Line Of Duty Creator Jed Mercurio 'Furiously' Shuts Down Journalist's Question About Series 7

A journalist for The i got more than she bargained for when she asked the screenwriter about another series of the hit BBC show.

Line Of Duty fans may be waiting patiently for news of another series, but it seems you should think twice before asking creator Jed Mercurio about it. 

That’s a lesson a journalist from The i learned the hard way after daring to enquire about a follow-up to the hugely popular BBC cop drama. 

Jed was interviewed by the paper about his new graphic novel when chat naturally turned to the most talked-about show of the year, which aired its series six finale back in May. 

However, according to the paper, he was left “furious” when the journalist asked about a possible series seven. 

Open Image Modal
Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio
Phillip Chin via Getty Images

“It just feels like this is clickbait now,” Jed said, with The i describing him as having “snapped”. 

After the journalist explained it was a fair question to ask, given the finale drew over 15 million viewers, he ‘yelled’: “Feel free to generate some clickbait!”

The paper described him as being “suddenly furious”, giving “a sarcastic, tight little smile” as he logged off the call, saying: “I really enjoyed the conversation. Have a good day!” 

HuffPost UK has contacted a representative for Jed Mercurio and is awaiting a response. 

Open Image Modal
Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston in Line Of Duty
BBC

It is far from the first time Jed has clashed with a journalist. 

In 2019, he singled out at a Guardian writer in a now-deleted tweet after she named Line Of Duty on a list of the biggest TV disappointments of the year. 

When asked about his criticism of her in a subsequent interview with GQ magazine, he doubled down calling her a “c***” and a “piece of shit”. 

He added: “I specifically objected to the Guardian article because its sole objective was to sneer at TV programmes. The journalists lined up shows to take a pop at them with no constructive purpose, as if they’re somehow superior to mere TV writers.

“I tagged the writer in the thread to give them a chance to respond. When they didn’t, I deleted the thread post.”

Jed also called a Telegraph critic a “moron” after he claimed the show had become “too clever for its own good” during the fifth series. 

He also labelled The Sun’s then-showbiz features editor a “c***” after the paper ran a story about actor Martin Compston being offered a new two series deal to play DS Steve Arnott in 2019.

Earlier this year, Jed also called a journalist who challenged him on audience satisfaction data about the series six finale a “fucking prick” on Twitter.