christmas TV Guide<\/a>, featuring 14 days of Christmas TV listings, plus everything you need for the ultimate festive viewing experience! Just \u00a34.75 \u2013 available now at Morrisons, TG Jones and all other good magazine retailers.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-dynamic-svg=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/images\/logos\/lettermark.05d81be.svg?primary=%2523000\" loading=\"lazy\" data-testid=\"dynamic-svg-base\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" alt=\"Lettermark\" class=\"css-7mevzh ev8dhu50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Movies<\/a> and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. \u00a0His film tastes vary from blockbusters like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/mission-impossible\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mission: Impossible<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/john-wick\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Wick<\/a> to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.<br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/c9c3b959-10f7-495c-82de-df3d8540e562_1646928593.PNG\" alt=\"Headshot of Janet A Leigh\" title=\"Headshot of Janet A Leigh\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. \u00a0For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodhousekeeping.com\/uk\/author\/531576\/janet-a-leigh\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Good Housekeeping institute<\/a> eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. \u00a0She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Digital Spy<\/a> as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book <a href=\"https:\/\/pegasuspublishers.com\/books\/janet-a-leigh\/gothic-angel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gothic Angel<\/a>. <br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last month, we finally got the big news that acclaimed police procedural Line of Duty would be returning&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":181671,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[635,105756,637,146,85,46,636,105755,411],"class_list":["post-181670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-f86fc661-3582-4576-ab49-0ac97e34ccd4","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-martin-compston-talks-line-of-duty-return","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}