10 police dramas to watch now that Line of Duty is over - from Bodyguard to Unforgotten

Line of Duty broke viewing records when the season six finale aired - try these award-winning police dramas to help fill the void
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As Line of Duty season six drew to a close, fans were left wondering what to watch next - especially given that a seventh series may not even be on the cards.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of suspenseful police dramas on streaming sites and catch-up TV.

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Here are 10 series to check out to fill the Line of Duty-shaped hole in your life.

Bodyguard was also produced by the director of Line of Duty, for the BBC (picture: BBC)Bodyguard was also produced by the director of Line of Duty, for the BBC (picture: BBC)
Bodyguard was also produced by the director of Line of Duty, for the BBC (picture: BBC)

Unforgotten

Netflix (three seasons)

London detectives investigate crimes from the past, unravelling secrets left buried for years.

In the first series, when the body of a young man is discovered in a derelict building, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) is called in to investigate with her partner, Detective Sergeant (DS) Sunil "Sunny" Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar).

The investigation pieces together the intertwined lives of people who are harbouring dark secrets from the past - culminating in a shocking revelation.

8.3/10 IMBd

The Investigation

BBC (one season)

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Based on the true story of journalist Kim Wall, who disappeared after boarding a submarine in Denmark to interview its owner, inventor Peter Madsen, this crime drama promises to bring the truth to the surface.

The Danish six-part mini-series tells the story of how the police were able to successfully prove that Madsen killed Wall aboard his submarine.

Søren Malling (A Hijacking, Borgen) leads the cast as Jens Møller, alongside Pilou Asbæk (Game Of Thrones, A War) as the prosecutor, Jakob Buch-Jepsen.

Fargo

Amazon Prime Video (three seasons)

Based on true stories from the 1960 and 70s, each series of Fargo tells the tales of Minnesotans who became embroiled in crime, scandal and rivalry.

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The four seasons reflect on different aspects of society and the criminal families who ran the town of Fargo, inspired by the classic Coen Brothers film of the same title.

8.9/10 IMBd

The Bay

ITV Hub (two seasons)

Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong (Morven Christie) investigates a missing person in Morecambe Bay. She becomes embroiled in her own scandals, while seeking to prove herself and her work to her senior, DI Tony Manning (Daniel Ryan).

From supporting families to trying to hold together her own, will DS Armstrong be able to solve the crimes of the small Lancashire town?

7/10 IMBd

Pembrokeshire Murders

ITV (one season)

The Pembrokeshire Murders is based on real-life murders committed by Welsh serial killer John Cooper in the 1980s.

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In 2006, newly promoted Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins (Luke Evans) decides to reopen two unsolved 1980s murder cases linked with a string of burglaries.

Steve's team has to find more evidence before the perpetrator is released from prison.

7.1/10 IMBd

Bodyguard

BBC iPlayer/ Netflix (one season)

From the director of Line of Duty, Jed Mercurio, Bodyguard is a thrilling drama featuring the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch (RaSP) of London's Metropolitan Police Service.

The series follows David Budd (Richard Madden), a war veteran now working as an RaSP Specialist Protection Officer.

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He is assigned as the bodyguard of no-nonsense Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), whose politics stand for everything he is against.. As Budd finds himself torn between his values and his work, will he protect or violate his responsibilities?

Luther

BBC iPlayer/ Netflix (five seasons)

This psychological crime drama follows the DCI John Luther (Idris Elba), a dedicated police officer who lives his life on the edge as he attempts to stop the darkness of the crimes he deals with from consuming him.

The cast also includes Ruth Wilson (The Affair) as serial killer Alice Morgan

8.5/10 IMBd

The Missing

BBC (two seasons)

Exploring the emotional fallout of a child’s abduction, The Missing follows the story of Tony (James Nesbitt), a man devastated by the disappearance of his young son, Oliver, during a trip to France.

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His obsessive search for his son fractures his marriage to Emily (Frances O' Connor) as his life is put on hold.

However, Tony is not alone in his search, as he is joined by French police detective Julien, who initially launched the search for the child and likewise cannot shake his belief that Oliver is still alive.

8.2/10 IMBd

Broadchurch

Amazon Prime/ BritBox (three seasons)

Starring David Tennant and Olivia Coleman, this crime-drama series is based in a quaint seaside town which soon becomes enveloped in secrecy, when the death of an eleven-year-old boy sparks an unwanted media frenzy.

As the town's locals start to open up about what they do and don't know, it falls upon the police to catch the killer.

8.4/10 IMBd

Vigil

BBC ( release date tbc)

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From the makers of Line of Duty, this thriller series will also see the return of Martin Compston and is expected to be released in 2021.

The series follows DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) who is tasked with solving a suspicious death on-board HMS Vigil, a Royal Navy submarine, as well as the suspicious disappearance of a fishing trawler.

What is promised as a straightforward mission soon becomes a desperate attempt to uncover a dark conspiracy at the heart of the UK police force and the Royal Navy.