Line of Duty is reportedly set to air a three part special next year, after the season six finale left "unfinished business".
The BBC show's main trio; Adrian Dunbar, Vicky McClure and Martin Compston are said to be on board for the three episode special.
There has been talk of the show returning ever since the end of season six in 2021, where the crooked cop mastermind H was unveiled, but viewers were left disappointed, claiming the ending was underwhelming.
Excited fans will be hoping that the show provides answers and perhaps writer Jed Mercurio will reveal who H truly is.
The episodes will reportedly be filmed in the spring and could be shown as early as next Christmas.
A source told The Sun: “There was a very strong feeling, particularly among fans, that there was unfinished business with Line of Duty.
“The question is whether the person we were led to believe was H really is the villain that AC-12 has been hunting or if it was another nemesis.
“There’s also a theory another, darker puppet-master is at work."
Last month Adrian, who plays Superintendent Ted Hestings, said he was hopeful that writer Jed was working on a fresh outing for his much-loved character and the rest of the AC12 team.
Adrian said: “I think generally there’s a willingness amongst everybody to do something – but I think we’re just gonna have to wait a little bit longer.”
The actor said it would feel wrong to end with a series made during lockdown, when he and co-stars Vicky and Martin were unable to have as much fun as they usually do.
On filming the sixth series, screened last year on BBC1, he said: “It wasn’t quite as fun. We couldn’t hang out, we couldn’t go out.
“We were all in a kind of bubble so it didn’t have the same feel – which is one of the reasons we’d like to do another one.”
But he defended last year’s H revelation, which led to a fan backlash.
He said: ”Even though it was kind of frustrating for the audience who probably thought we were going to have a big reveal, you can’t really introduce a big-reveal character within one episode to go over a 10-year series.”
Asked if he would ever consider a spin-off for Ted, he told RadioTimes.com: “You’ll always be in the market for considering whatever people throw at you. So I mean, that would be interesting. Yes is the answer to that, I suppose.”
It could mean another outing for Ted’s “Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey” catchphrase.
In October, Adrian was asked directly on Good Morning Britain whether there will be another season, by presenter Susanna Reid.
He relied: “Well yes, we really hope so.
“I mean everyone is kind of gunning for it, so yeah. I'm sure the public want it.“
The BBC declined to comment when approached by the Mirror.
