TV preview: Line of Duty

ON THE LINE: Thandie Newton as Detective Chief Inspector Roz Huntley in the new series of Line of Duty, starting on BBC1 this Sunday.

In the fourth series of the crime drama, written by Jed Mercurio, Thandie Newton play DCI Roz Huntley who is in the middle of a career-defining case, Operation Trapdoor. Under intense pressure to catch a serial killer and prove herself to her superiors, including forensic coordinator Tim Ifield (Jason Watkins), it’s not long before AC-12 decide to probe her handling of the investigation.

Newton says: “Jed manages to bring that level of diabolical truth to his writing with his characters. He manages to push it to a place where it remains accessible and it doesn’t seem at all exaggerated but he finds the truth in everything. It really isn’t easy as a writer as it can quickly become absurd, particularly as you only have an hour for each episode.

“I didn’t know anything about the role but I said I wanted to do it. The first thing I saw was series three. I don’t watch a lot of television – because I have kids the only thing I watch is SpongeBob or Paw Patrol!

“My agent said to me, ‘Thandie, an offer has come in and if you ever want to work in British television, this is it.’

“Jed is known for his meticulous dialogue, and for an actor that’s both brilliant and terrifying.”

Line of Duty, BBC1, Sunday, 9pm.